"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" - A Walter Lantz Cartoon (1941)

In this classic cartoon from just shortly after the draft began in 1941, the Ray Price and Hughie Prince composition of the iconic song, which is mostly associated with the Andrews Sisters or Bette Midler, gets a full blown workout as a Chicago bluesman is caught up in the first round of the draft.

This cartoon was made just after the January 1941 release of the Andrews Sisters recording, which was featured in the Abbott and Costello film “Buck Privates.” That film also had an earlier composition in it called “Beat me Daddy Eight to the Bar” which is almost identical to “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”, but is about a piano player instead. But “Bugler Boy” must have hit a stronger, more major chord with the public, as it was even nominated for an Academy Award. (Pardon the puns.)

This is a very fun cartoon to watch, and in spite of claims about racial stereotyping. Walter Lantz did receive many complaints about the cartoon, some even from the NAACP, and eventually stopped doing the stereotypical characters altogether. He even went so far as to see that none of those cartoons which he had produced ever made their way to television; which is kind of a shame; as there are valuable lessons to be learned by viewing the mistakes of the past.

At any rate, enjoy the cartoon for the music and the fluidity of the animation, which are both great examples of the era in which they were produced. And, in spite of the “politically correct” crowd, are still enjoyable to watch today. 

And here are the Andrews Sisters performing the song in the movie "Buck Privates."

Without a Draft - A Culture of Violence

Major Gabrielle Chapin, a spokeswoman for the Marines at Camp Pendleton, wants you to believe that the Marines pictured above in 2010 posed with what they thought was a flag denoting their status as Sniper Scouts. "I don't believe that the Marines involved would have ever used any type of symbol associated with the Nazi Germany military criminal organization that committed mass atrocities in World War II," Chapin said. "It's not within who we are as Marines." Bullshit.

I resent her implication that Marines are stupid. Almost every American has seen films of the Nazi's and the attendant World War Two atrocities. And most have heard of, or seen, the logo used by the dreaded SS as they stormed across Europe, murdering millions.

Compare the two images for yourself, the one above is identical; save for the blue background; from this photo of a real Nazi SS flag used in World War Two. The Major’s explanation does not wash clean. It would seem that I hold the Marines in more respect than the good Major does, because I expect more of them as Americans.

Yes, their job is tough. Yes, the battlefield is not always the place for political correctness; a doctrine in which I do not believe anyway; but this photo, and these men in it, are not representative of real American values. And that is why we so desperately need to re-instate the draft. Only by having a cross section of Americans involved in defending her interests abroad can our nation accomplish anything for the better.

When you take a culture of violence, as we have here in America, and combine it with a bad economy and two wars, you get only the bottom feeders in the lower ranks. Highly impressionable young men; some with only high school and some video games behind them; make up the bulk of those who enlist. This brews a culture of acceptable violence, and when coupled with a severe lack of responsible and intelligent leadership, the result can only be what you see above.

This is not the first time in which the symbol has appeared in recent years. It has even been used in training of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines sniper group based in Twentynine Palms, California as far back as 2004. This is further evidence of Major Chapin's obfuscation, and evasion of the issue. The fact that this symbol is even used for training should enrage all Americans. And, if you had a relative in World War Two, this should disgust you.

I am a Navy Veteran, and I served alongside many Marines in my enlistment. And later, as a member of Military Sealift Command, I sailed with many more. They were all fine young men, doing their duty. None of the Marines I knew would have ever posed with that Nazi flag, the difference in color notwithstanding. I'm afraid that Major Chapin needs to go back to school and learn how to more appropriately perform what is clearly "Damage Control" on behalf of the United States Marines.