Tootsie Roll Saviors: Military Candy

When you think of military equipment, you might think of anything from tanks to socks, battleships to bandages. But one thing that doesn’t typically come to mind is candy. But sweets and soldiers have a long history, candy has changed the military, wars have changed candy, and military candy has changed culture. In fact, candy might even win battles.
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[@bavery6957]

My mother-in-law (RIP) was a child war orphan in Upper Austria at the end of WWII. She was a dear and lovely woman First time I met her she couldn't wait to tell me the story of how she met her first Americans near or at the end of the war. She related how all the kids and staff were very excited to see a large convoy of tanks rolling up on the village, making the ground shake and vibrate. Everyone lined the streets to wave and cheer the tankers as they approached. The lead tank came to a halt and the man standing in the turret took off his helmet and goggles. Much to their surprise, he was an African-American who climbed down and started handing out chocolate to all the kids. "I'll never forget that.", she said, "The first Americans I ever met were these very nice chocolate men who gave us chocolate candy. The first time in my life I had ever had any". I did some background research and I'm pretty sure it was the 761st Tank Battalion - Black Panthers, either shortly before or after they liberated a satellite camp of the Mauthausen concentration camp, near the town of Gunskirchen, holding somewhere around 15,000 Hungarian Jews being worked and starved to death. Just another little piece of history that deserves to be remembered...

[@Markver1]

I’d like the History Guy to do a video on the Black Panther Tank Battalion. I’ve heard of the Red Tails but never anything about these tank men.

[@pcbacklash_3261]

@@Markver1 Another excellent idea would be a segment on the "Go For Broke" battalion, a combat force of Japanese-Americans who, if I recall correctly, became the most decorated unit of the entire war!

[@bavery6957]

@@pcbacklash_3261 Yeppers! Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), fought with them. Lost an arm and was awarded the CMoH. Check his bio - a REAL American hero.

[@tygrkhat4087]

@@pcbacklash_3261 The Nisei Battalion, a tough group of fighters. When captured Germans saw Japanese in American uniforms, they were dumbfounded. GIs would ask them if they really believed all the propaganda.

[@timfarrell6968]

@@pcbacklash_3261 yeah. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team were true heroes.

[@dwightadams3853]

In 1978 while on leave from the Navy, I was traveling on a French train and met an older man who told us stories about getting chocolate from US soldiers as they went through his town. He always remembered them in a positive light.

[@dirkditmer453]

My father (a 3 war veteran, including WWII in the Philippines, 3 tours in Nam and almost 2 years fighting in Korea) would never leave the house especially for our elk hunts without some Tootsie Rolls in his pocket.

[@tygrkhat4087]

My father joined the Marines out of high school in 1947. When the Korean War broke out, he was on Guam and his unit, H-3-5, was sent to Hawai'i to prepare for the Inchon invasion. My dad and another Marine were pulled out of line and put on guard duty at the gates of Pearl Harbor; while his unit was sent to Korea. Dad later became a DI on Parris Island. The veterans of H-3-5 had an alumni association, and had my dad listed as KIA, as they didn't have access to Marine records that showed he had been discharged. Another vet of the unit that they had listed as dead turned up alive, so they searched out all those believed to be deceased and found dad. He and mom went to the latest reunion and dad discovered that all the members of his fire team, the smallest Marine unit, had survived the Chosin Reservoir. When they found out dad had been a DI, one said he was glad he was in Korea.

[@txgunguy2766]

During WW2 there was a US Army unit that was sent to Guadalcanal immediately upon completion of artic warfare training in Alaska.

[@chesthoIe]

That scene in Band of Brothers where the soldiers give chocolate to that little Dutch boy who has been hiding from the war in his basement his entire life, and his eyes light up when he eats it, and his dad says, "He's never tasted chocolate," still has me absolutely blubbering.

[@HM2SGT]

There is a similar scene in pacific rim the black, where are the characters Play the song “Give ‘em Hell“ by everybody loves an outlaw, and the child character reacts with pleasure and amazement while another character remarks it isn’t every day you get to watch somebody hear music for the first time.

[@billbolton]

The Dutch suffered greatly in the 'hunger winter'.

[@cade83642]

Enzymes.

[@cade83642]

The down side that I only point out, because it's actually mean to give a child who hasn't had chocolate occasionally a bunch at once. You have to have certain enzymes to digest chocolate. If you haven't had small amounts over the course of your life you don't have those enzymes. We had some immigrants here (where I worked as a paramedic) that the whole family gorged on some chocolate. They called 911 due to the excruciating abdominal pain that comes with not having those enzymes. It was a very sweet gesture, I don't mean to sully it with facts. I just know in real life this would make him so very sick.

[@dirus3142]

The little boy in that scene is an advertisers dream.

[@banjoman101145]

One of my ever changing duties as a jeep driver in a mechanized infantry company was retrieving the mail from our brigade headquarters. This was Vietnam so we traveled to and from in convoys of vehicles taking several hours each way. In our supply tent one day I asked the supply sergeant about the many boxes everybody was tripping around, “Candy...nobody likes them”. The s.p. packs provided to each company contained within chocolate bars that would not melt in the tropical heat...there were cases and cases that just about all of us g.i.s wouldn’t touch...a bit hard and chalky, but still chocolate. I asked for some and the supply sergeant seemed pleased to be rid of then. During my daily convoys I would toss fistfuls at the groups of children walking to school each morning. The passing of my jeep soon became expected and groups of kids waving in anticipation of a shower of government issue chocolate bars as we passed by.

[@Craig-wp3pz]

Thats How to win hearts and minds, well done Sir!

[@timinwsac]

Must have been the same tropical chocolate bars that my dad told me about when he was in the Solomon's during WW2.

