Today, chocolate is most often linked with enjoyment and indulgence, but during World War II, it also served a far more practical purpose. The Hershey Company manufactured a specialized ration bar for the U.S. military that was intended as an emergency food source rather than a treat.
Known as the Field Ration D bar, it was developed to deliver a concentrated source of calories for soldiers operating in situations where regular rations were unavailable. The recipe emphasized nutritional value, shelf stability, and resistance to harsh conditions. To discourage troops from eating it casually, the bar was deliberately formulated to be only mildly palatable, ensuring that it would be reserved for genuine emergencies instead of being consumed as a snack.
Looking for rations that could survive combat conditions
In April 1937, Col. Paul Logan of the U.S. Army Quartermaster General’s office approached Hershey Chocolate Corporation president William F. R. Murrie and chief chemist Sam Hinkle about creating a special chocolate ration for American troops. The Army needed a small, emergency food bar that could fit easily into a soldier’s pocket, tolerate high temperatures, and provide a concentrated source of calories and nutrients during wartime.
One of Logan’s specifications was particularly unusual: the bar should not be especially enjoyable to eat. He reportedly instructed Hershey that its flavor should be no better than that of “a boiled potato.”
Murrie and Hinkle presented the idea to Milton S. Hershey, who showed immediate interest and backed the effort to create the unconventional military ration.
Field Ration D
Paul Logan had four main requirements for the Field Ration D Bar:
- It had to weigh four ounces.
- It should have a high caloric value.
- It needed the ability to withstand high temperatures.
- It couldn’t be too tasty.
The final result developed by Hershey was dubbed the “Field Ration D.” It consisted of a blend of chocolate, sugar, cocoa fat, skim milk powder, artificial flavoring and oat flour. The mixture created was essentially a heavy paste that needed to be pressed, rather than poured, into molds. This made the bar so dense that the attached instructions suggested it should be eaten over about half an hour.
Keeping the Hershey chocolate factory open
When the United States entered the Second World War, lawmakers discussed halting civilian candy production for the duration of the conflict because the industry was considered nonessential. To help keep his business operating, Milton Hershey argued that Hershey’s chocolate products could provide valuable nutrition to American service members.
Consequently, a significant portion of the company’s wartime production was shifted toward manufacturing chocolate rations and other related products for U.S. military personnel.
American troops weren’t fond of the Field Ration D
Although The Hershey Company produced millions of Field Ration D bars for the U.S. military during World War II, the chocolate was notoriously unpopular with many American troops. The bars were so hard that they were difficult to chew and often led to digestive issues, prompting soldiers to jokingly refer to them as Germany’s “secret weapon.” Many servicemen also traded the bars to civilians, who often did not realize they had been designed as military rations, in return for food they considered more desirable.
Despite the poor reputation of the ration bars among soldiers, Hershey’s wartime production efforts earned the company the Army-Navy “E” Production Award in 1942. The honor was presented to companies that demonstrated outstanding efficiency and high-quality manufacturing while supplying the U.S. military with essential wartime equipment and materials.
Hershey’s Tropical Bar
In 1943, the US Army, once again, approached Hershey’s about the possibility of developing a new chocolate bar for the Pacific Theater. The goal was for it to withstand high, tropical temperatures and taste a little bit better than the Field Ration D.
The Hershey’s Tropical Chocolate bars were one- or two-ounce pieces of chocolate that could hold their shape after one hour in 120-degree Fahrenheit temperatures. The bar was made from many of the same ingredients as the Field Ration D, but included vitamin B-1. This helped prevent beriberi, which resulted from a B-1 deficiency that caused nerve, heart, and muscle damage, as well as overall weakness.
It’s estimated that, by the end of 1945, over three billion Field Ration Ds had been produced and distributed to soldiers across the world. Similarly, by the end of World War II, nearly 38o million two-ounce Tropical Chocolate bars had been produced for the US military.
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Fast-forward to July 1971, when the Hershey’s Tropical Chocolate bar went to the moon with the Apollo 15 astronauts. While these chocolate bars might not have had the best taste, they sure were widespread.