USO Canteen FReeper Style....Nose Art and Pin Ups go to War....May 8,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[Snow Bunny]

The practice of personalizing military aircraft with custom artwork began a few years before WWI, and continues to this day. The peak of this practice occurred during WWII, when hundreds of thousands of aircraft were adorned with such artwork, generally painted near the nose of the aircraft... hence the term, "Nose Art."

Often, flight and ground crews wore a smaller version of the artwork painted on the backs of their jackets. Of course, the quality of the artwork varied, from crude to excellent, depending on the skill of the artist.

The sultry, wonderful world of Nose Art is as varied as the individuals who dressed up and decorated the aircraft and the feelings of the men who flew them into combat. Though this variety is staggering, common themes run through them all from World War II to the end of the Korean War when the genre all but left the scene.

Humor, pathos, slogans, girls, cartoons, nicknames, hometowns, girls, patriotism, dishing it to the enemy, warriors, girls, youthful bravado, girls...these transcended nationality as both Allies and Axis pilots went to war in their individually marked chariots. Men at war separated from home, family, loved ones and a familiar way of life sought ways to personalize and escape the very harsh business surrounding them. For the most part they thought about women, represented on the sides of aircraft in the most tender of ways to the most degrading. These men spent many hours longing for the tenderness a woman could bring to their lives...and for the sexual pleasure they could provide. Whether top level commanders ordered it off the aircraft or not, the men let their feelings flow onto their machines.

As their aircraft reflected, fighter pilots of both wars were busy strafing, bombing, hunting for aerial kills and protecting friendly aircraft, airfields, supply lines and troops. But the ground crews were just as busy trying to make sure the aircraft they had generously loaned to the pilot was on the line each day and ready to bring him home. There is never enough credit to be given to these men who worked ten hours for every hour the pilot flew.

The fame and glory attached to the pilot over shadowed his faithful ground ponders, but this usually did not prevent the enlisted men and officers from becoming devoted friends. Each needed the other to make the mission successful, and a pilot's crew would experience as much pride for a victory, knowing they were behind the guns as well. As a result, nose art was often the choice of the ground crew rather than the pilot. Some units made room for both by having the pilot's art on the left side and the ground crew's on the right.

Unique among fighters, the P-38 Lightning had three noses to adorn, allowing a separate canvas for the pilot, crew chief, armorer and radio man.

Pin Ups.......

The Professor is trying to give you a more scientific explanation of how this kind of cheesecake affected the average American soldier.

World War II pinups appeared in many forms, from fighter and bomber nose art and bomber jacket art to calendars, postcards, matchbooks, and playing cards. The term pinup was coined during World War II, when soldiers would "pin up" these idealized pictures on their barracks and foxhole walls, and sailors did the same to lockers and bulkheads. There were photos of Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth and Lana Turner, and hundreds of other calendar girls and Hollywood starlets whose only claim to fleeting fame was their image seared into a GI's brain from a ragged page of YANK or Esquire magazine.

"Servicemen soon began to create their own pinup art, decorating the noses of their planes and their bomber jackets with more primitive paintings of shapely babes."

Betty Grable as she appeared in a map-reading manual. This image was used to get pilots used to reading map grids.

An early centerfold featuring Dorothy Lamour, "... the No. 1 pinup girl of the U.S. Army."

Nose art was a popular morale builder, it ranged from tame cartoon characters to some really "RACEY" women.

It must be remembered that these men were young, at war, and homesick at times. The names of mothers, girlfriends and colorful limericks were often the inspiration for this unique art form. These pictures and captions are published here for historical value, exactly as they appeared on the planes.

[Snow Bunny]

LOL,Warthog, this is great Sam. I love these too.

[Snow Bunny]

OK, see you later my friend.

[Snow Bunny]

Hi Dukie, that is so neat taking them to the USAF Museum.Those are memories they will have forever and very special.

Good to see you.

[Snow Bunny]

giggle...thanks for letting me know.

[SAMWolf]

SUBJECT: Deployed Personnel Behavioral Abnormalities

TO: Spouses of Enduring Freedom Participants

Deployed members returning home from Operation Enduring Freedom could
experience one or several of the following emotional problems due to
minor cultural shock. Don't be alarmed. With a little tender loving
care your loved one should return to his or her usual self in adequate
time. Do not be surprised if your spouse:

Gets up in the middle of the night and urinates in the cat box
Carries his bed outside to sleep if the air conditioner goes off
Starts mumbling to himself if you serve him scrambled eggs, rice or Creole
Searches frantically for his gas mask just to go to the pantry
Steps outside to smoke a cigarette and then field strips it
Goes over to the neighbor’s house to take a shower with them
Walks around inside the house after dark with his flashlight on
Freaks out if you drive over 35 miles an hour
Does his laundry with the garden hose and mop bucket
Calls all stores "Abdul's, Aubi's, or Achmed's
Stretches a clothesline over your bed
Puts all his luggage under his bed and lives out of it until he build a dresser out of cardboard
Stops all buses and asks the driver if he is going to tent city
Writes "free" on all envelopes to be mailed
Complains when he can't find a radio station, which plays only oldies, country, and call to prayer five times a day
Asks every morning "How old is that newspaper?"
Yells at you for not dispersing your automobile
Removes the doors off your car
Brings a shovel, sand bags, and a jug of water when you go to the beach
Asks your neighbors if they got any mail

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

[SAMWolf]

HI Tonk. Nice arrangement today.

