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.

[SAMWolf]

Good to hear that things are looking up. We'll keep the prayers going.

I just grabbed the picture from a search result, didn't bother to check the site to see who it catered too.

[SAMWolf]

[SAMWolf]

[Jen]

Equal time for the Ladies.

That kind of equal rights works for me. Bring it on! It's for the female service members who lurk here, ya know. Woo Hoo!

[SAMWolf]

[Texas Mom]

Great.. Marines, ya gotta love them..

My son sent me these pictures the other night and since I am HTML impaired I am glad you posted it..

[SassyMom]

Ummmmmm...I'm not getting much housework done....WHEW! Yep, you are right, it is all for the female troops. Uhhh, yeah, that's it! :)

[Alamo-Girl]

buuump!

[SAMWolf]

Anyone remember these "Angels"?

[SassyMom]

I have been shopping EVERYWHERE to find the right swimsuit. Will this do????

Sassy

[SAMWolf]

Very patriotic! Just right!

[SAMWolf]

Artistic bombs signify fight on terror
Cpl. Kyle Davidson

Nose art and kill markings portrayed on military aircraft are something that has been around since the first missions were flown during World War I. They serve as a way for the pilots and crews of each plane to express unit pride while building an almost superstitious rapport between man and machine.

Today, the tradition continues as the Marines of Marine Attack Squadron-311 painted bombs on the AV-8B Harriers that flew missions in Afghanistan while attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).

According to Capt. Matt Parker, VMA-311 pilot who flew missions over Kandahar, the bombs were painted by the Marines working in airframes during the deployment to signify each mission a plane flew. The bombs were painted upon the plane's return to the ship. "Every time we dropped a bomb, they (the ground crew) painted a bomb, and when we hit our targets, they painted explosions," said Parker.

While operating off of the USS Peleliu, anchored in the North Arabian Sea, the pilots flew numerous missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Parker flew 13 missions and dropped two bombs, both were explosions. He said he was a little surprised to see painted bombs on the planes he flew. "They just showed up on the jets one day. But, everybody loved it so they continued to do it," Parker stated.

Out of the six planes that deployed with the 15th MEU (SOC), all have at least one painted bomb, but jet number 55 holds the record with six painted under the cockpit on the left side. Because the pilots weren't assigned to one specific jet, this signifies that jet 55 flew the most missions. "It's motivating," said Staff Sgt. Jason Vanderberg, a VMA-311 ordnance Marine who went on the deployment. "It's just like a tick-mark to show how many missions we (VMA-311) flew." In total there were roughley 26 bombs painted.

It wasn't planned to paint the bombs, said Lance Cpl. Joseph Connor, VMA-311 ordnance Marine, "everyone pretty much just knew it was going to happen." He added it was done during the Gulf War, Vietnam and will most likely be done in the future. But, more than just acting as a track record, the paintings symbolize unit camaraderie and a break from the monotony of the mission.

According to an article published on www.library.arizona.edu, nose art "serves as a ritual to guard against bad luck and to strike terror in the heart of the enemy." But, for the Marines of VMA-311 who deployed with the 15th MEU (SOC), the art serves a bigger purpose. It acts as the words written on the pages of a history book to tell the story of how they participated in the war against terror.

[stand watie]

sis,

you've done it AGAIN! NICE pictures!

thought you might find this interesting: according to my dad, who was in B-17s, the usual cost of nose art in England before the invasion was ONE BOTTLE of US booze- while you could get gin, warm beer, etc in GB, US whisky was SCARCE at least at first. later he said Europe was SWIMMING in US whiskey!

GIs were/are INVENTIVE to say the least---- there were AT LEAST 8 stills operating in my dad's wing alone!

BTW, i've noted that pin-ups (and Victoria's Secret catalogues!)are MORE popular with most men than hustler! interesting, huh?

on a similar subject, i saw TWO USAAF WW2-style painted flight jackets worn by two USAF officers on the Metro the other day-my dad would be pleased!

for a FREE dixie,sw

[SAMWolf]

[SAMWolf]

Thanks to your dad for his service.

[stand watie]

ALSO nice!

BTW Sam, why do there seem to be NO Veronica Lake's around NOW!

somehow the playmate-of-the-month (the pin-ups of my time in the army) just don't MEASURE UP to her! (pun intended!)

for dixie LIBERTY,sw

[lodwick]

;-) I would hope that the Sear's catalogue would be more popular than Hustler.

[Lee'sGhost]

"I just grabbed the picture from a search result, "

Of course, I could be wrong, but they just too happy about the fact that they're half naked and touching each other up. I'b be creeping out.

[The Thin Man]

Good morning Bunny. Thanks for all your hard work. I thought I better drop in. When considering the subject matter and directions this thread could go, there is a chance this could be the final day of the Canteen....hehehe.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Good morning, all!

RB-29 Crew Operations

During WW II and the Korean War, the artistry of military men and women flowered to new hights in the decorations painted on military aircraft. However that practice flourished in wartime, it seemed to fade quickly with a war's end. During the Korean War, nose art flourished in the 91st SRS. Here are some examples.