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Making “Goop” Out of Lemons: The Permanente Metals Corporation, Magnesium Incendiary Bombs, and the Struggle for Profits during World War II

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2015

Mark R. Wilson
Mark R. Wilson*
Affiliation:
History Department, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. E-mail: mrwilson@uncc.edu
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Extract

On May 29, 1945, Charles F. Calhoun, a vice president of the Permanente Metals Corporation (PMC), composed a telegram to his fellow company officers that celebrated a long-awaited triumph. “This is to confirm delivery to Tokyo, May 26th, during high wind, of large Permanente shipment by way Marion, Ohio, and B-29 express,” Calhoun began. “It is reported there was no loss of goods in transit but that considerable damage resulted from cargo being jettisoned within Tokyo city limits.” He could not resist adding, tongue firmly in cheek, “All ... claims of property damage will be forwarded to Permanente claims adjustment department.”

Type
Introduction
Information
Enterprise & Society , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , March 2011 , pp. 10 - 45
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2011. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Business History Conference. All rights reserved.

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