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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
Posted on 05/08/2002 3:01:00 AM PDT by 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.
TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: usocanteen
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To: WVNan;MistyCA
"Hi Misty Hurry and catch up"
To: AFVetGal
WOW...that is such a neat outfit! I can see you have been doing a lot of shopping! Yippee! I love shopping!!! :)
522
posted on
05/08/2002 8:54:01 PM PDT
by
MistyCA
To: AFVetGal
OOOOOOEE....you're gonna be in trouble. The strangest thing I ever saw in squirreldom was the two albino squirrels that lived on the Union Seminary Campus. They were as white as snow. Don't know if it had anything to do with their being "washed in the blood" or not. Just seemed strange that they were the only white ones I've ever seen anywhere.
523
posted on
05/08/2002 8:55:41 PM PDT
by
WVNan
To: MistyCA
I have a present for you...
You can make more at FlamingText. Use the Banner maker.
524
posted on
05/08/2002 8:56:53 PM PDT
by
Jen
To: SAMWolf;Aquamarine
Yipeeeeee
Oregon here I come....The Bunny and Fallguy will have an English garden in Oregon.
Thanks Aquamarine I had not even thought about asking Sam about it. Thanks Sam.
To: WVNan
I have Wisteria. It is very pretty and really bloomed like crazy this year. I miss lilacs terribly!
526
posted on
05/08/2002 8:57:14 PM PDT
by
MistyCA
To: MistyCA,All
Well, it's been fun to stay a bit longer this evening, but I really must turn in now. Goodnight all and God bless.
527
posted on
05/08/2002 8:57:40 PM PDT
by
WVNan
To: Snow Bunny
Gosh, I would love to do that. I was wishing I had one of those web-camera's this week as everything is in bloom here. I love rododendruns and have planted them everywhere. They are purple, pink, red, white and lavernder and they're gorgeous!
To: WVNan
Good night, Nan. I'm glad we were able to chat tonight. Sleep well.
529
posted on
05/08/2002 9:01:21 PM PDT
by
Jen
To: AFVetGal
I throw rocks at them. I came close to hitting one a few timesGet a crossbow. they're accurate and silent.
530
posted on
05/08/2002 9:02:06 PM PDT
by
SAMWolf
To: Victoria Delsoul
The red one what? Duh......this is one of those trick questions! LMAO! :)
531
posted on
05/08/2002 9:02:23 PM PDT
by
MistyCA
To: SAMWolf
Great layout, Sam Thanks again. ... This must be Sonja's nite. She deserves some remembrance. Here's another I snagged and found on one of my old cd backups... (took me all this time to find it, but was worth it):
To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub
LOL!
533
posted on
05/08/2002 9:02:43 PM PDT
by
SAMWolf
To: MistyCA; snowbunny; aquamarine
I have this strange vine that I'm not sure what it is. It's growing in some of my flower beds. It has 3 leaves that are kinda pointy. There are no flowers on it that I've seen.
And I have these itchy spots all over my legs and arms. Do you think there could be a connection?
534
posted on
05/08/2002 9:03:40 PM PDT
by
Jen
To: SAMWolf
I would think they'd be as accurate as the operator! (Which is NOT very accurate.)
535
posted on
05/08/2002 9:04:32 PM PDT
by
Jen
To: MistyCA;Victoria Delsoul
ROTFL.....haahahaa...
Let's never ever grow up, older yesss but never ever grow up.
.
And no that is not from Peter Pan but it felt like it when I wrote it.ROTFLMHO
To: AFVetGal
LOL! I had figured out it was poison ivy before you even mentioned the itch.
BTW...I saw a big black snake today. I walked right up on him and he didn't move so I walked around him and kept going.
To: AFVetGal
Yikes, I have no clue. I did pick a bouquet of wild flowers in the woods adding some poison ivy leaves by accident for my mom one time. It didn't bother me,but my mom freaked out,. hahahaha
I had no clue it was poison ivy.
To: WVNan
Good Night Dear FRiend, hey to Jack for me, sleep well FRiend!:)
To: AFVetGal;Aquamarine;SAMWolf
I would put something on the itchy places Jen. I wish I knew what it is, I bet Aquamarine or Sam might know.
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