All 8 Uses of

ration

in

The Things They Carried

Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C rations, and two or three canteens of water.†
Chpt 1

Henry Dobbins, who was a big man, carried extra rations; he was especially fond of canned peaches in heavy syrup over pound cake.
Chpt 1 *

rations = fixed portions of food

But Ted Lavender, who was scared, carried 34 rounds when he was shot and killed outside Than Khe, and he went down under an exceptional burden, more than 20 pounds of ammunition, plus the flak jacket and helmet and rations and water and toilet paper and tranquilizers and all the rest, plus the unweighed fear.†
Chpt 1

Purely for comfort, they would throw away rations, blow their Claymores and grenades, no matter, because by nightfall the resupply choppers would arrive with more of the same, then a day or two later still more, fresh watermelons and crates of ammunition and sunglasses and woolen sweaters-the resources were stunning-sparklers for the Fourth of July, colored eggs for Easter-it was the great American war chest-the fruits of science, the smokestacks, the canneries, the arsenals at…†
Chpt 1

He opened up a can of C rations, pork and beans, but the baby buffalo wasn't interested.†
Chpt 7

For hours at a time she plunked away at C-ration cans, a bit unsure of herself, but as it turned out she had a real knack for it.†
Chpt 9

Moving away, the men found things to do with themselves, some smoking, some opening up cans of C rations, a few just standing in the rain.†
Chpt 17

Definition: