Ah dammit. I loved mayo

Just as an example- there are many alternate and possible versions- one involves a set up during a time of conflict between Mexico and European or other invaders- a specific case being during the intervention in Mexico aka the Mexican American war. In such a telling it is often offered that the foreign forces had their supplies cut off and were on the brink of defeat at some battle or another if they didn’t get food. Then something like mayonnaise being readily available and a high calorie food, so an emergency shipment of Mayo use being sent to ration the troops to hold out. The ship is sunk/sinks, the enemy troops don’t get their mayonnaise and as such can’t hold or advance, and thusly a reason to celebrate is made clear in the body of the joke. Because it doesn’t reference a real historical event the most anyone could be suspicious over even if they were an expert on the subject would be that they weren’t aware of such an incident.