“Your money ain't no good o'er there”: Food as real and social currency in the Pacific Theater of World War II

ABSTRACT

The millions of American servicemen who fought in the Pacific during World War II were paid better than any other. However, constant combat and time at sea gave these men relatively few places to spend their hard-earned money. Regardless, commerce existed in the theater in both real and social terms using currencies that were readily available and valued by men, even when there were few novel, material things to purchase with real money. Food was one of these forms of currency, and gave men a valuable tool that they could use to barter or adjust their social standing among their peers. Food-currency was used in two primary ways in combat or near-combat areas of the Pacific Theater. First, between many Pacific Islanders and military personnel, food was used as a cross-cultural bartering tool to quickly establish kinship between the military and the islanders. Secondly, amongst military personnel, food was used as a primary tender within a community currency system that acted outside of the military bureaucratic structure and across lines of rank, unit, ship, and branch. Used in this manner, food was a democratizing force and afforded men paths to social capital outside of their normal, job-related duties.

KEYWORDS:

• currency
• food
• Pacific Theater
• World War II