E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Sorry! and here I thought SPAM was unwanted online advertising! Actually, the canned spiced ham was one of the better rations. Some of the stuff we got was not any particular brand. It came in greenish cans and was labelled "Rations, but there was nothing written after the comma to indicate it was for human beings. The texture wasn't half bad so the Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce enhanced the flavour and killed the germs!

I guess I am like Pavlov's Dog- whenever I taste that stuff it reminds me of my less than pleasant in-country experiences.

There is a bunch of Canadians up here that volunteered for the U.S. Army and ended up in Viet Nam. When they found out I was an (American) vet they invited me to their organization. I did not realize that thousands of Canadians volunteered and fought in Vietnam. So, I asked them what the activities were like. Among other events, they camp out in a Provincial Park and at the end of the day they draw straws to see who gonna burn the contents of the Porta-Potty toilet. That famous mixture of gasoline and diesel fuel! So. I declined the invitation. OK- I donate some money and for years they ran a draw deal for a family portrait- it raised lots of money for their cause. I'm not into certain kinds of "nostalgia"! Fortunately, I never suffered P.S.T.D. so I don't wanna trigger it now. I am an old guy with a gray beard!

I apologize for my harsh critique of SPAM. I am not a gourmet eater by any stretch of the imagination. I have a cast-iron stomach and will eat rusty nails and mothballs if the flavour is hot enough!

I hope I do not gross anyone out!

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Interesting responses. I found that SOS was one of the few things even Army cooks couldn't screw up. IMHO SOS is one of the few things that makes grits eatable.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Pretty good without the lumps of flour!

cdayton

My memory from basic training at Ft Dix is that the SOS was pretty good compared to powered mash potatoes and some strange egg concoctions.

srt101fan

cincykid

I ate a lot of chipped beef on toast as a kid. I always thought it was SOS (maybe it was in WWII) since my Dad was a combat medic. When I was in the Army it was made with ground beef and pretty good.

While on the subject of military food 2 quick recalls:

We had a guy who hated bay leaves. He would steal from the supply shack/room & throw them in the dumpster. Drove the mess sgt nuts.

Another guy, lets call him Jones was on KP for the first time. His job was cracking eggs, 6 to a bowl. He was so proud of the job he did and called the mess sgt.1 over to see. The sgt. takes a small handful of eggshells, sprinkles them over the eggs and says "Jones, you don't want the men to think they're eating powdered eggs."

whfowle Loc: Tampa first, now Albuquerque

I know some Hawaiians who would take exception to your spam comment.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

A great story!! I was in the Coast Guard (1958-1964, was stationed in Alaska on Bering Sea Patrol, didn't need a typhoon for high waves, high wind, or seasickness up there! We had rails to keep trays from sliding off, 'seat belts' on our bunks, grab bars on the urinals, etc. I loved it though!!
Thank you for your service sir!

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

When I was in the Army in the '70s the SOS was made with ground beef, not chipped beef, and it was pretty good.

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

Thanks for the reply, as a Coastie we got a lot of Navy surplus stuff, I remember eating powdered eggs from cans dated 1943! And that was in 1960s!

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

Scrambled eggs cooked in an oven was a real treat!LOL

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

Not to worry. I love Spam, we buy it in all the different flavors, eat it fried, cubed into eggs, & for sandwiches!

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

It was powdered everything, but guess that was the only way they could feed the thousands of troops and sailors!?

DickC Loc: NE Washington state