The Secret Weapon?

Editor Evan assigned the Blog Staff the subject of “Funny Stories in History.” Erik went searching, . . . and found a surprising twist to the military supply line during the Korean War.

By Erik Bearman

From 1950 to 1953, the Korean War raged across…well, Korea. In November of 1950, the First Division, led by American General Edward Almond, was pinned down near the Chosin River. Trapped in Korea’s unforgiving landscapes with temperatures reaching below -38℃, the Corps desperately needed additional fire-power. So, the men sent an encoded request for mortar rounds with the code phrase being “Tootsie Rolls.”

However…

The radio operator was a bit of a dingus. He did not have the code sheet that would tell him that “Tootsie Rolls” meant mortar rounds. As a result, instead of acquiring much-needed ammunition, the First Division received actual, chocolate, Tootsie Rolls.  

I know what you must be thinking, “Wow, these guys are screwed!” But, in fact, the Marines were saved! Besides also being a delicious snack, Tootsie Rolls can be used for plugging bullet wounds. And, after being warmed inside their mouths, the Tootsie Rolls could be made into a putty capable of sealing cracks in fuel pipes. Although the package was rather unusual, these Tootsie Rolls provided the soldiers with much needed food and makeshift medical supplies and allowed the First Division to escape the river and continue fighting in the war. After the Korean War ended, the surviving members of the First Division started calling themselves the “Chosin Few.”

Sources:

https://usmc-mccs.org/articles/how-tootsie-rolls-accidentally-saved-marines-during-war/

headstuff.org

The Veterans Site Blog – GreaterGood

Funny Stories in History Editor: Evan Spry