The fighting men of World War 2 often found themselves away from mess halls or field kitchens for extended periods. They still had to eat. The go to solution was initially the K-ration and later the C-ration. They were initially packaged into cans that had to be opened with a "church key" type of turn-key opener. In 1942, the P-38 can opener was developed to facilitate easier opening of any type of can, including those included in C-ration packs. They served the U.S. Military from then until the 1980's. They are still in production by various companies.
There is not a lot of exciting information to impart about this tool, but its usefulness is undeniable. It was lightweight, easy to hang on to (most were kept on the same chain with dogtags), and functionally, were practically fail proof. They could become dulled after a number of uses, but I have also heard a Vietnam veteran say he has used his since he received it with no problems.
The use of this tool kept a lot of soldiers fed over the course of three major conflicts. I'm sure without it, they would have developed an alternative, but because it worked so well, and was so cheap to produce, it had a long, productive life.
I happen to have one that my Great-Uncle used at the tail end of World War Two. I kept in on a key ring for many years, but have since let it retire completely from service. Mine was made by the Speaker Company.
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