The listing, P-38 military issued can opener *GIN option* has ended.
*PLEASE NOTE** THIS IS NOT A VINTAGE ITEM IT IS BRAND
NEW. JUST SO THERE IS NO CONFUSION :)
During the WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars
when hungry GI's
were ready to dive into their delicious meals
of K or C-Rations
they used their trusty P-38s to open the
cans. No it wasn't the
famous WWII fighter plane or a German
pistol, it was an
amazingly simple little piece of 1-1/2 inch
stamped metal that
was developed in just 30 days during the
Summer of 1942 by
the Subsistence Research Laboratory in
Chicago.
It's official designation is 'US ARMY POCKET
CAN OPENER' or
'OPENER, CAN, HAND, FOLDING, TYPE I',
but it is more
commonly know by its nickname the P-38
which it supposedly
acquired from the 38 P unctures required to
open a C-Ration
can. It is also known by many as a "John
Wayne" by those in
the Navy and Marines because he was
shown opening a can of
C-Rations using a P-38 in a WWII training
film. From then on
Sailors and Marines referred to them as a
"John Wayne".
Recently I received emails from two different
Vets that referred
to P-38s as 'Dead Dukes' after John Wayne's death.
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I have 2 more of these I got from my father to list on here the
other is up as well...thanks for fanning watching bidding!
this will be mailed as soon as auction ends and I receive
verified address..:)