K rations (was: Defending the Female Dog )

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "jeffl1965" <jeffl1965 at s...> 

>   What about the K rations? 

I never had any idea (except "kennel ration" as Sandy suggested) but
for this thread I looked it up in OneLook Dictionary.

http://4mermarine.com/USMC/dictionary.html#K titled An Unofficial
Dictionary for Marines says: "K-rations. World War II individual field
rations. Universally detested for their lack of taste and rubbery
consistency they were replaced by C-rations." 

http://www.bartleby.com/61/78/K0107800.html American Heritage
Dictionary says: "K ration, NOUN:	An emergency field ration for U.S.
armed forces in World War II, consisting of a single packaged meal.
ETYMOLOGY: After Ancel Benjamin Keys (born 1904), American physiologist."

It says they were replaced by C rations, so I looked that up. 

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-ration says: "Meal, Combat Individual
(C-ration) was the name of field rations issued from World War II to
the 1980s. Each ration consisted of a canned entree, a "B2 unit"
containing cheese, crackers and candy, a canned dessert, and an
accessory pack. The accessory pack contained a P-38 can opener, mix
for a hot beverage, salt and sugar packets, plastic spoon, chewing
gum, a pack of four cigarettes and several sheets of toilet paper.
Each complete meal provided approximately 1200 kcal (1200 "Calories").
Replaced by the MRE."

I am pleased to find that I was right about the C standing for
"canned". IIRC, Tim told me an anecdote from his childhood (in 
1950s): his family used to buy C-rations from an Army Surplus for
their camping trips. One time his father got a really good deal on a
case whose labels had come off. When opened, they contained a pack of
cigarettes, a chocolate bar, and a pair of stockings. Clearly the
Fraternization supplies.

Hey, Sandy, "hi" right back atcha! Say "Hi" to Bruce from me, I
actually (vaguely) remember him. (Which is more than I do most
people). Lee and Barry were at Con Jose (from which Lee reported that
the pocket program was nominated for the Hugo for Best Short Fiction)
but I don't do sf cons anymore. Just call me agoraphobic.