[@banjoman101145]

I am sure. All wrapped up in olive drab thus reducing the chance of being shot through a chocolate bar.

[@wdwerker]

We had Hershey Tropical Chocolate bars during a week long hiking trip with the Boy Scouts in the early 70’s. It was planned for 40-50 miles but a miscalculation doubled that. Meals were freeze dried food and after a very long days hike that chocolate bar was savored, even if it was rubbery from the heat and chalky.

[@KenworthW900HG]

Encouraging local kids to line the road on both sides as you drive by is one way to stop their parents from ambushing you!

[@teryshaw7370]

I was a Marine in the Gulf War, and I have no recollection of that superstition about the Charms candies. I do remember thinking that it was ironic that they gave us Charms. It was even more ironic when they were replaced with Lifesavers.

[@cyrilhudak4568]

Standard issue for lifeboat rations. Does not make you thirsty. Maybe they thought that would be handy in a desert environment.

[@JTA1961]

Or maybe to remind you to put a "hole in one" of the enemy...😵

[@kencusick6311]

I loved this story. WW II G.I.’s description of the chocolate bars found in K Rations was “…..was so hard, you used up more calories eating it than we’re in the bar of chocolate”

[@avnrulz8587]

The 'Candy Bomber', from the Berlin Airlift, has made trips to my town for several years.

[@patrickwoite7188]

The "Candy Bomber", Gail Halvorsen, once gave a talk in my church congregation in Berlin in the early 2000's. Was quite the experience.

[@avnrulz8587]

@@patrickwoite7188 He was here a few years ago and I purchased a hat which he signed.

[@Che1ito]

I’m from Utah where he’s from. We are very proud of the Candy bomber

[@crusinscamp]

Yeah, watching this episode, I too thought about the "Candy Bomber".

[@GeorgeSemel]

Colonel Gail Halvorsen 101 years old, is still with us! The Airlift was the New USAF finest hour!

[@whythre]

My grandfather, Ed Reeves was at Chosin. He told me stories of the tootsie rolls- and how he some of the more foolish (but obviously very hungry) guys would eat them before they were properly thawed. That was a good way to lose a tooth or two.

[@mombonamy7450]

A good man, your grandfather! 💖 (from one whose father was also there😉)

[@whythre]

@@mombonamy7450 thank you for the kind words. I miss him deeply. My brothers and I used spend Tuesday afternoons at their house, and I cherish those memories.

[@TJ24050]

I was stationed in Germany in 05-06. My girlfriend’s dad was an orphan and the first candy he ever had was from a US Service member. He was really nice to me, even though I didn’t speak German and his English wasn’t much better.

[@blank557]

THG does it again. My Dad was with the First Marines at Chosin. He would have have appreciated this.

[@mombonamy7450]

My Dad was also in Korea, Fox2-7, at Chosin. He would tell of Tootsie Rolls and candy Orange Slices being very welcome (about all they had available to eat at one point). Peace to those brave and remembered men!

[@SMartinTX]

My father, who is still with us, is also one of the Chosin Few. He was also in the First Marines.

[@dtaylor10chuckufarle]

Your dad was a badass and a member of the Greatest Generation. We stand on the shoulders of giants. May God Bless you both.

[@waltergolston6187]

one of my Dad's stories of WW2 that one day after a very adverse day his unit bedded down around a Farm House. So in securing the position the basement was found to have to "ton" of potatoes and a simple table. It was known that the Troops were told to not just take Civilian belongings. There was also a strong desire for a hot meal due to the cold. What happened was someone pulled out his ration chocolate bar and placed it on the table then went over and picked out one to two potatoes based on the size of the potatoes. Word got out in the unit and GI's being GI's. What happened was soon everyone was boiling potatoes and the table became laden down with chocolate bars. Dad always wonder what the farmer thought when they reclaimed their home and found less potatoes but a table laden with chocolate

[@51WCDodge]

Fair exchange, is no robbery! :-)

[@rabbi120348]

@@51WCDodge "Spent some time in San Francisco, Spent a night there in the can They threw this drunk man in my jail cell, I took fifteen dollars from that man. I left him my watch and my old house keys, I don't like folks thinking that I'd steal Then I thanked him as he was sleeping, And I headed out for Bakersfield." Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakam "Streets of Bakersfield"

[@waltergolston6187]

@@51WCDodge as my Dad said the chocolate bars and cigarettes were a means for batter which depending on the Ol'Man which would create the greater problem or would be overlooked. The chocolate bar could be eaten on the walk so were set aside while the rest needed water to help get down. The main issue with the chocolate as it was a ration which the GI would need but if used to swap food for food or just given to a kid was generally ignored

[@DraftySatyr]

I heard a similar tale from British troops (actually a Scottish Infantry Battalion) training in Germany back in the 80s. They had been dug in on farmland for some days and had grown tired of the issued ration packs which contained powdered mashed potatoes. Then someone recognised the plants in a nearby field - potatoes! A significant number were therefore dug up and consumed as chipped potatoes (fries to you Americans), but then someone else thought 'wait, this is theft, we'll be in trouble for this'. So cans of powdered potato were buried under potato plants because 'exchange is no robbery'. The potato harvest is/was highly automated in Germany, so I hate to think what those cans of powdered mashed potato did to the farm machinery!

[@mbr5742]

@@DraftySatyr The farmer would have been delighted. An old german yoke: The farmer is dying and calls his sons to split the assets To the oldest - the EU subventions To the middle - the Exercise damage compensations To the youngest - sorry son, you only get the farm

[@samuelmathis3483]

My grandfather was with VMR 152 during this campaign and he told me stories of them throwing supplies out his transports door hoping the Marie's would get them. My last memory of him was watching you videos together about 4 months back. Just wanted to say thank you for the great times.

