Word going around my battalion at the time was that Ralston-Purina made the chopped eggs and ham and they did it without cleaning the vats from making dog food. Of all the C's chopped eggs and ham and ham and lima beans were my favorites when sprinkled liberally with tabasco. I never had any trouble trading the other stuff for these two. Also the mess hall would occasionally make scrambled eggs out of powdered eggs. Tabasco made them edible.
The book "Semper Fi, Mac" has a fair bit in it about about (then) Col. McIlhenny and his radio call sign "Tabasco Mac". He sounded like an interesting character, and one of the good guys.
No surprise that he'd airlift his product to a FOB.
From Wikipedia.... His Navy Cross citation reads as follows: For extraordinary heroism and courage as Executive Officer of Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, during a frontal assault upon a strongly fortified enemy Japanese position along the coast of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, August 27, 1942. After organizing a volunteer party to advance and evacuate the wounded from the hazardous position well forward of the company, First Lieutenant Mcllhenny, armed only with a rifle, and while under heavy enemy mortar and machine gun fire, covered the advance and withdrawal of the rescue party, gallantly drawing enemy fire and silencing a Japanese machine gun nest. Although ill at the time and suffering shock from concussion of an enemy mortar shell, he returned to a vantage point close to enemy lines and, in the face of fierce sniper fire, acted as an observer, relaying accurate information necessary for fire control until ordered by his superior officer to leave his post. His great personal valor, above and beyond the call of duty, not only made possible the rescue of nine wounded men but also contributed to the success of Marine mortar fire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_S._McIlhenny