Veteran's Day Food: Food and Recipes of the American Military

Napoleon Bonaparte once said that "an army travels on its stomach." This being the case, over the years, the people in charge of keeping American military units well-fed have come up with a number of ways to feed them in a convenient, nutritious and economical manner.

Military Food: Garrison Rations

Fresh Foods for the Army explains early military food rations in the following way: ". . . the first legislation fixing the components of the army ration-a resolution passed by the Continental Congress on 4 November 1775--included provision for "3 pints of peas or beans per week, or vegetables equivalent" and "1 pint of milk per man per day," in addition to such standard staples as "1 lb. beef, or 3/4 lb. pork, or 1 lb. salt fish per day," and "1 lb. bread or flour per day."

A recipe for Garrison Bread can be found on Foodista. It comes from the 1916 Manual for Army Bakers, and is the "straight dough method" for Garrison Bread. The recipe makes 50 servings of bread, which translates to about 136 pounds of baked bread.

Military Food: Hardtack and Salt Pork

During the American Civil War, hard tack and salt pork were commonly consumed items. During modern times, these foods are still eaten, even by civilians.

While bacon is typically the food that is used nowadays, salt pork is called for in some recipes, especially those from the northeastern region of the United States. The simplest explanation of salt pork is that it is salt-cured pork. Just Pork Recipes has recipes calling for salt pork on its website. They are Vermont Style Baked Beans and Cabbage and Salt Pork.

Best described as a hard cracker, hardtack can be found for sale in some regions of the U.S.A., prepared by companies such as Nabisco. Nabisco makes and distributes "Crown Pilot Crackers", which is a fancy name for hardtack. Shtfmilitia offers two recipes for homemade hardtack on its website.

Military Food: C-Rations

Though it has undergone some changes over the years, since 1938 the c-ration was a primary meal for troops, replacing what was known as the "Reserve Ration."

During World War II, problems with the c-ration became a catalyst for an interesting event to occur in regards to military food. The problems with the c-rations for soldiers were the weight of the cans they had to carry around with them, bland taste and a limited menu. This caused a situation in which the military ended up with a surplus of c-rations. Not wanting to let them go to waste, according to Robert E. Peavey, the military continued to use them, with soldiers in Vietnam in 1968 finding some of the 1950's food.

For those soldiers eating c-rations, some creativity helped address the taste issue. The Charlie Ration Cookbook or How to Eat Well in a Foxhole provided tips and recipes. Adding Tabasco sauce is one of the primary tips from the book.

Military Food: MREs

Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) have gone beyond a food source for the military and crossed into the civilian market. They are used for camping, hunting and fishing trips, as well as a convenient emergency food supply.

These compact meals are designed to offer nutrition and convenience, and also contain items such as toilet paper, matches and chewing gum.

Those wanting to be creative with their MREs can find some fun recipe ideas on the Survival Gear Source website. A few of the recipes there are Ranger Pudding, Peanut Butter Cups, and a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich, MRE-style.

Summary

Learning the history of American military food can be more than a fun jaunt back through time. Using some of the recipes can make for a memorable meal for Veteran's Day and can be a great way to honor American veterans.

References:

Fresh Foods for the Army. 1775-1950. Herbert R. Rifkind. http://www.qmfound.com/fresh_foods_for_the_army_1775_1950.htm Praying for Slack: A Marine Corps Tank Commander in Vietnam by Robert E. Peavey (page 190). http://lccn.loc.gov/2005270011