[@jerrydreiss8220]

Up until the early 'aught's the Necco factory was still in operation in Cambridge (just over the Charles river from Boston) near the MIT campus. It had a strong sweet smell that blanketed the area. People still reminisce about it.

[@tvideo1189]

Candy in MRE's was fine, but what I REALLY liked was the little bottle of Tabasco sauce.

[@ellenhage3611]

I remember those tiny bottle. It made most of the MRE's taste so much better.

[@johnhobson9165]

In Vietnam, most people got bottles of Tabasco to put on the C-rations. IMHO, that was the only way to make ham and lima beans, AKA ham and (a word that rhymes with "other truckers"), edible.

[@earlyriser8998]

I traveled cross Russia afer peristroika and carried hundreds of little Tabasco sauce bottles that I gave out to the cook staff and folks I met with. The impact they had on a plain meat and potatoes/vegetables diet was profound. I made many friends that way.

[@trooperdgb9722]

Ive heard that from many US veterans... The Australian Ration packs (Rat packs) of MY era had decent chocolate in them... but what was possibly more popular was the relatively large (85gram) foil tube of...Sweetened Condensed Milk!

[@Linusgump]

That stuff was the only way you could eat the Omelette With Ham MRE. Get all of the Tabasco you could from your fellow Marines, load the disgusting thing up with it so all you could taste was Tobasco, and then let it burn through your guts until it hits the slit trench.

[@DirtyWesley]

I think about this about this time every year. When tootsie rolls are in abundance.

[@thunderbird1921]

I recently saw absolutely beautiful footage of Marines in a Korean village giving out candy to the kids (tootsie rolls may have been some of it). At first the kids (who the narrator said had been swept up in the chaos of that insane war and were visibly emotionally shaken) were uncertain of whether to approach it, but then a quick-thinking Marine ate a piece in front of them to prove it was safe. Seconds later, the kids jumped on it, laughing with sheer joy. Proof that there can be wonderful displays of human caring even amidst the worst of conditions.

[@mtacoustic1]

"NECCO" actually stands for the "New England Confectionery Company". Still great candies!

[@xaenon]

The back stories of things we take for granted today.... it never ceases to amaze me. I straight up cheered (yes, REALLY!) when it was mentioned that Tootsie Rolls served as 'patch' material in combat. I recall hearing of a similar practice - chewing gum, used to patch up holes in aircraft. These videos by THG are amazing.

[@justme2423]

My husband used to chew Bazooka Bubble Gum to patch the radiator in our old wreck of a car while stationed in Traverse City Mi. It worked! By the time we moved to another AFB, the radiator in that car was more bubble gum than radiator. Down side... dental work! I have saved this vid to show my sons.

[@changeshifter4852]

My grandfather started as a bush pilot and later trained pilots out of Virden, MB, Canada for WW2. His early stories recounted many times when patching the plane with chewing gum saved his life. I remember him saying that he made a point of teaching his pilots to always carry some gum, calling it 'life saving equipment'. 😅

[@xaenon]

@@changeshifter4852 Your grandpappy sounds awesome! From what I understand, bush piloting required nerves of steel.

[@changeshifter4852]

@@xaenon Thanks. He was awesome, but the risks he took in both his flying and driving scared me to death regularly 😬

[@nolimendoza4588]

As a 4 time combat veteran with 20 years service and having eaten more than mu fair share of candies in C rations and MRE's, thank you for this episode.

[@teresapyeatt3698]

When I was in basic training for the U.S. army back in 1998, I got a bag of M&M's in my MRE. There had been a game that when you found grey one's in your bag you won money. I found one of those bags in my meal. Unfortunately the game had already ended 😕.

[@quillmaurer6563]

Marines: "We need Tootsie Rolls!" Air Force: "Tootsie Rolls? Odd ... but okay, whatever you ask for." Marines: "No, we meant ammo, not ... wait, this actually is what we needed! Thanks!" Probably the luckiest communication breakdown in military history.

[@JTA1961]

Chew know it.

[@bordenfleetwood5773]

It certainly describes the normal state of communications between Marines and Airmen. Of course, at Chosin Reservoir, it was certainly nice of the US Army to leave all of those cannons and small arms for the Marines to pick up, too.

[@peterstickney7608]

It goes beyond that - 3.5" Bazooka Rockets - the only short-range man-portable weapon the infantry had that would reliably stop the North Korean T-34/85 tanks, were, in the same code book, "Graham Crackers". Many cases of Graham Crackers were dropped as well. Interservice communication has always been an issue - To the Air Force, "Securing a building" is obtaining a 20 year lease. To the Navy, it's making sure the lights and heaters are off, and the doors and windows are locked. To the Army, it's making sure that there are no enemy soldiers or civilians in the building. To the Marines, it's making sure that there's nobody within small-arms range of the building.

[@marie_h1104]

@@bordenfleetwood5773 Some things have never changed; my husband told me a couple of stories involving Army rifles and tanks that were left behind. Marines simply picked them up and used them. Thanks, Army.

[@douglascieslak3712]

I was in the Army mid 70 in to the 80’s , before MRE we had C-rations. The large circle (4 inch in diameter) chocolate bar. In them was referred to as a John Wayne Bar , this and the pack of 5 cigarettes was highly prized

[@j3dwin]

I can't believe he didn't mention John Wayne Bars. Those were great!

