The best of the great

PAPERBACK LIBRARY 50i

SIUER EOirUlN
52-^38

war cartoons by the

two-time PULITZER
PRIZE winner who
brought laughter to
Bill
foxholes

fields.
and battle-

A selection Mauldin'^s
from the original
$5.00 edition. Army
,1 n
 Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive
in 2010

littp://www.arcliive.org/details/billmauldinsarmyOOmaul
 ^'Make no mistake about it. Bill
Mauldin is some kind of genius.

The power and vividness of his draughtsmanship,

the lash of his wit, the all-encompassing warmth
and range of his sensibihty, make him a phenome-
non the Army needed and for which it is grateful.

Just as Ernie Pyle spoke for the infantry. Bill has

seen and drawn and made wry jokes for them,

with them and through them/'

Vincent Sheean

", , . he is above all else an artist whose cartoons

have made us see the muck and terror of the dog-

faces and with what humor they shrug off the un-
bearable**
Edward Weeks, Atlantic
Other books by Bill Mauldin

Up Front
Back Home
A Sort of Saga
Bill Mauldin in Korea
Whafs Got Your Back Up?
Maulifin's
Army

PAPERBACK LIBRARY, INC.

New York
Ck>pyright 1944, by Army Times Publishing Company
Copyright 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947 by United Feature
Syndicate, Inc.

Copyright 1949, 1951 by BiU Mauldin

Copyright 1962 by Paperback Library, Inc.

PAPERBACK LIBRARY EDITION

First Printing: April, 1962

Dedicated to the World War II stafiFs of the

45th Division News and the Mediterranean
Stars and Stripes.

Published by arrangement with William Morrow

and Company, Inc.

Printed in the United States of America

Part 1

Training
Camp
 'Oh, oh! He's raisin hell 'cause I didn't
challenge him,"

'Awright, let's settle it this wayth' man what took

th' next to tK last chop has to go fill th' plate/'
*youre in had shape, man! Run over to your
and he hack in
barracks, get your stuff together,
five minutes ready for the amhulance."
'Thafs all I have to say this morning, men. AU
right, dismissed. , , , I said dismissed!"
 *Giinme onewit* mustard.

10
I don't feel so good*

11
 7 hear the rent sitiwtion in town is pretty bad'

**.
. , So this is a 'rest stop.' And they
what you call
only give you ten minutes every two hours? Gee,
I hope I'm not boring you, asking all these
questions, . .
."

12
**rm sorry, the War Department has ordered us
not to divulge our location oh you say this is the
War Department speaking , .
."

7 thought this umz a awful long rest stop'

13
 'Look-'I kin flyF

14
7 dont want to have to warn you men again about
building these confounded fires,"

15
 ^'Must be cheap gas. I louz gettin used to high
octane,"

16
17
 **What are ya standin there gawkin* about? Go on
out art start walkin' post number three."

'Ceiling zero. Visibility zero. Range 200 yards'

18
7 hate to bother ya at a time like this, hut has
anybody seen a pair o* shoes layin around?"

*Nice work, Mac! 1 heard a muffled scream as he

went by.'*

19
 X

20
'Here comes Hagood to butt in on tK conversation.

7 gotta hand it didnt think that buried

to ya. I
treasure rumor would work,**
21
Part 2

The War
loure right. TH toivn has been occupied three
days .
/'
.

25
**/
told ya this damn building wuz a menace. If
it aint tore down by mornin I'll have ya arrestedr
"Well, if it ain't 'Slinky Costello, 'Knife Randuzzi,
an 'Baby-Face' Stampione! Remember me, boys?
I'm that thick-headed flatfoot from Precinct
."
Seven . .
27
Td ruther cover tK gun. I wont hafta dry myself
with a oily rag,"
^'Now that ya mention it, it does sound like th'
patter of rain on a tin roof.''

29
 v*

'i^ .^{^ : ^S>

'TK socks aint dry yet, but we kin take in tK

cigarettes."

30
'Expectin rainF'

31
 'This damn tree leaks.

32
^Run it up tU mountain a^in, Joe, It aint hot
enough."

33
 'Fire two more fer effect, Tm mdkin' a stovepipe*

34
"Ya usin two blankets or three?'*

35
 'Remember that warm, soft mud last summer?"

36
37
 **A experienced field sojer will figger out a way to
sleep warm an' dry. Let me know when ya do!*

38
'Heat rash,*

39
 **Yer dem tootin my sniffles is serious. I been
drawin mortar fire/*

40
*'Thems my unmentionables.'

