coca cola military

Coca Cola Military - "America has contributed nothing to the world but chewing gum and Coca-Cola," said Otto Dietrich, Nazi Press Secretary and propaganda chief, in 1942.

It's cliché at best, but Dietrich touches on something real: love and the simple pleasure of an icy Coca-Cola.

Coca Cola Military

When U.S. Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower saw the early success of bottling plants established in 44 states before they entered World War II, he allowed him to get a phone call from his Allied Headquarters in North Africa to Coca-Cola's headquarters in Atlanta. On June 29, 1943, his request included 10 portable factories, 6 million Coke cans filled a month, and materials and supplies to provide American GIs with cool shoes and clothing that would lift their spirits with every sip.

Rcr Honors Military Members During Memorial Day Weekend At Coca Cola 600

Workers at the Coca-Cola bottling plant were set up in Saipan. Precilla Porche Gift/Courtesy of National WWII Museum Inc.

Eisenhower considered himself a regular Coke drinker and took the opportunity to save Coca-Cola president Robert Woodruff's promise in 1941. Woodruff wanted "every man in uniform to know that he can get a five-cent bottle of Coca-Cola, no matter where he is, no matter how much the price." and the company ». Despite the challenges, a small group of humanitarians brought back the simple sweet soda - carrying the symbol that unites Americans and their friends around the world.

Equipment, supplies and provisions essential for survival fill the cargo hold and cabins aboard the supply ship. Every inch of space is reserved for traveling abroad to take part in the war. Everything that is not used for life - or that is not shot, fired, driven or flown - is considered useless, along with the Coke can. When Eisenhower's plea was accepted by Coca-Cola's high-level executives, they began to make plans to bring the soft drink's distribution to the war zone.

Six months after the embassy, ​​a representative of Coca-Cola flew to Algiers, the capital of Algeria, to execute a paper plan to make the first bottling plant operational. Eisenhower thought only 10 would be enough but, to his surprise, 64 bottling lines were built by the end of the war. Soon, 148 Coke members filled the ranks with the official title of "Technical Supervisor," or TO.

Couples Wed At Nascar's Coca Cola 600 In Charlotte Sunday

A Coke machine is operated by refrigeration personnel of the 64th Seabee in Tubabao, Samar, Philippines. Gift of Joseph Cohen/Courtesy of the National WWII Museum Inc.

The TO was given military fatigues, like a commissioned officer, and had one responsibility: to serve Coke to every American GI, no matter where they were. Their reputation spread as they deployed from North Africa to the Pacific and European theaters. The Americans carried their rifles on their shoulders and greeted the TO without protest. Their inclusion in this unit earned them the nickname "Colonel Coca-Cola," and they worked tireless days, both coming home at the top of the flagpole.

War supplies and food were the primary purpose of shipping overseas, so, like Coke, mail between GIs and their loved ones had to be sent by other delivery methods. Victory Mail, or V-mail, meets this requirement by using microfilm copies of single-page letters without old envelopes. Once it reaches the post office or military installation, it will be "bombed" before reaching the recipient. 37 mail bags that previously held 150,000 letters and weighed a total of 2,575 pounds have been reduced to one compact bag weighing just 45 pounds.

A V-mail from the World War II Museum reads, "Guys, you don't know what I drank this evening. It's not whiskey, it's not gin, it's not Calvados [French beer], it's not beer, but 'Coca- delicious. Cola' in a bottle made to fit in the hand. It was only a matter of time before we left the scene to go on the boat and Dick and I bought two Cokes, and drank for the next time we drank a bottle of Cokes, believing that it would be in America. But it's not! As part of our PX fare this week, everyone gets two Cokes for which he pays four francs, although some people debate whether America's national drink is rye or bourbon, as I see the fun that comes from cases of Cokes and stories about the corner pharmacy, I don't think this country drinks too hard!”

Coca Cola Caught Out By Myanmar Link To Notorious Military Company

This animated speech explains the V-mail ban. In addition to cutting out parts of the letters, V-mail documents are blacked out to prevent the form from being caught in the microfilm machine. Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.

