• Mic_Check_One_Two@reddthat.com
    55·
    9 months ago

    There are plenty of (likely apocryphal) stories of new Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) recruits being fed C4 and chased around with a stun gun. The old timers tell the new recruit that electricity will cause C4 to detonate. In reality, it’s a potent laxative and will give them the shits in a matter of minutes. So the recruit is stuck running away from a taser that they think will make them explode, while desperately trying not to shit themselves.

  • psmgx@lemmy.world
    23·
    9 months ago

    Michael Herr in Dispatches, his book about the Vietnam War, relates that a soldier would occasionally ingest C4 from a Claymore mine in order to cause temporary illness so that he would be sent on sick leave.

    Also heard that since it burns, troops in Vietnam would break off small pieces as firestarter or cooking rations, hence the warning about how it burns and makes toxic gases.

    • HikingVet@lemmy.sdf.org
      2·
      9 months ago

      We were told in basic that while flammable it did not go boom when lit in fire, but not to cook steak over it…

  • Risk@feddit.uk
    181·
    9 months ago

    Why did I read the title as ‘explosive if eaten raw’?

    So I’ve figured if I just cook the dynamite, then it’s safe to eat.

    • EmoDuck@sh.itjust.works
      9·
      9 months ago

      Apparently C4 burns quite well and is still pretty stable while aflame. There are anekdotes of soldiers using it as emergency fuel to cook water for their rations

    • skillissuer@discuss.tchncs.de
      19·
      9 months ago

      not good. somebody actually tried and lived to tell the tale:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Russian_apartment_bombings#Ryazan_incident

      Pinyaev guarded a storehouse with weapons and ammunition near the city of Ryazan. Together with a friend, he entered the storehouse to see the weapons. The friends were surprised to see that the storehouse contained sacks with the word “sugar” on them. Pinyaev and his friend were discouraged, but didn’t want to leave the storehouse empty-handed. The two paratroopers cut a hole in one of the bags and put some sugar in a plastic bag. They made tea with the sugar, but the taste of the tea was terrible. They became frightened because the substance might turn out to be saltpeter, and brought the plastic bag to a platoon commander. He consulted a sapper, who identified the substance as hexogen

    • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
      6·
      9 months ago

      Literally btw

      American troops would eat small amounts of C4 in the Vietnam war to get high. Apparently had some pretty severe side effects though.

      Like, yeah, you’re high, but you also have the worst headache of your life and can’t stop vomiting and shitting.

      Fun times?

  • pwalshj@lemmy.world
    13·
    9 months ago

    I’ve heard that dudes in 'Nam would eat bits of it to upset their stomach and get medical treatment.

  • bdonvr@thelemmy.club
    71·
    9 months ago

    It’s really not that volatile a substance. You can burn it, even.

    You need a special device to actually get it to explode.

    • Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
      6·
      9 months ago

      Which is precisely why it’s such an amazing explosive, imagine how happy people must have been to go from explosives that might detonate if you cough near them, to something you can set aflame without worry.

        • Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
          2·
          9 months ago

          for all that things are terrible nowadays it’s pretty fucking nice to know that ships loaded with explosives aren’t going to level cities again.

          now if only the same could be said for fertilizer storage