The Zuchermacher

 

The Zuchermacher

August Goetz was born in Cologne - a city known for its premier candy manufacturers (Lindt, for example) and interestingly  home to five large monasteries. Monastic recipes and techniques having been passed down through generations undoubtedly influenced the work of the Zuchermachers. (Candy makers) like Goetz who opened his own candy company in Baltimore, Maryland in 1894. His unique time-tested recipes have remained unchanged for 130 years and  the company’s flagship products are still made "altmodisch” - in the old fashioned way using traditional methods that emphasize candy-craftsmanship and quality that have been part of the Goetze’s legacy for over a century.

 

But Goetz was more than a candy-maker. He was a patriot and ardent supporter of our troops during WWII supplying free candy for  “care” packages being  sent to GIs and working to facilitate the  important but now all-but-forgotten  V-Mail initiative.

 

The V-Mail (Victory Mail) program was a wartime program implemented by the U.S. government  to streamline and expedite mail delivery to and from military personnel. Introduced in 1942, the V-Mail system was designed to address the logistical challenges and resource constraints of wartime mail. Here is how it worked:

Instead of sending physical letters, individuals wrote on special  5 x 7 inch V-Mail stationery. These letters were then sent to a central processing facility. At the processing facility, the handwritten letters were photographed and converted into microfilm significantly reducing  mail volume.

The microfilm rolls were sent via air or by sea to the recipient's location, where they were converted back into full-sized prints and delivered to the addressee reducing the weight and space required for mail transport. It was a complicated process and Goetz’s knowledge of assembly line processing and mechanics helped to make it successful.

The V-Mail offered a way troops and their families could correspond despite the constraints imposed by the war. It allowed for a more efficient and secure means of correspondence during a time when resources were limited and mail volume high.  It also helped to prevent sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands.

Throughout wartime Goetze  focused on  adapting its business operations, contributing to the broader war effort, while continuing to maintain its reputation for quality confectionery and demonstrating devotion to our Country. And Goetze certainly hit the mark. Perhaps that’s why candy-lovers decided to re-name his signature caramel crèmes you know today as  BULLS- EYES.  

Meme: 

 

People collect V-Mail from  soldiers and sailors that served. These are from servicemen stationed in Iceland, during WW II.

This is how they were mailed to the recipients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks and a tip of the chapeau to my friend R. Collin for providing these.