A Rock Or Something

[Subdeacon Joe]

http://taskandpurpose.com/heres-ridiculous-story-behind-rock-something/

 

 

 

 

“We were designing the [flameless ration heater] directions and wanted to show an object to rest the heater on,” said Oleksyk, who recalled Pickard saying: “‘I don’t know. Let’s make it a rock or something.’ So we wrote ‘rock or something’ on the object, kind of as a joke.”

 

 

So now we know.

[Utah Bob #35998]

:D

[DocWard]

And it has been an ongoing joke ever since! You can even get tee shirts.

 

http://inkfidel.com/collections/vintage-style-military-veteran-t-shirts/products/military-t-shirts-rock-or-something?gclid=Cj0KEQjw9vi-BRCx1_GZgN7N4voBEiQAaACKVmO1xwIdPDqLMCNtktIMCHBnpktS2icbwXPIFxlIhbwaAlKk8P8HAQ

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Well, something that is otherwise not very useful, like a 2nd Lt.

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

Yep, I've been making jokes about "rock or something" since the thing was invented.

[Subdeacon Joe]

Yep, I've been making jokes about "rock or something" since the thing was invented.

 

 

Um...since rocks were invented?

 

Geez....you're OLD!

 

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

And it has been an ongoing joke ever since! You can even get tee shirts.

 

http://inkfidel.com/collections/vintage-style-military-veteran-t-shirts/products/military-t-shirts-rock-or-something?gclid=Cj0KEQjw9vi-BRCx1_GZgN7N4voBEiQAaACKVmO1xwIdPDqLMCNtktIMCHBnpktS2icbwXPIFxlIhbwaAlKk8P8HAQ

 

I ordered a regular T and a long-sleeved T for Sassparilla Kid as stocking stuffers... and in the package was a nice li'l note, a couple of "Rock or Something" decals, and a green plastic "army man."

 

I thought that was kind of a nice whimsical touch!

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

 

 

Um...since rocks were invented?

 

Geez....you're OLD!

 

To be clear, C rations were still in the inventory when I first enlisted, but were not widely used. We mostly ate the first generation of MRE (with the chocolate-brown packaging), which did not have a heater. The heaters came along later. I think we're on the 4th or so generation of MREs now, and heaters (including the "rock or something" instructions) are standard.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Back in the day of the almost brown boot army, he had a different source of heat.

It was called a fire. Mostly frowned up on by the higher echelons personnel but they

did exist. I saw one in West Germany when the temp dropped to -24 degrees Fahrenheit.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Imaginative soldiers have often found ways to warm up, sometimes those methods were not good for long term health. Walking guard in front of the DEW line radars was one.

 

I always New we could put our lead lined containers 18" apart but never did it.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

A few twigs and a zippo and a grunt could be in bidness.

Enough to heat a C ration can. The pork sausage came

with it's one fire fuel, the grease.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

My cases of rations were always missing the good stuff. Had to exchange them every week or two.

[Noz]

We heated "Cs" on the manifold of whatever vehicle was handy. Germany-early 60s

However we were an elite artillery battalion with superb cooks. When everyone else were eating "Cs" we were eating T-Bones and baked potatoes.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

We had pretty good eats also, for a line foot outfit. Whenever possible, the Top had hot food delivered for the troops.

[Pat Riot]

My uncle told me he used shoe polish in a tin to heat his C rations.

 

I always wondered where "rock or something" came from. I used that term on a procedure I wrote once years ago :-) My boss got a kick out of it.

Edited December 22, 2016 by Pat Riot, SASS #13748

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

We heated "Cs" on the manifold of whatever vehicle was handy. Germany-early 60s

However we were an elite artillery battalion with superb cooks. When everyone else were eating "Cs" we were eating T-Bones and baked potatoes.

Most likely the sgt major cashed in some serious IOUs.

[twelve mile REB]

In the 60's C-4 worked very well and heat a canteen cup full of water quickly. Quickly was more important to us at the time than safety or other considerations.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

To be clear, C rations were still in the inventory when I first enlisted, but were not widely used. We mostly ate the first generation of MRE (with the chocolate-brown packaging), which did not have a heater. The heaters came along later. I think we're on the 4th or so generation of MREs now, and heaters (including the "rock or something" instructions) are standard.

I've been involved in military rations since 1957.

 

C rats weren't too bad and I never personally saw anything else until after I got out in 1978.

 

I do remember a lot of guys going to surplus stores and bringing back cases of canned heat / Sterno. Made life a bit more tolerable.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

In the 60's C-4 worked very well and heat a canteen cup full of water quickly. Quickly was more important to us at the time than safety or other considerations.

First time ever did that (I had seen it many times before) I caused a new 2LT a major cardiac upset.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

They didn't trust me with C-4. In fact they took me off the right side position on the mortar

and put me on the left side. That was after I almost blew up the training instructor and myself

on the hand grenade range.

As far as sterno went, most of the guys in the Company would drink the stuff if not supervised.

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

 

Many years ago when Japan cars were a novelty, I saw

Never Open This CAP Usually

on a car at the Chicago Auto Show.

I always thought it would be fun to

put on a baseball cap.

Never did.

Best

CR