h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think the mentioned origin of the spork in this entry might be classifiable under the heading: urban legend.

The below is from www.spork.org
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The official patent information for the spork:
1970 Official Gaz. (U.S. Patent Office) 11 Aug. tm 65 Van Brode Milling Co., Inc., Clinton, Mass... Spork for Combination Plastic Spoon, Fork and Knife.
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It seems unlikely that a US patent would have been granted in 1970 if the US army invented it in the 1940s...

Ah. A fellow spork worshipper. (Well, if you don't actually worship them, that's okay.)

As for the date of the patent, which is, as you say, in the 1970's, that is absolutely true. However, it is still possible that just because something is patented in the 70's doesn't mean that it was invented in the 70's. If the spork was originally used and created in the 40's in Japan, maybe no one thought that it was an idea worth pursuing until later. At the time the spork was only used in small areas of another country and the US army probably didn't think, "Hmm... this is a rather unique and effective utensil. Let's get a patent!" (After all, this was in the middle of one of the biggest wars on the planet.)
Also, maybe the patent that you found may be for a spefic sort of spork: the modern, plastic one. (Ther are, after all, many types of sporks. ) There is very good reason, however, to believe that the utensil could have been invented in the 40's.* Of course, it is possible that this is an "urban ledgend." I, however, believe that it is not.

Skeeve

*There have even been reference in text that sporks have been around longer than this, even.

Personally I find it ironic, true or not, that when Japan raided Okinawa way back when, the Emperor decided that forks and spoons could be made into weapons, so they were confiscated, leaving the poor Okinawans to develop chopsticks (as well as several unarmed combat styles and odd weapons like the nunchaku), which were then adopted by the rest of Japan. Then comes along some American who says chopsticks are uncivilized, but no, the Japanese still can't have their forks and spoons back. Have a spork and enjoy your egg noodles.

While hunting for shark teeth and other fossils at a beach on the Chesapeake Bay, a friend found an item that blows away all prior theory on the origin of the spork: a spork fossil. I haven't been able to carbon date it, but it looks like it could be thousands of years old.

I never realised there were so many fellow spork fanatics out there! *waves*