As my 30th birthday looms ever larger, I have only a surface-level interest in WWII and I don't own a smoker — but I do have a grill. BLAKE ALSUP is the Culture editor for the Daily Journal.

Born in WW2 and a byname for all-road competence today ... one of Ford's key contributions to the design was the nine-slot grille. And this all leads to the ultimate hiccup with this explanation ...

And let's not forget the famous seven-slotted front grille. What, you thought there ... born during its time on the battlefields of World War II. GIs were said to heat their rations on the exhaust ...