When our twin sons were deployed in the war (Afghanistan and Iraq), they wrote letters to us when able. They also wrote to one another when possible, but their “letters” to each other were more—oh, how shall I say it—comics poking fun at one another in their situations.
Yes, laughs
in the toughest of times! Humor, like joy, can be a “good medicine!”
I
know that might sound weird, but—to be honest—those drawings gave the brothers and
us smiles. And that crazy art work has been preserved over these years. Keepers!
Last
month I pulled a book off our shelves that reminded me of those cartoons our
boys drew, but these were done in a different time and different war. The book
had belonged to Dad. I remembered it being loaded with comics, but I’d not read
it before.
What
started as a I’ll-read-it-then-likely-pass-it-on moment grew into a
I-cannot-help-but-read-this.
Up Front by Bill Mauldin* (an American editorial cartoonist)
shared his war comics featuring generically named Willie and Joe—GI characters
he created for Stars and Stripes while imbedded with several units in the
European Theater during World War II. Bill wrote the history behind his comics
in Up Front. He also shared his observations of war, soldiers, and so
much more. Here’s a little of what he had to say about men in combat when they
come home:
“…There
are millions who have done a great and hard job. But so far there are only a
few hundred thousand who have lived through misery, suffering, and death for
endless 108-hour weeks and, as I said, they are going to be too tired and sick
of it to bother anybody who might be worrying about their becoming problems.
They don’t need pity, because you
don’t pity brave men—men who are brave because they fight while they are scared
to death. They simply need bosses who will give them a little time to adjust
their minds and their hands, and women who are faithful to them, and friends
and families who stay by them until they are the same guys who left years ago.
No set of laws or Bill of Rights for returning veterans of combat can do that job.
Only their own people can do it. So it is very important that these people know
and understand combat men.”
–Bill Mauldin
That’s
only a snippet of Up Front. I failed to mark more parts that touched me
deeply, so I’ll want to read it again. There are no chapters—just text running
from front to back with corresponding cartoons decorating almost every page.
Bill shares things a GI might never speak about himself or the circumstances he
endured.
At any
rate, those fictitious characters gave our military some smiles. After all,
good humor—really well-crafted—is so relatable. The GIs who read those comics
“got” the messages they were meant to convey.
How
many of us know Veterans who never speak of the war in which they fought? Who
die with long-lived aching or nightmare visions that repeat themselves over and
over until he/she is laid to rest?
And
what about the ones who do finally talk? Ones now old and so wrinkled who can
no longer hold back tears when asked, “Grandpa, what was it like?”
Anything
I could write about Veterans will not suffice. All the thanks I can give will
never be enough. And all I’ve gone through in life falls in a small heap at the
feet of the ones who made such tremendous sacrifices for me.
And
for you.
As for
the copy of Up Front I now own, I wonder what those comics meant to Dad.
After all, he kept his copy of this very different book throughout his life.
Ironically, while writing this blog post, I discovered We’ll Meet
Again, written during World War II—a coming-home song.
We’ll Meet Again by Vera Lynn,
1943
Sydnie Christmas -
We'll Meet Again (Official Video) - YouTube
Many of us, like Sydnie Christmas, have grandparents/great-grandparents who fought in World War II. My own dad had a stop-over in England (Sydnie’s homeland) before he was shipped to Europe with his unit of combat engineers from Fort Bragg.
When
we were growing up, we knew our dad served in the Army. In fact, he and Mom
chose Dad’s dear, Army buddy and his wife to care for us girls if something
happened to our parents before we were grown. And other Army buddies remained
in our lives until God called Dad Home.
I
didn’t realize then what our dad sacrificed for us—how much all Veterans
did. Yes, we always went to the cemetery on Decoration Day where we placed
flowers on graves, joined in military remembrances, honored all branches in
church, and took part in Veteran’s Day parades.
But I
don’t think it ever truly registered then what all our soldiers went through.
In my young mind, they went to war, came home, got jobs, and raised families.
My
favorite Veteran now lives in Heaven. Unlike the song posted above, I do know
where we will meet again! But I don’t know the when. How thankful I am
to God for His Son’s sacrifice through which Dad could gain eternal life in
Heaven.
For
Dad not only served in the US Army but was a soldier of the Cross too!
#Veteran #WorldWarII #comics #humor
#laughtergoodmedicine #BillMauldin
#UpFront #Willie&Joe #soldiersreturn #sacrifice
*Cartoons copyrighted 1944. Text in book copyrighted 1945. 1st 3 printings sold before the 4th came out in May of 1945.
Photo credits: image 1 & 2—pinterest, image 3—pinterest.com.au
Thank you for sharing a beautiful tribute to those who have served in our armed forces through the years.
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