Highly controversia and a bit OT but..., proceed with caution.............

[DaleW]

As I recall K's were hard tack (cracker), little can of potted meat to spread onto the cracker, a bullion cube to make broth (soup?), packet of instant coffee & hot chocolate, chewing gum, candy (often M&M's) and a 4-pak of cigarettes.
"C" rations (combat rations) were more complete in the cracker department, and here the "wet" part of the ration would be something like beef stew, beans & franks, sausage patties (God forbid), corned beef hash (double God forbid), ~ with the newer C's (into the Korean conflict) the wets got better ... like beef steak & potatoes! There would also be a can of applesauce, fruit cocktail or peaches. The left over WWII C's would have a full pack of cigarettes whereas the later Korean era (my time) had only the 4 cigs to a pack.
Where Spam came into the picture was when there was a field mess tent set up, or, hell, even the mess hall while in garrison - and Spam and eggs were a common breakfast (when not serving S. on the Shingle!

Quite often on my camping/fishing outings I've carried the smaller tin of Spam as it's no problem with refrigeration. But about one breakfast of spam & eggs is enough to last for awhile. Let me add here, however, (it comes on me like a fever) .... every so often, I just have to have some S.o.S ~ now, true S.o.S. (S on the shingle), is hamburger & gravy on toast ... NOT chipped beef & gravy on toast.

Now that this has all been posted .... maybe I'd better get another small tin of Spam next trip to the super market!

[Uncle Jesse]

Byron, If my memory services me correctly, I don't remember anyone ever eating eggs and ham from a C-rat or MRE. I was in the Army National Guard and could have missed I was only in 23 years. We had few C-rats in BCT at lovely Ft. Polk also, after marching, obstacle course and the other stuff we did I remember a can of cold spaghetti not being that bad for meal. I heard my dad talk about K-rats which were lightweight, high calorie and only meant for short term use. Don't ever remember him or any other WWII veteran mention them being tasty.

[Byron haugh]

I can pretty much attest to having been given field rations in a small cardboard box which contained "ham and eggs" and as I recall, the eggs seemed to have green tinges of color.
As I said, I served active duty, overseas, for about 18 months in the late 60's. It was the only place we got such "rations" and it was only when they couldn't get mess haul food out to us.

[Jack Hise]

You all should visit the Spam museum in Austin, MN. People wanting to start a museum go there to find out how to do in right!! There are even 2 "Spam's that are not available in the US! Did not ask what they were!

[Marco]

Hey Jack,
If we take the Northern route I 90 for our annual Wyoming visit, we always stop in Austin for the obligatory SPAM and...............? depending on the time of our pass-thru. Austin is the HQ of Hormel foods and the museum is worth a visit ( at least once as did we). If we take the Southern route, I 80 , it's Des Moines and a GREAT breaded pork tenderloin sandwich ( they DO have to learn to pound it thinner, pan saute and oven finish though instead of deep fry) :>)

Mark

[jszymczyk]

If you really want to cause controversy here about spam, cut some up into little pieces, thread it on a hook, and go catch some Holier-Than-Thou trout with it. They love it.

And as far as it being inexpensive, I don't know where you shop, but it's not cheap.

[Byron haugh]

When I lived in Iowa, I drove past the Hormel facility in Austin on all my trips to fish the South Branch of the Root. Always seemed to be a lot of folks parked at the visitors center near the Spam Museum.
Here in Hawaii, we even have teriyaki flavored Spam. I haven't eaten Spam since I carried it in my lunch pail while working construction during my summers in college.

[CharlaineC]

I love spam in all its many forms. for me fried or cod i'm happy. sometimes i'll cube it and mix the cubes in batter and make spam cakes

[jcampbell]

Not sure if it was "C" or "K", but it reminded me of "I don't like green eggs and ham" as the breakfast boxes had cans of scrambled eggs in the little cans which did seem like "green eggs and ham" as I recall.
Didn't anyone else serve in the 60"s and eat these rations????

Byron, I hope you were not eating K-rations in the late 60's. They were declared obsolete in 1948. Unfortunately, you were probably eating C-rations and I don't recall ever eating eggs in a C-ration of which I eat many. Later in Vietnam we had the MREs and Long Range Patrol rations which, by the way, were pretty good. Still no eggs. However, I did have to eat powdered eggs when we got to a mess hall.

[Byron haugh]

It was 68 through 70. The rations came in a small cardboard box (drab green or drab brown). Not sure which version of rations they were, but they were old. Each box contained, as I said, a small pack of cigarettes. About 6 or so cigarettes in each little box with the brand name of the cigarette.

This sure sound like what we got:
"Until early 1944, separate specifications were used for the so-called B or bread unit of the ration and for related components. In June of that year, the component specifications were consolidated into one specification which abandoned the title "U.S. Army Field Ration C" and adopted the nomenclature "Ration, Type C, Assembly, Packaging and Packing." 36 Under its terms the ration consisted of three cans of B units, three cans of M or meat units, and one accessory pack. Six combinations of components or menu arrangements were specified to provide variety to the ration. Six B units were listed, two each for breakfast, dinner, and supper. B unit components, varied in accordance with a grouping which would fit the meal, included biscuits, compressed and premixed cereal, candy-coated peanuts or raisins, soluble coffee, sugar, lemon- or orange-juice powder, hard candies, jam, cocoa beverage powder, and caramels. The accessory packet included nine "good-commercial-quality" cigarettes, halazone water-purification tablets, book matches, toilet paper, chewing gum, and an opener for the meat cans. The varieties of canned meats were meat and beans; meat-and-vegetable stew; meat and spaghetti; ham, egg, and potato; meat and noodles; pork and rice; frankfurters and beans; pork and beans; ham and lima beans; and chicken and vegetables. The unpopular meat-and-vegetable hash and English-style stew-which were the first additions to the original three-were abandoned because of poor acceptance."

You will notice that one unit included "ham, egg, and potato"