It’s hard to imagine the amount of equipment the US Army decommissioned after World War II: parachutes, diesel engines, Jeeps, etc. Apparently even flamethrowers were up for grabs.
An enterprising merchant in Quakertown, Pennsylvania ran a newspaper ad for military flamethrowers, pitching the weapon as a handy household gadget that “destroys weeds, tree stumps, splits rocks, disinfects, irrigates. 100 practical uses. $22 for 4 gal. tank, torch, hose.”
Source: Bright Boys: The Making of Information Technology, page 145.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 0 comments… add one now }