[@MrEvanfriend]

As a former member of the First Marine Division (2003-2007), I hadn't heard this story. Though in my day, Tootsie rolls were still in MREs. They weren't as popular as M&Ms and Skittles, but more so than Charms. M&Ms were a prized MRE component, but the bags had a a tendency to break, and M&Ms don't do well in the desert heat, so sometimes you'd open an MRE and just have melted chocolate all over everything inside, but if you found an intact bag, that was always good. We also suspected that when M&Ms comes out with those contests - "find whatever and win a massive prize" - those bags go into MREs, where they'll sit on a shelf until well after the contest expires. As far as Charms being a trail of proverbial breadcrumbs tracing Marines' movements, this is true....but the Charms are mixed in with all the other MRE garbage that just gets thrown off the trucks. Littering is pretty much universal in a war zone. And there's always that one guy who eats Charms, either because he's a boot who doesn't know better, or he's trying to tempt fate. Don't be that guy. By the way, "1st Marines" refers to the 1st Marine Regiment, an infantry regiment that belongs to 1st MarDiv.

[@HHenry-tt1of]

Yut Evan, I was a POG in operations for a CH-53E squadron from 07-12. I think he could do a whole history on the diets of service members in I country. Candy is one thing, but Rip its', Gatorade and MRE Cappuccinos fuel helped get more aircraft in the air than people realize.

[@gus473]

👍🏼 Dad, a Korea vet, put a 1st Marine Division decal on every car he owned, and we grew up reading his "Old Breed News" newsletters. Semper Fi! 😎✌🏼

[@MrEvanfriend]

@@gus473 I got one on my truck. It says IRAQ instead of GUADALCANAL.

[@edwardloomis887]

A favorite military candy for many of us old enough to remember pre-1980s C-rations was John Wayne bars, thin chocolate disks wrapped in silver foil distributed within one of the rations' green cans.

[@harryschaefer5887]

Ernest Shackleton brought 500 pounds of Necco Wafers aboard The Endurance for his Antarctic expidition, itself an incredible tale of survival. All of his crew survived owing to his sailing skill aboard one of the lifeboats using dead reckoning to find an island where he could mount a rescue for the crew he left behind. Shackleton's expidition is History that deserves to be remembered.

[@JTA1961]

That is a fact

[@HootOwl513]

There's a book about it called, ''South.'' Fascinating read.

[@sananselmospacescienceodys7308]

Shackleton also took Fortnum & Mason Fruit Cake with him.

[@richardross7219]

Of course candy has helped with battles. The sugar high, just before battle gives more energy with the Adrenalin. In the 50s, Tootsie Rolls were much bigger. Our C-Rats had a biscuit and candy can. Nice Video. Good Luck, Rick

[@bavery6957]

Then again, there's the good old Pervitin bonbon - "I'm SUPERMAN and stuff...!!"

[@itsapittie]

I didn't know the story about the Tootsie Rolls at Chosin but my father who served in the Army in the Korean War said that often the candy they received was several months old and regular chocolate bars would take on a flavor like shoe polish while Tootsie Rolls typically didn't. I know from my own service that the candy and other sweets in C-rations and later MREs have a special place in the hearts of GIs. I've seen actual fist fights over a stolen John Wayne bar.

[@johng3497]

My father was 1st MarDiv 7th Marines at Chosin Reservoir. Years later in the 1970s, I was a Navy aircrewman and in my survival vest was a package of Charms candy and a package of a concoction of caffeine and sugar that tasted like super sweet day old coffee strained through a dirty sock. It was pretty disgusting but it sure did make your eyes stay WIDE open!

[@HM2SGT]

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8 Eastern there is a delightful gift awaiting... always a pleasant surprise. I may not know what I'm going to get, but I can be confident that I'm going to like it! Thank you sir!

[@DRUKENHOBO]

i make it a point to watch them before work, its a nice little tidbit to start the day.

[@HM2SGT]

@@DRUKENHOBO Indeed. I listen on my way to work; I know I miss out a bit not getting the visual component, but it makes a fair to middling podcast as well.

[@marcoosvald8429]

This reminded me of the John Wayne bars (disks) we received in our C rations in Central America that were were made of toffee and a sick chocolate . They were kinda bitter but gave us the energy needed to cut through the jungle. Those were the only candy we ever saw in our rations besides Chicklets Gum. Thanks for the walk down History Lane

[@julieinthenorthwest4594]

2 John Wayne bars and in the same can 4 round saltless "saltine" crackers. Oh, don't forget the caraway cheese spread...separate can. Still keep my P-38 on my key chain...comes in handy.

[@charlesdavenport2543]

During Desert Storm, occasionally we would get M&M's that wouldn't melt. They tasted like dish washing liquid.

[@maddog2557]

Soapy M&M's

[@JTA1961]

Only if you ate them before DAWN

[@DraftySatyr]

One wonders how you were able to make the comparison. 😮

[@eski152]

yeah - they were brutal... now the pound cake was a different story...folks traded for that

[@daviddickey1994]

M&Ms were produced in 1941 solely for the US military, because they wouldn't melt in tropical heat. After the war they were sold to the public.

[@harryshriver6223]

I can remember getting Tootsie Rolls in our MRE's, sometimes the only edible thing to eat.

[@johnhobson9165]

MRE -- Meals Ready to Eat; AKA "Three lies for the price of one".

[@harryshriver6223]

@@johnhobson9165 We used to call them Meals Refused by Ethiopians, if you looked at the barcode on the back, it was the family who refused the meal! LOL 😆 🤣

[@skybluskyblueify]

Nothing said about the one thing I think when thinking of "the military and candy" is that soldiers gave candy to people they encountered whether friend or foe [after they were conquered] and this had an effect of these people, mostly positive.

[@richardsolberg4047]

I remember a war survivors comment about Americans , first they bomb the hell out of you , then latter give you chewing gum and chocolate ..

[@TwilightZoneX]

Clark Bar ... Fascinating; never realized it's true origin.

[@danielburgess7785]

Went on a tour of their factory when I was in grade school. I was expecting magic and what I got was capitalism.

