News Letter 1941 Jul-Dec - Air Force Historical Studies Office

Graham CA-ackersfor Grounded Flyers
By (;apt. B. D. VltaDlln ~
CHOW
W",,,ON
A new-type emergency field ration for use by Air
Corps personnel who are forced down in isolated
areas has just been tested during a 100-mile hike
across a New Mexican desert by a 14-man experimental
expedition from Wright Field.
The new ration provides its users with 3,500
calories a day, and has an average weight of 12.5
ounces per meal. It was developed by the Quartermasters'
Subsistence ResearchLaboratory at Oticago,
and tested as the result of conferences between
Capt. Paul K. Smith of the Aero Medical Research
Unit atWright Field, Dr. Ancel Keys of the University
of Minnesota and Col. Rohland Lske r and other
officers of the Quartermasters' Subsistence Research
Laboratory.
Meals are prepared in individual packages, of
which the mainstay is "pemmican" biscuit containing
vi rtually all the essen tials 0 f a balanced diet,
and said by scientists to be far superior to any
former type. In addition to the biscuit each'meal
package also contains two graham crackers, a stick
of chewing gum and a number of special condensed
foods in keeping with the time of day the meal is
to be eaten.
COncentrated
Lemonade
Special foods on the breakfast menu include a
powdered soluble coffee with sugar, a supply of
malted milk tablets and a small tin of veal loaf.
Those on the luncheon menu include a ham loaf tin,
bouillon paste in a tube and a supply of dextrose
tablets. The supper package provides a pork-beef
sausage, some pieces of chocolate fudge candy and
tablets for making lemonade.
The experimental expedition which tested the new
ration was headed by Maj. D.B. Dill. Accompanying
Maj. Dill were Capt. Paul K. Smith and Lieut. T.R.
Noonan, both attached to the Aero Medical Research
Laboratory; four college professors and seven enlisted
men from the Wright Field medical detachment.
Most of the trip was through the huge Santa Fe
National Forest. Each hiker carried a 25 lb. pack,
including two blankets, mess kit and three days'
emergency rations. Weight losses of as much as
three pounds were not uncommon for a day's march,
rot the loss was principally water, due to excess -
ive perspiration in the hot New Mexican sun.
The party recorded travel of from 13 to 21 milM
a day at altitudes ranging from 5,000 to 9,400
feet. Since the average pilot wears an ordinary
oxford shoe, instead of a heavy marching shoe, the
OCTOBER rt)# 17
hikers wore oxfords and uniforms or pilots' and
mechanics' coveralls.
The results of the experiment showed, according
to Major Dill, that the new ration is "generally
satisfactory." They also proved that it has adistinct
advantage over the Army Type C field ration,
which contains a beef stew which must be heated to
be palatable. Although the new ration contains
coffee and bouillon, which can be heated as a matter
of choice, both proved very palatable when made
with cold water.
The 3,500 calories a day provided by the experimental
ration are about 50 per cent. more than the
average sedentary person needs. For this reason,
despite the hiking exercise, only one subject ate
all his food each day.
The ration, as supplied to pilots, would probably
be contained in their" jungle kit, II a pack supplied
to flyers whose duties take them over wilderness
areas. It contains a machete, a knife, first aid
supplies and food. Addi tional ration supplies
would probably be carried in the plane.
The new ration is the product of many dietetic
experiments, and may be changed still further on
the basis of the field test.
Pvt. G. E. Hohenshilt Has a Condensed Breakfast