Ice cream – the spiritual fulcrum of American sailors during the World War

In 1914, then-US Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels issued a ban on drinking alcohol on naval ships, shipyards and shore bases. Without alcohol, American sailors had to find other ways to keep their spirits up when facing the challenges of long sea voyages, especially in the context of the growing threat of World War. more present.

In the context of shortages of supplies and food, a rather unexpected choice has appeared: fresh ice cream.

In fact, the US Navy installed ice cream machines on ships in the early 1990s, helping sailors enjoy this cool dish while on duty. During World War I, American hospital ships such as the USNS Mercy were equipped with electric ice cream makers capable of making 37 liters of ice cream at a time.

In addition, these ships are also equipped with a milk emulsifying machine nicknamed “mechanical cow”, which can produce 56 liters of pasteurized milk in 45 minutes.

Eating ice cream is said to help the recovery process of wounded soldiers, at least mentally. An editorial published in the monthly trade magazine The Ice Cream Review in 1918 emphasized the benefits of eating ice cream for the sick, and called on the federal government to provide it to soldiers. soldiers stationed abroad.

“In this country, every hospital uses ice cream as food. Doctors wouldn’t know what to do without it,” the article said.

After the U.S. government declared ice cream a non-essential food in 1941 in preparation for food rationing before entering World War II, the International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers and the Council of National dairy products have launched a campaign to call for a reversal of the above decision.

Specifically, this organization launched propaganda posters to emphasize the potential health benefits of ice cream for American soldiers.

“It’s not natural for the US Navy to provide ice cream to sailors,” according to one poster. “America’s favorite dairy treat – ice cream – is an important source of vitamins, protein and minerals. It is a favorite of all military branches and they need to be provided with nutritious food. this balm”.

Over time, American sailors’ experience of eating ice cream at sea gradually became more similar to that at home. The US Naval Research Institute said the super battleship USS Pennsylvania was equipped with its own ice cream shop on board, with soft drink dispensers and walls decorated with images of famous ships.

Ice cream was so influential that some American sailors risked their lives to enjoy it. During the 1942 naval battle on the Coral Sea, the Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku launched two torpedoes and hit the US aircraft carrier USS Lexington, seriously damaging the ship’s hull.

The crew was forced to abandon ship before it exploded and caught fire. However, some people have other priorities.

In a 1983 interview, Noel AM Gayler, a retired US Navy admiral and one of the fighter pilots on the Lexington, recounted the moments before the ship sank into the sea.

“We were pushed to the back of the ship by the fire,” Gayler said. “The ship’s ice cream making area is located in the corridor on the port side. Some people spread the word that ice cream was being distributed there. So, before leaving the ship, the sailors ran there to receive ice cream. Of course, they vomited. clean immediately after having to swim in salty sea water for a while.”

Merle Lebbs, an electrician on the Lexington, was one of those who went looking for ice cream at that vital moment. According to Lebbs, after the captain gave the order to abandon ship, an officer unlocked the cold storage door and distributed vanilla ice cream to about a dozen sailors. “Because people were leaving the ship, he thought he could do it without any harm,” Lebbs said.

George Von Hoff, a sailor on the Lexington, said he and hundreds of comrades were rescued by the escort destroyer USS Hammann after jumping into the sea. They were then transferred to the Northampton-class cruiser USS Chester, where they received clean clothes, food, and a place to sleep.

“We had nothing to eat all day except ice cream, which I had to use an iron helmet to hold and eat,” Von Hoff recalled.

Even if their ships did not have ice cream machines, American sailors on the European front during World War II could still enjoy this dish thanks to the USS Melville.

Officially, the destroyer supply ship USS Melville is an auxiliary ship that provides maintenance services for fleets of destroyers and other small warships. The ship’s crew is responsible for re-equipping tank landing ships, transporting and installing new equipment, replacing anchors and propellers, as well as repairing anchor cranes. In addition, USS Melville also plays a role in providing amenities, including ice cream, to sailors on other ships.

“After the initial phase of the campaign, tank landing ships regularly visited the USS Melville to conduct inspection and repair operations,” according to a 1945 US Navy bulletin. “It’s also an opportunity for sailors to enjoy services on board the supply ship, such as soft drink dispensers, barber shops, tailor shops, laundry services and ice cream.” Some sailors even gave the USS Melville the nickname “ice cream ship”.

However, the USS Melville alone is not enough to provide ice cream and other amenities for the entire US Navy. Therefore, this force in 1945 converted three army refrigerated barges into the world’s first sea ice cream factories.

These barges are made from concrete, about 80 meters long, and cost about one million USD (equivalent to 17 million USD in 2024) to manufacture each. They are designed to transport food to US soldiers stationed in the Pacific, and can carry the equivalent of 64 truckloads of frozen meat and 500 tons of fresh vegetables, cheese, eggs and other products. They have a machine capable of making about 37 liters of ice cream every 7 minutes.

The US Navy’s efforts to provide ice cream to sailors indirectly benefited the domestic ice cream industry, which was struggling due to the effects of wartime rationing policies and raw material shortages.

According to William H. Young and Nancy K. Young, co-authors of the book World War II and the Postwar Years in America: A Historical and Cultural Encyclopediathe US military has signed contracts with a number of domestic ice cream businesses such as Carvel and Howard Johnson’s to supply military stores at military bases and defense factories in this country.

“No matter where they are, the US armed forces have ice cream to cool their palates and spirits,” said William and Nancy.