[@cnault3244]

@@danielburgess7785 Did your school also give you a tour of a successful socialist factory?

[@danielburgess7785]

@@cnault3244 Considering the tax breaks and other support it would be difficult to fid a corporation that isn't socialist.

[@cnault3244]

@@danielburgess7785 " I was expecting magic and what I got was capitalism." " it would be difficult to fid a corporation that isn't socialist." So when you said "what I got was capitalism." you really meant what you got was socialism?

[@texasdustfart]

You speak of "Cursed" Charms, on tanks it was apricots. In 1981 at Ft Riley Kansas I as a new Private was delighted to get a can of apricots in my C-Rations. My Tank Commander said "Really! let me see" and threw my can of apricots off into the distance. Apricots will throw a track on a tank and were forbidden. Apparently this goes back to WW2.

[@tomservo56954]

Then don't leave them.on the ground in the path of the tank...

[@sheldor5312]

I remember those…we called them “baby heads”. LOL

[@ET-jv1wm]

When we were kids in South Africa the army border patrols would often camp on our family farm. We would sneak into their camps with baskets of fruits, eggs and homemade Biltong we trade them to the troopers for ration packs. We especially loved the 'Toothpaste tubes' of sweetened condensed milk. The "Rat Packs" were a treat for us, as we only got candy once a week, and the fresh produce was a treat for the soldiers so everybody won👍

[@75OldsNinetyEight]

After the demise of Necco a couple of years back, I knew that the wafers were going to be made again by a different company. I was able to order a 24 pack a few months back. It was so awesome to have them again, plus my kids love them. PS you can keep them for extended periods in a car with no issues (where just about anything else would melt, turn to goo, go stale, etc)

[@dawnt6791]

Necco wafers are one of my favorite candies of all time. I don't get them very often (for health reason), but I still do indulge on occasion. 🙂

[@chiefpontiac1800]

I bet that military dentists stay busy with all of this candy being rationed around! By the way, a large Tootsie roll is made up of 7 ootsies. An ootsie, references the individual sections of a large Tootsie roll.

[@MrEvanfriend]

When I was in the Marine Corps, I had a regular dental appointment once. I was told I needed a filling and to come back at a later date. It wasn't until after they'd drilled the tooth that they bothered to mention that I didn't actually have a cavity, but my teeth have grooves in them so it was possible that I might get one later. As you can imagine, I wasn't thrilled to hear this. This is far from the worst thing I've seen Navy Dental do. A guy I went to boot camp with went in to get "a tooth" pulled....and woke up with all of his front teeth gone. They didn't bother giving him dentures until just before graduation. Yes, military dentists are busy...but they should NEVER be trusted.

[@glenmartin2437]

Thank you. My father was one of the Marines who escaped from Chosen Reservoir. He never mentioned Tootsie Rolls. My German professor told me of the chocolate given to him by the GIs during WW2 and afterwards. I especially remember the Candy Bombers during the Berlin Airlift. Thank you again.

[@mombonamy7450]

Glen, if your dad was like mine, he didn’t say much about his time there. Growing up, my sister and I knew that Dad had been to war and had been shot in the leg on his way out (his flash-backs and PTSD episodes at Christmas still stay with me) but it wasn’t until the reunions began (in the 80’s?) that he could talk about it. Tootsie Rolls and orange slices… bridge sections being flown in so the men could get off Fox Hill … -30 weather that froze the blood in Dad’s boot and saved his life… frozen canned rations… some of the other horrors of being out there…. these things I didn’t hear about until much later. Glen, your dad was a bad ass, for being there… and making it out again! I’m glad he escaped!

[@bob-ny6kn]

Favorite treat in my c-rats/mre. An army might march on its stomach, but dies on its (lack of sewage) sanitation.

[@SDZ675]

Repairing your tank with Tootsie roll is definitely next level.

[@SoloPilot6]

When a member of the Chosin Few passes away, Tootsie Rolls are passed out at his funeral, and the story repeated pretty much as you gave it. My USAF bailout kit included a pack of Charms, and we were told that a drink made of one square in a couple of ounces of hot water would not only slake thirst, but stave off hunger pangs. A Japanese counterpart of Charms is Sakuma's Drops, which date back over a century (and are a lot better). These have a very high energy content, fruit flavors even after years on the shelf, and have been used in survival situations over the years. Sakuma's Drops are even available in emergency ration bottles and kits. A German survival kit I was once given had some Haribo Gummi Bears, and a warning that translated to mean "if these become hard, only place one at a time in the mouth to soften unless you have plenty of drinking water!"

[@davidcox3076]

Good idea on the warning! Would be quite embarrassing for a soldier to buy the farm due to choking on a mouthful of stale Gummi Bears.

[@SoloPilot6]

Unfortunately, Sakumas Drops are no longer made. A very similar recipe is used by a company with a very similar name, however!

[@lakeeyre8740]

As a teenager in the 80's I had many mate who's fathers were (Australian) Vietnam vets. In about 1984/5 while moving helping a mates family move house we discovered (amongst other souvenirs from his Korea and Vietnam service) some long forgotten, falorn looking packs hershies and tootsie confectionery "liberated" from US troops. Needless to say, we gave them a try, and considering they were manufactured over 15 years prior, they were still ok to eat. Talk about well preserved military history. Tom (my mates dad) also told us of how troops were often find rassions ( including confection) manufactured during ww2, immediate post ww2, Malay and Korean times. We thought it was another tail to detract us from joining up, but other vets confirmed this as well. History guy, please explain the forgotten history of issuing long life military rations ????? Fast forward another years while in the US and Canada, i was stunned that bread could be left out for several days with out mould, was too sweet to be bread as in Australia, so ipso facto confectionery?

