Originally Posted by Grog
<with my geek hat on>
Your point is valid (and it sounds like you've eaten your share of them).
C-rats, as we affectionately called them, were still going strong into the 1980's. IIRC, it wasn't until about 1983 that MREs replaced them...so...c-rations fit in line with cassette tapes and even CDs (which went mainstream ~1980). A mere 25 years ago.
Yeah. All this talk about c-rations stirred the ol' memory banks. I do recall eating c-rats back in 1981 when for some incomprehensible reason I voluntarily attended RANGER school and submitted myself to all the abuses the kind-hearted RANGER staff is renowned for. We used to take the c-rats out of the boxes and slip the cans inside our socks with pieces of cardboard inbetween to prevent the cans from rattling. And, of course, we used everything inside those c-ration boxes, including the wrappers and carton containers and left no evidence behind indicating our presence.
My first assignment was at Bragg, and we were one of those units that always got the first new items in the Army inventory...MREs being one of those items along with the new BDUs (the ones with the heavily stitched seat that made it feel like you were wearing diapers) and other new toys.
What can I say? They say that your memory is the second thing to go...I forget what the first thing is....