Ice Cream at 33,000 Feet: A Marine's Recipe for Morale
Marines stationed on Peleliu enjoying ice cream made at 33,000 feet during WWII.
Since the battle of Lexington and Concord to the Iranian conflict, 1,049,454 American military personnel have been killed in action in service to their country. Their sacrifices are what allow us to celebrate 250 years of freedom this month. That is why the Texas Panhandle War Memorial is committed to remembering every war and every service member. To remember is to honor.
This month, we would like to share a story with you by Blake Stilwell from the We Are The Mighty publication that emphasizes the creativity of U.S. personnel during World War II. Their ingenuity brought a “taste of home” to those serving in Europe and the South Pacific.
As you celebrate our country’s birthday this July 4th with family and friends, you might want to include some ice cream – homemade would be best! And while enjoying your ice cream, take a moment to remember those 1,049,454 brave soldiers who paid dearly for our privilege of living free in this great nation.
“Every job has its unexpected perks. Even being a Marine Corps aviator in World War II had some unexpected benefits. This is because Marines make do, as the saying goes, and are used to making the most out of whatever Uncle Sam provides them to get the mission done. They will even make miracles happen when it’s not part of the mission. That’s just what Marines do, even when it comes to ice cream.
The United States captured the island of Peleliu from Imperial Japan after more than two months of hard fighting toward the end of 1944. Marines on Peleliu were within striking distance of the enemy. But since there was no real threat at the time, they were not on combat patrols or supporting operations elsewhere in the theater. The Marines were getting bored and if you’ve ever made it past basic training in a branch of the military, you know there are few things more inventive or more dangerous than bored Marines.
One squadron commander, J. Hunter Reinburg, figured he could probably raise morale among his men if he could fix one of his F4U Corsair fighter-bombers to become a high-altitude ice cream maker. It wouldn’t be that hard. His crews cut the ends off a drop tank, created a side access panel, and strung a .50-caliber ammo can in the panel. He instructed the mess sergeant to fill the ammo can with canned milk and cocoa powder. All he had to do was get it cold enough to freeze – no problem for a high-altitude fighter. For Marines stranded on a hot island with no fresh food and no refrigeration, high-altitude ice cream was a great idea.
Army Air Corps bombers in Europe had been making the sweet treat in the same way for years, flying at frigid high altitudes while the hum and vibrations from the engine churned the milk and sugar into frozen ice cream. For the Marines, the first run was a disaster. Reinburg circled the island at 33,000 feet for 35 minutes. When he landed the mixture was still liquid. But Marines don’t give up easily.
The second run saw ammo cans bolted onto the underside of wings to keep the ice cream base far from the hot engines. The mixture froze but didn’t have the creamy texture the men wanted so badly. The third run was the most inventive of all. This time, Marines rigged the ammo cans themselves with propellers which turned a screw inside the ammo cans, churning the ice cream as it froze.
This time, the ice cream was perfect. The only hitch was they forgot to let the Operations Officer, a Colonel, have a ration of ice cream.”
Story by Blake Stilwell
We Are The Mighty
August 16, 2022
https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/ww2-marines-made-ice-cream/
Short video about making ice cream at 33,000 feet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n1bt7nrOBU
