The Role of Ice Cream in Boosting Morale During WW2

Here is a fun fact… The U.S. Navy had three floating Ice Cream Factories during WW2. No, seriously.

Not many people know this, but Ice Cream played a massive role in boosting the morale of millions of American service men during the Second World War.

The Impact of Prohibition on Ice Cream Culture

You see prior to WW2, there was this little thing called Prohibition in the United States. Basically, alcoholic beverages were made illegal and as a result, thousands of bars became ice cream parlours so as to not go out of business. This resulted in at least two generations of Americans growing up on ice cream as a means to cope with whatever stress life threw at them. Which, to be fair, is the same case today.

Ice Cream as a Commodity Among Soldiers

But anyway, even after Prohibition ended, millions of men still enjoyed ice cream, and when America entered the War, the frozen delight became a much-prized commodity among American soldiers, sailors, and airmen. So much so that the U.S. Navy converted three concrete barges into mobile ice cream factories for the Pacific.

Each one could produce up to 500 gallons a day and could store up to 2000 gallons in large freezers. These vessels all operated in the western Pacific and supplied thousands of gallons of ice cream to sailors and marines alike. Let’s be honest, getting served ice cream after a long hard day will boost anyone’s spirits.

~NC