[@JRSofty]

I remember eating Tootsie Rolls as a kid. They were a great treat. I don't remember the Charms in MREs but maybe they were added after I left the Army. In any case this was a sweet video. -- I'll see myself out.

[@waynetokarz174]

As retired military, candy was always a welcome treat in the field! Many years later I still have a sweet tooth! 🍫🍬😋

[@JTA1961]

Only one ??🎃

[@kennysherrill6542]

I've been very lucky to have served with Marines who were there at that historic battle and I love my candies, when I first joined the Corps we would get cigarettes in our C-Rats and not being a smoker I would trade mine for candy or fruit. Memories I would not trade for and to old to do it again.😅👍❤🇺🇸

[@fetus2280]

Thank you for your Service Sir . Cheers .

[@peteengard9966]

I remember the smokes in the K rats and C rats. Pallmall, Lucky strikes, or Camel non filters. Ten cigarettes and ten matches. The candy was good. M&M, Hershey bar, and Milky way was like hitting the lottery. The Necco wafers not too valuable. Everyone hated the licorice flavor and it seemed that every pack had a majority of them.

[@johnminer1407]

What were those chocolate disks that came in C rats?

[@pcbacklash_3261]

Thanks for your service, brother. As a squid back in the day, we never had to deal with C-rats or MREs. We had the luxury of sitting down to a hot meal three times a day in the mess deck. But we sure got happy whenever the ship's store was re-stocked with all those sweet goodies! 😀

[@MrWhatsHisFace87]

Excellent episode 👍

[@1TigerAce]

You missed a great opportunity to mention it being a great morale booster for civilians in dire straits. Operation “Little Vittles” in Germany during the Berlin Airlift. Being able to keep the civilian morale high allowed the military Western Allied powers to remain in control of West Berlin even though every which way they turned their backs where against a wall.

[@cephasmartin8593]

I have always loved Tootsie Rolls. Before Halloween I bought 15 pounds of Tootsie Roll minis. I still have most of it ... and a mountain of Tootsie Roll wrappers in my lap.

[@jameswolf133]

My father used to perform IP work for the Tootsie Roll company and they would regularly send him enormous boxes of their various candies, including Dots, Charleston Chews and Andes Mints. That is one reason (along with all their products being peanut free) I will always make sure I have their stuff available for Halloween. That and vanilla Tootsie Rolls are awesome!

[@dbmail545]

The best part of most MRE's is the little bottles of Tabasco sauce. One of my favorite candies as a kid was Butterfinger bars, a knockoff of the Clark bar. Can't stand them now, but I can appreciate how nice they are in the field when any food is scarce.

[@Firstname137]

Supposedly they dont do the Tabasco sauce in the little bottles anymore.

[@johnbenson4672]

I watched this episode with my five year. He cracked up every time you mentioned Tootsie Rolls.

[@loke6664]

I do admit I was a bit surprised first time I saw how much candy there is in American MREs. During my service in the Swedish air force we sometimes got a rather tasteless chocolate bar (mine said "made in 1945" on it, it was still edible...) and if we were very lucky we got a small roll of hard fruit candy called "nickel". Besides that we got no fancy stuff, some cans and a bunch of freeze dried food just and a packet of crackers. Worst were the sausage can known as "dead mans fingers", you could not trade that one no matter what. I do think a small piece of candy might be useful for a soldier, to get up the blood sugar level and morale. However, I also think you can get a bit too much of a good thing. Already the British soldiers of the late 1700s got a lot of problems with toothache and you can't count on finding a dentist in the field. Also, carrying around anything you don't need to survive in the field will either force you to leave something more useful at home or get tired. So yes to candy, but let's not go crazy with it. It should be a special treat, not your main diet.

[@LimaAlphaEcho0311]

There’s an obsolete US MRE that came with 5 mini sausages-frankfurters, they were called. The MRE was referred to as “The Five Fingers of Death” and often avoided

[@loke6664]

@@LimaAlphaEcho0311 I heard a lot of bad things about Chicken a la King and it was supposedly a lot worse then frankenf*ckers. I did read a book by a marine who was in 'Nam and he talked a bit about MREs. :)

[@comm2531]

I served in the Marine Corps in the early 1980s. I remember those CHARMS candies in MREs. I also remembered CHICLETS GUM. Never did we tie in any superstitions towards the Charms candy. This sounds like a post 9/11 thing. And I remember the TOOTSIE ROLL. I totally forgot about the Charms candy inside those MREs until you mentioned it here. A funny thing. Planet Fitness was handing those out (Tootsie rolls)in a bucket in the front desk for their members. Even grape flavored. Great video.

[@douglasjacobberger7663]

He named the candy after his daughter Clara, whose nickname was "Tootsie". The candy that helped saved lives.

[@edvin884]

A veteran of the war in Croatia once told me "If we got a pack or two of cigarettes the night before the action, we knew it will be tough. But if we got candies too, we knew it's a suicide mission."

[@JTA1961]

Initially I thought "how on God's green Earth" could tootsie rolls be History to be remembered... I stand corrected.

[@grimreaper6557]

I use to love the John Wayne bars in the C Rations just enough chocolet and taffy they were awesome that and the coco powder made a great mix with the coffee for a moca coffee in the morning on a cold day at Fulda gap =)

[@karlnemo8658]

I was hoping somebody would mention the 'John Wayne bars':) Deity help the poor schmuck that got the Ham and Mofos rations, tho, as those bars were probably the only thing palatable in that mix.

[@alanwoods2010]

Best part of C Rats was the John Wayne Bars.

[@j3dwin]

@@alanwoods2010 Yep. John Wayne bars in the C ration and the chocolate nut cake in the MRE's.

