The C-Ration, or Type C ration, was an individual canned, pre-cooked or prepared wet ration intended to be issued to U.S. military land forces when fresh food (A-ration) or packaged unprepared food (B-Ration) prepared in mess halls or field kitchens was impractical or not available and when a survival ration (K-ration or D-ration) was insufficient. Development began in 1938, with the first rations being field tested in 1940 and wide scale adoption following soon after. Following World War II, cost concerns later caused the C-ration to be standardized for field issue regardless of environmental suitability or weight limitations.

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The C ration was replaced in 1958 with the Meal Combat Individual (MCI). Although officially a new ration the MCI was derived from and very similar to the original C ration, and in fact continued to be called "C rations" by American troops throughout its service life (1958-1980), although this nomenclature is, in a strictly technical sense, incorrect.

 

The overuse of the canned ration culminated during the Vietnam War, where American troops frequently resorted to the extreme of placing stacked ration cans in empty G.I. socks to save bulk and reduce noise on patrol, while enemy forces improved mobility by carrying lightweight rations of dry rice. Primarily implemented due to cost concerns, the decision to standardize on a single canned wet individual ration resulted in a severe weight penalty for troops marching on foot through the jungles of Vietnam while carrying a multi-day supply of MCI cans, adversely affecting combat readiness and increasing soldier fatigue (a typical complete individual ration of cans for one day weighed five and a half pounds). 

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The C ration had some curious superstitions attached to it during the Vietnam War. The "Ham & Lima Beans" entree, a perennial un favorite since World War II and Korea, was detested by U.S. Marines in Vietnam, who considered even pronouncing the correct name brought bad luck, instead calling it "Ham and Motherfuckers". US Marines, Paratroops, Infantry Soldiers, and Armored Vehicle Crewmen, generally all "Grunts", held the same superstition, that Halved Apricots, were bad luck to eat during combat ops. They were nicknamed "Baby Heads", because of the skins soft fuzzy texture. Forcing its replacement by the "Applesauce" dessert. Although Apricots could still be found in C-Rats into the 1980's, other menu items were more popular, such as the pound cake, canned pears, and spaghetti & meatballs. The Peanut Butter issued in the B-1 unit was unappetizing, tasted like greasy clay, and was often discarded but was consumed by those with dysentery as it was certain to stop a case of the runs. Marines in Vietnam used to hoard B-1 peanut butter in empty ration cans to make improvised smoke candles while on long patrols. Being extremely oily, the peanut butter burned with ease, and could be used to boil water for coffee, although it left a greasy black soot on the bottom of a canteen cup. A Marine tank commander serving in Vietnam in 1968 noted his unit was frequently supplied with older stocks of C rations, complete with early 1950s dates on the cans.

In 1973, Army Colonel Henry Moak was issued a MCI ration during his stay in Vietnam. Included in the MCI ration was a can of pound cake, manufactured in 1969. He hung onto the unopened can and vowed to eat the pound cake when he retires from the Army. On July 24, 2009, Moak opened the forty-year old can and ate the contents. He noted that the pound cake still looked and smelled like fresh pound cake.

  Colonel Eats Vietnam War-era 'C' Ration World News

 

    MEAL, COMBAT, INDIVIDUAL RATION
  History of the C-Ration - Development to End

  Description of C-Rations Used in Vietnam - Full Menu