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Kool-Aid. In a war zone. Soldiers in Vietnam needed it to survive their own drinking water.THE PROBLEMCanteen water in the field had to be treated with iodine tablets to be safe. Safe didn't mean drinkable — the taste was bitter and chemical, and troops struggled to choke it down.THE FIXFamilies back home started mailing packets of powdered Kool-Aid in care packages. Dumped into a canteen, it masked the taste enough to make the water tolerable.THE DEMANDKool-Aid became one of the most requested items in letters home from Vietnam — right up there with the gear soldiers actually needed to survive.THE CATCHSome veterans say it never fully worked. They drank it anyway, because there wasn't another option.#VietnamWar #MilitaryHistory #VietnamVeterans #USArmy #HistoryFacts #ColdWarHistory