Article about: If you you have not heard about this.........Willie & Joe will be on the move, and once again ready to head out. The USPS (United States postal service) will be issuing a new 44 cent sta
If you you have not heard about this.........Willie & Joe will be on the move, and once again ready to head out.
The USPS (United States postal service) will be issuing a new 44 cent stamp honoring a great man, an real American hero in his own right.......Bill Mauldin. (google if you do know of him )
I have been a fan of Bill and Willie & Joe since I was a kid. I have his books, an original Willie & Joe drawing, some autographs etc I will post pics of also to this thread soon.
I have a several of his books and memoirs. He was an extremely
talented natural artist, cartoonist and illustrator with a wicked sense of humor.
I've been good at 'drawing' and have been a graphic artist for a living most
of my life - even went to art college - but I never thought I was up to snuff
compared to him. (The only thing that he and I have in common I noticed;
We're both Lefties !)
There was a Canadian paper called 'The Maple Leaf ' printed during the war,
which featured a comical character called 'Herbie'. Certain aspects within
these cartoons are actually copied from Bill Mauldins' originals,
printed months or years earlier in 'Stars And Stripes'.
I Love this guy and his brilliant work. I truly admire him!
Among his many postwar contributions, here is the memorable drawing Bill Mauldin created, while at the Chicago Sun Times, in reaction to the JFK assassination in 1963.
Here's a shot of Bill test driving his jeep, which he was 'issued'.
( He wrote home to his father about it, and he replied that it
was the first new car anyone in the family had ever owned !)
Hi Guys, glad there are some fans out there. Very happy to let others know about this great tribute, and a great looking stamp.
Here is an interesting item I purchased on ebay 7 years ago now. Times flies when you are a military collector.
This is a guest book from the Ft. Bliss Officer's Club, that apparently was given as a gift to the officers club by Omar N. Bradley, and General Bradley signed it on the first page. Ahhhh, but there is another special part to this guest book.....When you turn the page, on the other side is a hand drawn Willie & Joe, with Bills signature, done with a blue ball point pen.
On the following "sign-in" pages are guests to the club like Della Reese, Norm Crosby, The Four Freshman, Senators, Mayors, High Rank Military & Political people etc. There is also another of Bill's signatures and he wrote his son Chris also.
What is also fairly interesting is that I bought this guest book from the Son of "Lt. Atkins" an officer-soldier in the ETO, who was friends with Bill. Fairly good friends I think...I am not sure, but good enough that Bill had drawn a cartoon, and mentioned his name... "Lootenant Atkins" in the cartoon on page 125 of book "Up Front".
I bought the guest book from Joe......"Lootenant Atkins" son. He told me "somehow" it was liberated from the officers club early in it's life, as only 2 pages have guest signatures, and the other 25 pages or so are empty.
Here's a shot of Bill test driving his jeep, which he was 'issued'.
( He wrote home to his father about it, and he replied that it
was the first new car anyone in the family had ever owned !)
Regards, Steve.
I have heard this "new car" story also, great shot of him in his new jeep......they were a great vehicle, and helped us more than people realize to win the war.
I also heard Bill was "well liked" by General Patton
Maybe he let Bill take his new car home with him?
I saw an item on TV in the 80's which featured Mauldin, and it mentioned
he lived in or near Buffalo NY. I'm so close, I wish now I'd gone down
there and looked him up - just to shake his hand, and ask for
an autograph.
I think Bill Mauldin helped win the war just as much
as the Jeep did, by building morale !
Walkwolf...."I think Bill Mauldin helped win the war just as much
as the Jeep did, by building morale ! "
I agree, Morale........and the fighting spirit are are one of THE most important things in warfare.
Thanks, it is a nice guest book, very unique item. Unfortunate that Bills cartoon is on the other side of the first page. It would be easier to display if they were on the same page.
Regards, Steve
Regards, Steve
Regards, Steve
Regards, Steve
Regards, Steve
Regards, Steve
Regards, Steve
Regards, Steve
There....I took care of a small potion of the Steve's here on this Forum.
Bookmarks