[4TheFlag]

Hey Everybody, GOOD to be Home again, loooonngggg day at the beast when you're not up to par, and the wind is blowing 50mph, ugghhh:(

Hope it was a GREAT day at the Canteen, that nose art is really impressive...

Hey who, which one is you????:)

[SAMWolf]

What's up with this? You letting Beamer go out and lead protests and beg for doggy treats?

[Jen]

He has TWO suits. One 'lurker'....one 'invisible.

Louie wears a tie with his 'lurker' suit just in case someone catches him 'lurking'. He wants to look his best.

The 'invisible' suit....Louie wears nothin' at all. : )

Uh-oh.....bet you're gonna try to catch him...*invisible* - now. LOL Just kidding! : )

Sir Wolf,

My most humble apologies for my factual error yesterday regarding your 'lurker' suit. Don't tease me now about your 'invisible' suit! The mere thought of that along with all the beefcake that's been posted already may be more than this gal's heart can bear.

[4TheFlag]

IMagine you will be long gone by the time this is posted!

Hey there Misty, good to see ya! Yep, almost had a half day in already, LOL!!!:)

[SAMWolf]

The mere thought of that along with all the beefcake that's been posted already may be more than this gal's heart can bear.

I hope your heart can handle some more beefcake.

[Jen]

Puts all his luggage under his bed and lives out of it until he build a dresser out of cardboard

During Desert Storm, my buds and I built shelves (for a dresser), coffee tables, chairs, deck and fences around tents, etc out of bomb crates.

[SAMWolf]

Mortar round crates were great for building "furniture"

[Jen]

Pant! Pant! Please, stop now! ;-)

[SAMWolf]

[Snow Bunny]

Welcome Home Flag Man. It must have been an extra long day when your not feeling great. I am glad you are home.
Beamer and Morgan are glad your home too.

[tomkow6]

Okay, I'm gonna try this again, & invite EVERYBODY to come to Streamwood, IL., for Memorial Day.

The Memorial

The Memorial sits within a large five pointed star with a flagpole and a black granite monolith, representing each branch of service, positioned at each point. Each monolith displays the great seal of a branch of service on one side and, engraved on the other side, a saluting serviceman and picture pertaining to this branch. Positioned in the center of the star is a larger flagpole, which flies the American flag. There is a smaller star, just off the main star, with another flagpole, flying the POW/MIA flag. There is also a black granite monolith engraved on one side with the POW/MIA symbol and on the other side a figure in a POW Camp.

The Memorial is flanked by an Historical Walk. This walk approaches the main memorial area and continues to the opposite side of the grounds and is lined with black granite markers. The markers list every armed conflict, recognized by Congress, beginning with the Revolutionary War. These Conflict Stones are engraved with the name of each conflict, years of involvement, number of U.S. Military Personnel involved and number of U.S. casualties.

Memorial Day weekend is a busy time at the Veterans Memorial. The annual Memorial Day Ceremony, held on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, includes participants from many area veterans’ organizations, VFW, American Legion, Viet Now, and Color Guards which line the walk in front of the Conflict Stones. Each year representatives from the 173rd Airborne Brigade perform the Table Ceremony, symbolic of those military personnel who did not return home. Guest speakers have included several Congressional Medal of Honor recipients as well as Senators, Representatives and other dignitaries. For the past several years, the U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command Band and Choir have performed along with the Weary Warriors Squadron and Lima Lima Flight Team. Veterans Day Each Veterans Day the Commission hosts a Ceremony at the Memorial to honor all veterans of the Armed Forces. This ceremony is much simpler and more intimate than the Memorial Day Ceremony. Veterans Day 1999 was the first year that local Boy and Girl Scout Troops brought their flags to participate in the Ceremony. Eighteen Scout Color Guards and over 120 Scouts participated. The Veterans Memorial Commission looks upon this as an opportunity to educate our children on the military history of our great nation.

Ya'll come now, ya hear?

[Snow Bunny]

Incoming freep mail...heh heh

[Snow Bunny]

Hi Tonkin, what beautiful flowers.Thank you so much.