MCIera wrote:I wouldn't know. I tasted them after coming back to the world.
Don't know if they were ever issued, per se. As for the "beginning of the war" that could technically go back as early as 1954 when the French left Viet Nam.
Mkim340518 wrote:
Hey MCIera,
Just wondering if these were issued out to regular soldiers on the ground or if these were special issue for select forces?
And when were these first issued? was it in the beginning of the war? or later on?
Thanks for your help
Mike
Hey thanks for your help!
What I meant to say with"the beginning of the war" was if the rations were issued during our first physical involvement in the war with our soldiers on the ground fighting.
I don't know that they were ever issued with any regularity at any time during the Viet Nam era. They were certainly not available during the first ground fighting (which also would have been in the 50's.) The "police action" esacalated in the 60's and came into the awareness of the general public. With regards to it as a military action, it was probably the longest that the U.S. has ever been involved in and certainly the first time in history when the U.S. did not emerge as victors. We're currently engaged in the second one.
Mkim340518 wrote:
Hey thanks for your help!
What I meant to say with"the beginning of the war" was if the rations were issued during our first physical involvement in the war with our soldiers on the ground fighting.
From my view and from the looks of that ration, it probably was a prototype back in the 70's. There was another one like that on ebay not too long ago and it looked the same. Not sure how much it went for? You do have to figure that between 1968-72 there were some great techological gains in what the US was using and coming up with for the warfare in SE Asia.
This shows an example of the contents. sorry I could'nt get the pic bigger. I copied it from the pdf version of Operational Rations 1970. This document came from a website discussed in another topic here. Can't remember which topic.
I remember these 'frankfurters' when I was in the Marines, and available in the brown mre's. The 'catsup', was a powder, where you had to mix water within, to make a paste and remember it was available in the pork patty mre. (I served from 86 - 90)
MREs were being tested in the mid-70's before the end of the Viet Nam conflict. Most of the early entree components were from freeze dried from LRRPs. So you're right, the frankfurthers aren't from 'Nam, nor would any MREs have been issued there; though there was probably testing of that particular item in the late 70's. The frankfurters were used in MREs from '81-'87, so they were discontinued well before Desert Storm though it looks like quite of few of them still found their way over to the Middle East.
sahkeah wrote:I remember these 'frankfurters' when I was in the Marines, and available in the brown mre's. The 'catsup', was a powder, where you had to mix water within, to make a paste and remember it was available in the pork patty mre. (I served from 86 - 90)
