I came across some cartoons today penned by Bill Mauldin, whose "Willie and Joe" characters were enshrined in the WWII publication Yank. Bill, for those of you too young to know about him, was a proponent of the quintessential enlisted "dogface soldiers," the guys on the front line doing the fighting.
He often took the opportunity to poke fun at the brass, which enraged Gen. George Patton, who told him in no uncertain terms to knock that off. Word reached Patton's superior, Gen. Eisenhower, of that order, and Ike told Patton that Mauldin could pen anything he wanted! His cartoons were immensely popular during the war.
Mauldin lived until 2003, sadly dying suffering from Alzheimer's disease. A steady stream of letters came to him then, and a long line of visitors was at his hospital bedside before he died, most of them veterans who loved his work. He was buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Here's a wartime photo of Bill:
And here's some of his work. I'll lead with my personal favorite:
Now this one's a little esoteric, but funny nonetheless:
Bill, God rest your soul. You were one of a kind.
John
He often took the opportunity to poke fun at the brass, which enraged Gen. George Patton, who told him in no uncertain terms to knock that off. Word reached Patton's superior, Gen. Eisenhower, of that order, and Ike told Patton that Mauldin could pen anything he wanted! His cartoons were immensely popular during the war.
Mauldin lived until 2003, sadly dying suffering from Alzheimer's disease. A steady stream of letters came to him then, and a long line of visitors was at his hospital bedside before he died, most of them veterans who loved his work. He was buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Here's a wartime photo of Bill:
And here's some of his work. I'll lead with my personal favorite:
Now this one's a little esoteric, but funny nonetheless:
Bill, God rest your soul. You were one of a kind.
John
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