This is what the wicked army “emergency chocolate bars” looked like

Who doesn’t like a little candy to lighten the mood? Today, troops who open an MRE can find a bag of Skittles or candy there to help boost morale a bit. This is nothing new; the troops have had some sort of candy in the rations since WWII.

While the soldiers preparing to go into battle on D-Day likely had a few of their favorite chocolate bars on them, they had another specialty chocolate bar, made exclusively for the troops. It was called US Army Field Ration D and it tasted as appetizing as the name suggests – a little better than a boiled potato.

Even better than the Veggie MRE.

(US Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesse B. Awalt)

Field Ration D, or “D-Bar,” was the brain child of Colonel Paul Logan and the Hershey Chocolate Corporation. The idea was to cram enough calories, vitamins and nutrients inside an easy-to-carry chocolate bar so that troops always had an emergency ration on the ground if they needed it. It weighed 4 ounces, contained 600 calories, and was mixed with raw oatmeal to make sure it didn’t melt easily.

The Field Ration D packaging consisted of foil wrap, wax dipped cardboard and cellophane. There was no way that bugs, weather or gas could reach the bar and contaminate it. Col. Logan also put a safety measure in place to ensure troops don’t just eat their emergency ration for a sugary fix – he reportedly asked Hershey to not focus on the taste.

The D-Bar was so full of cocoa fat and oatmeal that it could survive any condition, but it also made the bar extremely bitter. Since it was designed to withstand almost any conditions, it was rock solid. Not really appetizing.

To make matters worse, if a troop didn’t read the little warning to eat the bar slowly, over a thirty minute period, their intestines would suffer. This unfortunate side effect has earned it the nickname “Hitler’s Secret Weapon”.

News of the D-Bar horror (and its unofficial nickname) has returned to Hershey. They offered another chocolate bar instead – the tropical bar. Apparently it was even worse and deserved the name “Dysentery barBecause the troops already suffering from dysentery were the only ones who could tolerate it.

In the end, top Pentagon officials gave Hershey many awards for “helping” during WWII, as troops traded D-bars and tropical bars for unsuspecting civilians for better food. .

To watch YouTube’s bravest man eat one, watch the video below from Steve1989 on MRE Info.