The Surprising Role The Michelin Guide Played On D-Day

Michelin brothers Andre and Edouard made the Michelin star the highest honor a restaurant can have. While there are many unique things about the Michelin rating system, the guidebook itself played a key part in one of the bloodiest moments in modern history. Before it was the marker of culinary achievement it is today, the Michelin guidebook started as a way to motivate car owners to drive more (and thus need new tires more frequently) by listing spots worth visiting while traveling. It turns out that the maps and lists of French cities were remarkably accurate and well laid out. The guidebooks were so easy to read for allies who spoke little or no French that the idea was hatched that soldiers could make use of the guides while navigating areas of France that had since been reduced to rubble.

The Michelin guidebooks that were taken along for Operation Overlord weren't exactly the same ones Michelin was selling. A unique version of the 1939 printed Michelin guidebook with a muted brown color rather than the loud red standard was printed by the Secret Service in Washington. Other differences included the words "For Official Use Only" and "Reproduced by Military Intelligence Division, War Department, Washington, D.C." The new military version of the Michelin guidebooks were given to the commanders of units who took part in the Battle of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Whether you have a passion for culinary arts, the military, or are just a history buff, finding one of the Michelin guides used in World War II would be astounding.

Whether you share Anthony Bourdain's thoughts about Michelin stars or believe they represent the best of the best, if you happen upon an old guidebook you're staring history in the face. The "Green Guide" (as the military version was affectionately called) is thought to be nearly impossible to find. Many of them were lost or destroyed shortly after print and distribution. However, soldiers who did hang on to them likely took them home after the war as souvenirs. It's impossible to know how many were destroyed and how many are being safeguarded as family heirlooms.

A military Michelin guidebook is estimated to sell for thousands at auction, but with only a few thousand ever made the likelihood of one showing up lessens with each passing year. Meanwhile, well over 100 years after the Michelin brothers set out to encourage exploration, Michelin is still a prominent part of the restaurant industry, as well as the tire industry. Though with thousands of restaurants awarded stars spread over multiple continents, you'll need far more than just a new set of tires if you want to visit them all.