Capt. Sylvester Jones of the Chicago and the 432 Civil Affairs Company shows off his hamburger and hot dog from Wolfburger's near Kuwait City, Wednesday, March 7, 1991.
Spam was temporarily pulled from its post as a wartime staple in the early 1990s. Processing techniques allow it to keep for many years without refrigeration, so it had enjoyed a long tenure as a military mainstay. But as the Gulf War heated up, Saudi authorities requested that American troops part with their favorite canned cuisine. Islamic dietary laws forbid the consumption of pork — the key component of Spam. And thus, the Saudi government asked Americans heading into Saudi Arabia to leave the gastronomic go-to at home.