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by rasalas 1473 days ago
[1] says Eisenhower grease was based on "English asbestos grease" which I assume is "Compound 219" [2]. Arnold J. Morway is credited as the Standard Oil researcher who developed Eisenhower grease. [3]

[1] https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015068120040?urlappend=%3B... - Popple, C. Sterling. (1952). Standard Oil Company (New Jersey) in World War II. New York: Standard Oil Co. (N.J.). Pages 119-120.

[2] http://www.royalpioneercorps.co.uk/rpc/history_compound.htm -- "Taken from The Royal Pioneer, Issue No 40, September 1954"

[3] http://www.njinvent.org/1996-awardees.html

1 comments

[1] is excellent, thank you! It leads to another question, how did it come to Eisenhower’s attention that this is what was needed?

And [2] promises that answer. Before reading that, I was thinking some mechanic, or perhaps a farm hand turned logistics sergeant, had to see the problem and know that a special type of grease was the answer. Then, how to communicate that up the chain, when the bosses might not know about engines in that way?

I feel this is the struggle of innovation, repeated once more but in a literal life and death context.

I’d love to know more about that part of the story.