V-mail is flawed, even lacking in self-love. When a boyfriend and girlfriend kiss, they leave a lipstick mark, and the machine that makes the microfilm goes wrong. It happened so often that it was called the "Scarlet Scourage."

A letter written by Private Spencer Combs in Paris and sent to his wife at home said, "I just got back from the Coke bar. If I didn't tell you before, they'd cancel the beer house and put it in Coke. Barrel. Boy is it good it feels like it's been so long without it. I prefer Cokes to beer. I'm sure you're surprised to hear that, but it's true.

Colonel Coca-Cola brought the bitter drink to the front lines and nearby aid stations; foxholes and pits when no smile is replaced with toast for a day and go home. Soldiers stationed in the South Pacific and in remote areas are not exempt from what their friends around the world enjoy - TO has a plan for them.

Coke Vending Machine Us Air Force Man Coca Cola

This 1945 World War II Coca-Cola ad from the Philippines shows a Coke jungle sprayer painted green for protection.

A bottling plant in Brisbane, Australia, offered to flow the soda fountain, popular at drugstore events, to the airport where the B-26 pilots were stationed. The small green-painted pharmacy has been renovated and includes an ice-making unit to ensure a pleasant drinking experience even in harsh environments. Pilots raved and raved about their new "Jungle Shower," and the Army ordered 100 more. Most of the 1,100 mobile units deployed sat in the back of military vehicles and quickly caught the words, "A jeep with nickel coke!"

Some GIs got their drink the hard way, notably Dudley Glover and John Glenn, soldiers assigned to the 178th Field Artillery in Naples, Italy, in 1943. They opened their mail and discovered that two Coke bottles had been put in a rock sent from a friend. who had come home early. They appreciate all those tubes and save another bottle for the big time - but their colleagues still offer to buy them. Glenn's idea was to hold a raffle for their little bottles of Coke to raise money for the battalion's children who died in the war.

The auction brought in more than $4,000, thanks to word of mouth and public interest. Coke added another $2,000, and legendary war broadcaster Ernie Pyle wrote of the event when he was with the group, "That Coke was worth 80,000 bottles in the house." Sergeant De Schneider won the coveted prize, but later said he had to take it home as a souvenir.

Lionel 6 83775 O Coca Cola™ Heritage Military Boxcar #1

Coca-Cola's patriotic ad displays the theme of community and camaraderie among service members which makes people at home see the effects of drinking on the soul. They sold "The American Way of Life" in Life Magazine in an advertising campaign, and in 1944 Coca-Cola was known as "The Global High Sign."

Their reach extends beyond the war zone, to Iceland, Newfoundland, Panama - wherever Americans are sent, Coke and TO are nearby. The "Have a Coke" ad featured ads with unique art and storytelling techniques. One poster shows an American pilot joking with a Chinese pilot, "Prepare 'Coke' = Good wind blowing here ... way to say 'We're friends' to the Chinese."

Another poster argued, "Coca-Cola means a break that refreshes the memory of one's own life." All featuring smiling people with Coke bottles, the ads targeted the host nation's population and were advertised to entertain civilians and the military. By the end of World War II, more than 5 billion bottles had been distributed to those in uniform, and Coca-Cola had converted its wartime factory into a full-service factory. The collaboration of Coca-Cola executives and Colonel Coca-Cola helped to make the so-called largest beverage company in the world a success - and to gain access to uniformed service members. dressed like a house in the process.

Editor's Note: This article has been corrected to reflect that Robert Woodruff is the president of the Coca-Cola Company, not its founder.

Vintage Print Ad Coca Cola Coke Military Army Matson Cruise Hawaii

He prides himself on revealing interesting historical stories

Military drone range, laser range finder military, military range bags, military range targets, long range military radio, military radio range, military range finder, military long range binoculars, range rover military discount, military range rover, range of military drones, military range bag