Super Glue is one of those household items that quietly does its job — no fuss, no spotlight. However, few people know that its origins are deeply rooted in wartime innovation and that it once played a critical role in saving lives on the battlefield. 

Cyanoacrylate — the compound that makes Super Glue what it is — was first discovered in 1942 by Dr. Harry Coover. At the time, he wasn’t trying to make an adhesive at all. He was looking for materials to build clear plastic gun sights for World War II. But the formula stuck, literally, and its potential couldn’t be ignored. 

Super Glue, as we know it, hit the consumer market in the late 1950s, but it wasn’t long before military medics found a new use for it in Vietnam. Faced with traumatic injuries, heavy blood loss, and limited access to surgical care in the field, some medics began using Super Glue to seal open wounds and stabilize patients long enough to get them to real treatment. It wasn’t FDA-approved for medical use, but in a combat zone, innovation often comes before regulation. 

Stories from the Vietnam War describe how these tiny tubes of glue became unexpected lifelines. A quick application could help stop bleeding, prevent infection, and buy precious time. While it wasn’t a permanent fix, it was often the difference between life and death. 

That same spirit of ingenuity — taking what you have and making it work — has long been part of military culture. From turning socks into water filters to fashioning antennas out of coat hangers, service members have always found a way. Super Glue is just one example of how creativity, necessity, and courage come together in moments that matter. 

Today, medical-grade versions of Super Glue are used in hospitals and operating rooms across the world. But it all started with an accidental discovery during wartime and a battlefield workaround by medics who refused to give up. 

This is just one of the countless stories hidden in the folds of 250 years of military history — small but powerful reminders of the grit and resourcefulness that define our armed forces. 

View the full timeline and join Mission Roll Call in honoring stories like these. Support the $25 for 250 campaign and help us preserve the legacy of those who served and the tools, traditions, and tenacity that helped them come home.