41
 "Them infantry guys is chucklin like fiends. We
blew up a supply train haulin overcoats an blankets
to th' krauts.'*

42
'Sergeant, go requisition that fire.'

43
44
**Wis/ii / could stand up an git some sleep.*

45
 'Spring is here!

46
*you fellers oughta carry a little dirt f dig holes in.'

47
 *'Hes gittin th' fever, Joe. Now let 'im edge in a little.

48
'When ya hit th' mater swish yer feet around. They
kin use it"

49
 *.
. . forever. Amen. Hit the dirt!'

50
''Thanksr

51
 *Wish to hell I wuznt housebroke.

52
7 cant git no lower, Willie. Me buttons is in tK
wayT

53
 **Wot kind of voicesBrooklyn or gutturalF*

54
*Hope the S.P.C.A. dont hear about this.'

55
 'It sez here, 'Beware of the dogl*

56
7 need a couple of guys what dont owe me no
money fer a little routine patrol,"

57
 'Able Fox Five to Able Fox. I got a target, but ya
gotta be patient!'

58
'Well go away an stop botherin you boys now.
Jerrys got our range,'*

59
'I'd ruther dig. A movin foxhole attracks tK eye.
 'Ever notice tK funny sound these zippers make,
Willier

61

I
 *C)0>v%JUfAkJ\A, M^OtkJl*^

62
 <

A1
^^^^^
^^ /
^
^
/ \
1^^^^^
w^r:::^"^^
^ jlwtf^^
BS^^_^i^- ^^ \^

'Dammit, Willieit wasrit yer turnr

63
 ^Congratulations. You're the 100th soldier who has
posed with that bottle of Icy Cola. You may
drink it,"

64
*Sure they's a revolution in Germany. Git down so
they wont hit ya wit' a wild shot."

65
''We just landed. Do you know any good wwr
storiesF'
*^hen they run we try to ketch 'em. When we ketch
'em we try to make 'em run."

67
**Ya wont have any trouble pickin up our trad
after th' first five miles,"
*She must be very purty. Th* whole column is

wheezin at herT
 *How ya gonna find out if they're fresh troops if ya
don't wake 'em up an ask?"

70
Tm depending on you old men to be a steadying
influence for the replacements."

71
 *Gimme my canteen back, Willie. I see ya soakin
yer heard full."

72
 KM ^0
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P^3iF^Sfiffl!^?5?\>Tiffl8^^ 1

**Yer lucky. Yer learnin a trade.

73
 **YessirOr B Comp'ny broke another bridge buildm
record. A kraut regiment is retreatin across it"

74
**Yer wild, happy, free life is over, Tomorrer ya
start luggin' ammo ag'in."

75
76
'Ordnance? Ah'm havin trouble with mah shootin
am.

77
 "Didnt we meet at CassinoF'

78
'Hit tK dirt, boys!'

79
 7 got a hangover. Does it shotvF*

80
*Just gimme th* aspirin. I already got a Purple
Heart."

81
**Who staHed tK rumor I wuz playirt poker wid
a beautiful nurseF'
'Medicsr

83
 We shoulda drank th' cognac an walked to git
gasr

84
Go tell ih' hoys to line up, Joe--we got fruit juice
fer hreakfast."

85
 *WeVe experimentin with a new type transfusion,"

86
*Hell of a way to waste time. Does it workF

87
 *W/io ever heard of gittin' good mileage wit'
waterF'

88
*We musi he retreating,Fritz. They're watering the
vermouth/*
 "Them rats! Them dirty, cold-blooded, soreheaded, i
^
stinkm Huns. Them atrocity commitin skunks . .
."

90
'Let's paint tK town red!

91
*Dont startle Hm, Joe ifs almost fuU!*
"My son. Five days old. Good-lookin* kid, ain't heF*

93
94
**Why the hell couldnt you have been horn a
beautiful woman?"

95
 'Take off yer hatwhen ya mention sex here. It's

a reverint subject"

96
'Are you seeking a company of infantry, mon
capitaineF'

97
 'They must have infiltrated during the night*

98
'Sorry. Now were outta charcoal, too.

99
 'And now were entering American territory, old
man."

100
7 could of swore a couple of krauts
wuz usin that
cow for cover, Joe. Go wake up tK cooks,"

101
 Til be dawgoned! Did ya know this can opener fits

on tK end of a rifleF'

102
*By ih' waywe spotted some kraut gun positions,
toor

103
 "Drop them cans in th* coffee gentle, Joe we got
a chicken stewin in th' bottom,"

104

i
''One of 'em ain't been in long enough. The other
has been in too damn long!'

