We all know the significance of World War II. Many machines were used, and many of them came from General Motors (GM).

The company’s contribution to the war effort was monumental, a story that began when GM’s president, William Knudsen, left his post at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to direct the nation’s entire industrial production for the war.

Lt. Gen. William Knudsen, former GM President, became Roosevelt’s head of procurement for the war.

Under Knudsen’s leadership, GM completely halted civilian car production from early 1942 until the war’s end.

In addition to testing a variety of military vehicles at its Milford Proving Grounds, the company converted over 100 plants to manufacture an astonishing variety of military supplies, from tanks and airplanes to machine guns and artillery shells, totaling over $12.3 billion in value. But among all this hardware, one of the most crucial contributions was a simple and rugged truck.

The GMC CCKW, better known by its nickname, the Jimmy Deuce-and-a-Half, became the workhorse of the Allied forces. The name was simple: “Jimmy” was a play on “GM,” and “Deuce-and-a-Half” referred to its 2.5-ton payload capacity.

Of the over 850,000 trucks GMC and Chevy produced for the war effort, about 570,000 of them were 6×6 all-wheel-drive Jimmy Deuce-and-a-Halfs. These beasts were so versatile that they served as everything from dump trucks and fire engines to fuel tankers and medical trucks. In fact, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, later named the CCKW one of the five most vital pieces of equipment for winning the war in Europe.

The truck’s most famous role was as the backbone of the Red Ball Express. Following the D-Day invasion, this massive, non-stop truck convoy ran supplies around the clock to keep Allied troops moving across France.

Primarily driven by young African-American soldiers, nearly 6,000 trucks, most of them Deuce-and-a-Halfs, transported thousands of tons of supplies daily, setting the stage for victory.

Given the significance of World War II, products like the Jimmy Deuce-and-a-Half serve as a reminder that sometimes the simplest and most reliable machines are what truly turn the tide.

The legacy of the Deuce-and-a-Half continues today, with GM Defense recently receiving the Red Ball Express Award for its modern Infantry Squad Vehicle, a fitting tribute to the truck that helped win the war.