[@v.e.7236]

Tootsie Rolls are my absolute favorite candy. I always have a supply of them at hand and take them wherever I go; there is a bag of Tootsies in my center console, ready for my frequent ad hoc road trips. Long live the mighty Tootsie Roll! lol

[@Sixbears]

I used to work with a Korean War vet. He said his gear was stripped down to a sleeping bag, rifle, ammo hand grenades and candy. He regretted tossing his tooth brush. I miss the old cuss.

[@shrikes45]

At 9:16, KZbin's auto-generated subtitles decided that THG's attempt at german was transcribed as: "zoo staffer flea flug for font comfort". XD I love your videos, THG! Keep it up! =D

[@hankvandenakker4271]

NECCO WAFERS, JELLY BEANS, CHOCOLATE, TOOTSIE ROLLS: ALL BELOVED BY ME, BUT HATED BY MY V.A. DR. COULD SHE BE AN ANTI-AMERICAN, CANDY-HATER? NAH, SHE JUST WANTS ME TO DIE OLD WHILE DREAMING OF YOUNG TREATS! THANX HISTORY GUY, AGAIN YOU'VE 'SWEETENED' UP MY MORNING.

[@mikemaricle9941]

Do we really live longer denying ourselves, or does it just seem longer?

[@thewaywardwind548]

My dad was in the USSAF in the Pacific in WWII. He talked about what he called "imitation chocolate." He didn't like it but he ate it because it was almost like chocolate. Then my mother worked a deal with a friend that my dad truly appreciated. Mother worked at a grocery store in Orange, Texas -- where a lot of destroyer escorts were built -- and, because of rationing, things were hard to find. She had a friend who worked at a movie theater. Mother would set aside butter or other hard to get items and swap it with her friend in the movie theater for popcorn. She'd send the popcorn to dad -- it didn't go bad if there were delays --- and he and the men in his outfit would pop it and it was a huge hit with them. When dad came home after the war he married the lady who sent him popcorn. I kinda think that's history that deserves to be remembered, too.

[@Rusty_Shackleford1]

Had an old timer boyscout leader who would bring tootsie rolls on cold weather campouts and hand them out. He told us: if you got cold to hold it in your hand until it softened then eat it, it will warm you up.

[@t-rex558]

Necco was recently purchased by the Spangler Candy Co. in Bryan, OH, eight miles from where I live. They are famous for their Dum Dum suckers, Candy canes, Circus peanuts, among other things.

[@christinebenson518]

I want a video on the ridiculousness of circus peanuts. They're a marshmallow candy that's orange in color, peanut shaped and tastes like banana. Circuses are crazy, but cotton candy doesn't lie, it's pink or blue.

[@skyden24195]

"Whatever it is I think I see, becomes a Tootsie Roll to me!" -perspective of this song has now been altered. 😄😉

[@HK-qj4im]

Love those tootsie roll banks you get at Christmas. I eat my Tootsie rolls with dry roasted peanuts.👍

[@PanzerDave]

For those who are not familiar with MREs and C ration, they often get confused by the terms. C rations are a type of meal. A rations were hot meals with perishable items, made by cooks and made in a field kitchen. B rations were hot meals made by cooks but using semi-perishable foods, often packaged. C rations were packaged rations that didn't require a cook. They could be eaten cold or heated by the troops. MREs, or Meals Ready to Eat, are a C ration that come in a plastic package. Initially they had many dehydrated items and this increased the need to potable water, although later versions decreased the need for water. The previous version of C rations were MCIs, or Meal Combat Individual and came in cardboard boxes. Inside the boxes the food was most often in a can. When I was in the Army, we used to joke that MRE meant Meals Rejected by Ethiopians. The later versions were much improved over the initial versions. The MCIs were a lot heavier than the MREs, and this was an issue when humping a pack. When I was a combat engineer, we often were attached to different units and some of them walked everywhere! Later when I became a cavalry and armor officer, the weight wasn't an issue since everything just went on the vehicle. Anyone who was a ground pounder, aka infantry, liked the lower weight of the MREs. While the lighter weight of the MREs was a big advantage for carrying and logistics, there were advantages for the heavier MCIs. Because they came in cans, it was much easier to heat them. We could put them right on the engine of the jeep and it would often be warmed up by the time we arrived at our destination. We could open the lid but not fully remove it, and that formed a crude handle for lifting . We could also set it right on a small fire so long as we put a hole in the lid so it wouldn't get pressurized and explode. Another big advantage was the P-38 can opener that was issued to open the can (kzbin.info/www/bejne/sF6Yn2SDo6d2itE). It was an extremely useful tool for many things. Finally, we often used the box the MCIs came in as a field expedient, all in one letter and envelope. I actually like most of the C rations whether MCIs or MREs. There was one circular chocolate crunch bar that was circular since it came in a can. It was nicknamed the John Wayne bar because you had to be John Wayne to eat it! I liked that too. Some guys were really good at making various meals using the different ingredients. I miss my C rations!

[@averagejoe1943]

To this day I still won’t eat charms!

[@gus473]

😅 After military service overseas, my dad and my father-in-law politely declined chicken dinners for several decades! 🍗🚫😉

[@ianmacfarlane1241]

THG is up there with Tom Scott in that he can make literally anything interesting.

[@GrumpyIan]

My grandpa would save the chocolate and candy in his MREs for any kids he'd come across when he was over in Europe during WW2. He also said the chocolate bars in the MREs could be 120 degrees outside and not melt.

[@JEBavido]

My husband and my son have discovered that if they increase their beer consumption their desire for sweets decreases. This may be why military groups given alcoholic beverages didn't need a sugar/sweets ration.

[@garykubodera9528]

Alcohol turns into sugar inside the body. That's why alcoholics crave sugary sweets when they quit drinking and many become diabetics.

