Letter Certifying Receipt of Ford Tugboat "Buttercup" for War Service, October 23, 1942

Ford Motor Company owned a fleet of barges, tugs, canal boats, cargo carriers, and ocean freighters that transported company products and materials before the Second World War. In 1942, with growing military demands, the United States began requisitioning all available ships for wartime service. Government maritime and shipping administrations worked with Ford to identify and acquire ships needed for the war effort.