Bread and Water Punishment

[DREDger]

I recently read 'Helmet for My Pillow', a biographical account of a Marine in the Pacific during WW2.  (The new series 'Pacific' is based partially on this book).

The main character is not above going AWOL if he can get his hands on booze, a good meal or visit his Australian girlfriend; he figures he is going to die anyway so he's willing to break the rules and hope he doesnt get caught.

He gets caught a couple of times, and the Marine battallion commander sentences him to bread and water confinement.  Essentially a very uncomfortable room and fed very small quantaties of bread and water for days/weeks at time.

Anyone know if this sort of punishment is still adminstered?

[lowZX14]

The option is still there to be issued to USN and USMC E-3's and below and only when embarked on a naval vessel and only for 3 days or less.

[red26]

In some of the prison's in the US they used to use that but they have moved on to what they call a "Food Loaf" Its everything that can be served or is served in one meal mixed up in a bowl and had flower added baked and served. Even the kool aid drink goes in. They do get water to CHOKE it down. 

[SIK1]

In some of the prison's in the US they used to use that but they have moved on to what they call a "Food Loaf" Its everything that can be served or is served in one meal mixed up in a bowl and had flower added baked and served. Even the kool aid drink goes in. They do get water to CHOKE it down. 

If I ran the prisons that would be every convicts meal.

[LLogann]

In Vietnam many times, soldiers ran out of cRations, and they had few options...........  One of those options was to scrape maggots off of scattered corpses, adding some vegetation to "give it taste" & serving it up was a common practice.  Maggots, are very high in protein. 

Bread and water, suddenly doesn't sound so bad.

(I'm not Vietnam age but some of the Goats I've met, as well as my Uncle Jimmy (sick bastage... Lord rest his soul), tell me it was the only thing they could do.)

[DREDger]

In Vietnam many times, soldiers ran out of cRations, and they had few options...........  One of those options was to scrape maggots off of scattered corpses, adding some vegetation to "give it taste" & serving it up was a common practice.  Maggots, are very high in protein. 

Bread and water, suddenly doesn't sound so bad.

I call BS on that.

[PFactorDave]

I call BS on that.

Funny thing, I don't doubt one word of it.  When I was in High School, one of my good friends father was a crusty Vietnam Vet.  He wouldn't talk about the war at all, unless he had been drinking.  When he did talk about it, the stories he would tell were truly horrific.

[red26]

Funny thing, I don't doubt one word of it.  When I was in High School, one of my good friends father was a crusty Vietnam Vet.  He wouldn't talk about the war at all, unless he had been drinking.  When he did talk about it, the stories he would tell were truly horrific.

I dont think Crusty would be a good way to describe a Viet Nam Vet thank you.

[PFactorDave]

I dont think Crusty would be a good way to describe a Viet Nam Vet thank you.

Actually, for the guy I'm talking about, crusty is pretty spot on.  I'm pretty sure that that is how he described himself too.  Wasn't trying to be disrespectful in any way.

[SIK1]

I call bs too. I have a friend that is a Vietnam vet airborne, ranger, lrrp, RECONDO school, awarded the bronze star, and I know he ain't bs cause I've seen the citations and he didn't ever say a thing about having to eat maggots. He did complain that he couldn't get any 2 qrt canteens or poncho liners and they would ambush charlie and they had brand new U.S. 2 qrt canteens and poncho liners.

[DREDger]

I call bs too.

Yes it is an absurd claim, I've never read anything remotely resembling that.  I've read alot of books on different wars, and the depravity suffered by troops in WW2 was much worse than Vietnam.  Take Guadacanal where the Japanese navy clobbered the US navy, and for months the Marines could not be resupplied.  I never read an account where troops then went to corpses and scrapped of the maggots to eat due to hunger.

For the most part, the troops in Vietnam were well supplied due to helicopters.  If anything they would suffer for fresh water.

It is a silly claim.

[Dadsguns]

The option is still there to be issued to USN and USMC E-3's and below and only when embarked on a naval vessel and only for 3 days or less.

This is true, I am also aware of someone in the early 90's that was sent to a larger ship (carrier) to carry out this sentence in the Brig onboard since the DD we were on had no Brig.  Another was sent to a shore based Brig as well.
Its and attitude adjuster to say the least.