105
 'No, thanks, Willie. I'llgo look fer some mud wot
ain't been used."

106
'Aim between tK eyes, Joe . . . sometimes they
charge when they're wounded"

107
108
'That's th' trouble mines fulla cigarettes, too.

109
 ** Ti - *
It ain t right to go around leaniri on churches, Joe.'

110
"Go ahead, Willie. If ya don't bust it yall worry
about it all night,"

111
 *Damn fine road, menr

112
*My, sir what an enthusiastic welcome!'

113
114
'Beautiful view! Is there one for the enlisted menF*

115
 '"Who is itr

116
I'll talk to tK colonel ijou aint gittin paid to
think.''

117
 r.Hi/^

%.^^MSk<%>^ -

'Oh, I likes officers. They make me want to live

till th'wars over.'*

118
Vncle Willier

119
 'By God, sir, I tried!'

120
'Straighten those shoulders! How long hive you
been in the ArmyF'

121
 *Hes pretty sore. He says we didrit even try to
capture his cook an his orderly.''

122
'Sir, do ya hafta draw fire while yer inspiriri usF*

123
 'Looks like were goin into tK line, Willie'

124
'Don't mentionit, Lootenant. They might have re-

placed ya with one of them salutin demons*'

125
 'Them buttons wuz shot off when I took this town,
sirr

126
**If youll turn my weapons platoon loose, Vll give
ya my cooks fer security. We're goin in th' line
tonight'*

127
 'Radio tK of man well he late on account of a
thousand-mile detour'*

128
'Grab his pistol, Joe we kin take it to th' rear an'
trade it fer some combat boots.**

129
 ^Here comes one of them clerks from Corps. Start
pickin yer teeth with a bayonet.'*

130
*He's right, Joe. When we ain't fightin we should
act like sojers."

131
 'We calls 'em garritroopers. They're too far forward
t' wear ties an' too far back f git shot."

132
*Eeeeeekr

133
 "So I told Company K they'd just have to solve their
own replacement problem."

134
"We better stop fillinin our foxholes when we
move up, Willie. Regimental Headquarters has
been raisin* the devil'*

135
 *It's a habit Joe picked up in Rome.

136
'.
. . ril never splash mud on a dogface again (999),
, . . I'll never splash mud on a dogface again (1000).
. . . Now uHll ya help us pushF*

137
 **TeU him to look at tJi bright side o* things, Willie.
His trees ispruned, his ground is plowed up, an'
his house is air-conditioned,**

138
'Papa, I think we have been liberated'

139
 'The word for eggs is *des oeufs'

140
'They may be wired to a mine'

141
 'Careful. TK toilet seat's booby-trapped.

142
'Must belong to a politician,*

143
 'Dont look at me, lady. I didnt do it'

144
145
 'This is th' town my pappy told me about*

146
7 am waiting to see what hatches.

147
 'Seen any signs of partisan activity?*'

148
Tm headin fer tK la-a-ast round-up!'

149
 'If ya see Willie, teU him Joe's lookin fer him. He
swiped my razor."

150
Part 3

Back
Home
7 see ya told *em they re goin home'

153
 'Next question: Do you wish to remain in the
army? It says here I gotta ash**

154
I dont remember no delays gittin us overseas.

155
 'My companion and I find these transatkintic flights
."
very tedious . .

156
**He thinks the food over there was swell He's glad
to be home, but he misses the excitement of battle.
You may quote him"

157
 **Two used-car salesmen and three veterans^ organ-
ization representatives waitin fer you to come out.**

158
'My check is seven cents short. I refixse to move
until it is corrected,"

159
 *Major Wilson! Back in uniform, I seel

160
 . .

''Now that ya mention it, It does sound

///re til' patter of rain on a tin roof/'

Wherever the war was hottest, dirtiest, muddiest...

Wherever men fought and cursed and laughed and

died, dreaming of a bath and a decent meal and a
woman . .

Wherever the fighting went, there went young Bill

Mauldin, sketch pad in hand, capturing the grim

humor and spirit of men at war.

For all the brave and battered Gl's who found

moments of precious laughter with Mauldin's

immortal Willie and Joe, and for all those who've

ever read or heard or imagined how it was . .

In fact, for all who want to laugh, here's

Bill Mauldin's Army