[@timothydonlan9112]

I was honored to escort my father-in-law to the Chosin Few reunion in Minneapolis before he passed away (1931-2012). Louis Wirgau, BAR, H-3-7, wounded at Inchon, evac-ed to Japan, flown back into Hagaru. There's a picture of him in Leatherneck using a Korean A-frame instead of issued packs because he still had shrapnel in his shoulder. Whatever candy was in the candy dish, the Tootsie Rolls were his.

[@hornetscales8274]

Read a book called "Hard Tack and Coffee" describing the Civil War era of Army life, mostly about supplies. Can't say I recall anything about sweets from it, but it did say coffee was one of the top things issued. Might just read up again about it.

[@TheHylianBatman]

I feel like everyone constantly forgets the importance of morale among military actions. If not even you believe that you can defeat your opponent, then why would anyone else? Candy is such a small and genius way to keep morale up. I'm shocked that it hasn't occurred to anyone else.

[@carlbrown9082]

Another wonderful episode about something that does deserve to be remembered. The comments and anecdotes below make such a presentation so much more fulfilling as well.

[@hankpoth9681]

All I ever got were those tropical chocolate bars, but when in our situation, any candy will do!

[@Ammo08]

Our C-Rats had hard rock candy.....and 3 cigarettes...we also had barrels full of hard rock candy and Tootsie Rolls in our work and barracks areas for emergency rations in case of a nuclear attack...

[@Frank-vr9pw]

Thank you. Great documentary. Blessed to have been a part of the history. Semper Fi 1970-1992 I’m going to have me another tootsie roll.

[@NavigatEric]

1990 my Christmas dinner was a MRE in the tent on 2 feet of snow. Dont remember what it was, only that it was NOT the dreaded 'Pork Patty'. The Pork Patty was too vile Christmas. Anybody remember those? In 1990 the Pork Patty MRE had an expiration date of about ...now. Thank you U.S. Army for the food in a bag and fond memories.

[@noahater5785]

Here’s another way candy and military kind of relate to each other, M&Ms were originally invented in WW2 (iirc) as an easy way to carry around chocolate without it melting in your hands.

[@SlowrideSteve]

After I got home from Iraq the first time I had a serious peanut m&m addiction. Friends and family still mail them to me 18-19 years later. Had to take my socks off to figure out how long it's been...

[@tygrkhat4087]

We also can't forget the pilots who dropped candy bundles to the children of Berlin during the Airlift.

[@8fox261]

When I was active duty, I purchased my own SV-2 (Navy Survival Vest), and stuffed it full of my personal 'gedunk' (e-rats/sweets). The para riggers (survival gear maintainers/repairmen) would constantly raid my supply that I ended up just keeping my SV-2 in my JO stateroom locker.

[@maddog2557]

Iraq 2004, we got so much candy in care packages we didn't know what to do with it all. So we placed them in sandwich bags and threw them out the door of our helicopters at the kids when we were flying around the country. I'm sure we contributed to the tooth decay in all those kids.

[@sayvilletech9135]

During the Vietnam War Hersey's Tropical Chocolate was readily available to consumers. It was a dark chocolate that did not melt easily in parchment paper wrapped peices just the right size for a quick snack on the trail.

[@FreeFallingAir]

Great video as always! You sir, are a national treasure and must be protected at all costs!

[@georgemckenna462]

And the dentist cheered and the drills screamed!

[@DonP_is_lostagain]

Now, if only MREs would once again contain those little bottles of Tabasco, they'd be perfect. Thanks THG, for bringing back memories of the sweets always included in the MRE's. What you got really depended on the meal menu you picked. Charms in this one, Tootsie Rolls in that one, M&Ms in a third, or a Hershey Bar in a fourth.

[@stevebailey325]

Picking me up some neccos and tootsie rolls today for sure!

[@APwhiskey]

This is one of the best tiny details in the USMC museum. There are tootsie roll wrappers in the scenes of the Korean war section.

[@AniBAretz]

I grew up on Necco wafers! And candy buttons, candy cigarettes, and little wax bottles of sweet syrupy stuff, too.

[@vetchb.s.c.1612]

Charms saved a buddy of mines life. He made the mistake of drinking a canteen of near frozen water on a brutally cold night and went in to hypothermia. He found some charms in the back of the HMMWV and crunched them down giving him a boost of calories and heat.

[@ashmacfarlane3124]

During Desert Storm there was a rumor that the Iraqi prisoners were receiving new MREs. Most units deployed with older MREs. This caused some agitation because the new MREs were rumored to have better menu's and better candy.

[@7curiogeo]

Its kinda ironic that soldiers gossip crap as bad as old lady's watch day time soaps. But typical mob mentality. The charms rumor is funny but ignorant superstition. But hey whatever a guy thinks to stay alive.

[@kiwiprouddavids724]

There was definitely a war in our household if the cousins or little sisters raided my lolly stash ,we lived on a island and only got off once a month ,so You had to stock up on sweets and soft drinks .and have a secure hiding spot

[@parrotraiser6541]

My father, a WWII veteran, would always divide chocolate bars into squares, and only eat half of the remaining ones at a time. The habit was a hangover from his service.

[@timmeh87]

lol the one quote @12:13 says "we were low on ammo"... yeah, cause the air force shipped you pallets of candy when you asked for more ammo

[@russcrawford3310]

Audrey Hepburn tells the tale of the allied liberation of her small Dutch village during WWII ... an American with a chocolate bar ... a miracle for a starving teen-age girl ...

[@kaym.h.3583]

I love history documentaries... this is awesome 👍 very interesting and does bring back some interesting memories, being I raised in a military family. I do remember this lions organization that would have parties for the families and I always liked the candy bars😊