In the process of falling in a rabbit hole chasing an IOtD I stumbled on these charts. They may be of interest to a dweller or two, for either cursory check or extended contemplation. I find them of interest but you know I'll weird.:cool:
Wow that was very interesting.
Even more impressive after reading about the politics, powerplays, and reluctance of the services, especially the Navy, to place nice. They really didn't get up to speed until '43. Of course the amount of unused surplus goods for sale in the late '40s was ridiculous.
There are some odd things in those charts.
Army: 26 million boots
Navy: 25 million shoes
Army: 177 million shorts (cotton underpants)
Navy: 93 thousand shorts (nainsook, also sort of cotton, underpants)
Odors are said to be the most evocative memories. Just Bruce's mention of surplus brought an immediate sense of the ubiquitous stores and their strange combination of smells.
There were oils, mothballs, wool, waxes, and other sharp ones of mysterious origins.
I am afraid, young-uns, that this takes a certain age.
Combat boots should wear better and last longer than navy low black leather shoes. :haha:
I think the answer is the Navy was the most difficult to bring under a central authority. They ignored orders from Congress figuring FDR was their buddy, until he told the himself in '43. Up until then they were buying whatever they damn well pleased, but after that point their buying took a nosedive.
I agree on the smells, some are like a cattle prod to the memory bank.