What We’re Up To:
Red Ball Express on the Move.
We’re excited to share that the Red Ball Express is rolling out some big updates! We are busy preparing for the No Kings Protest. We’re incredibly proud of how it’s coming together and grateful for the support we’ve already started receiving.
So far we have arranged for a vehicle and a trailer to deliver essential supplies directly to the front lines of protests. We’ve got clearly branded wagons loaded up with N95 masks, Narcan, Medkit, water, snacks, and even zines packed with crucial safety information. We’re also bringing along a printing press so we can produce physical media on the spot for anyone who might need updates without relying on the internet.
In short, we’re here to keep our frontline protesters safe, informed, and well-supplied. Stay tuned for more updates!
The History
Where it all began
The Red Ball Express was an American truck convoy system that supplied allied forces moving through Europe after breaking out from the D-day beaches in Normandy in the summer of 1944. To expedite cargo shipments to the front, trucks emblazoned with red balls followed a similarly marked route that was closed to civilian traffic. The trucks also had priority on regular roads.
Conceived in an urgent 36-hour meeting, the convoy system began operating on 25 August 1944. Staffed primarily with African-American soldiers, the Express at its peak operated 5,958 vehicles that carried about 12,500 tons of supplies a day. It ran for 83 days until 16 November, when the port facilities at Antwerp, Belgium, were opened, enough French rail lines were repaired, and portable gasoline pipelines were deployed. This played a vital role for our Allied forces and helped to win the war.