The scene is set at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in November 1950. Temperatures are dropping to as low as negative 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and U.S. Marines are outnumbered by the North Koreans two to one.

Running out of ammo, the Marines submit a request for more ‘Tootsie Rolls,’ a common slang term for mortar shells. When the supply crates are delivered and opened, however, they find thousands of frozen, individually wrapped pieces of candy.

Luckily, literal Tootsie Rolls were just what those Marines needed to survive this fight.

Chocolate-Inspired Innovation and Survival

As anyone who has eaten a Tootsie Roll knows, this sugar candy has a very specific consistency. When cold, they harden and become impossible to chew or break. When warmed, they soften into a thick putty that can be eaten, stretched and torn.

Though their MREs were frozen, the Marines quickly found that warming up Tootsie Rolls with their own body heat was a good meal substitute. The candy helped provide troops precious calories in a tight spot, and the sugar kept them awake and alert.

But that wasn’t all those small candies accomplished. Because Tootsie Rolls hardened when cold, Marines used Tootsie Rolls as a substitute for glue to fix their equipment. Once the rolls were softened and applied, it was a matter of waiting for Mother Nature to solidify the candy once more.

An estimated 4,385 Marines were killed by enemy combatants during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, and another 7,338 were killed by the cold. Without the timely intervention of candy, many more of the ‘Chosin Few’ would have perished.

“By large, Tootsie Rolls were our main diet while fighting our way out of the Reservoir,” Korean War veteran Edward M. Szymciak said of the incident. “You can bet there were literally thousands of Tootsie Roll wrappers scattered over North Korea. No doubt it made a nice change from Spam.”