Bill Mauldin's Christmas

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19 December 2019

Bill Mauldin's Christmas

"Wisht somebody would tell me there's a Santa Claus."

From all of us to all of you, wherever you are. Merry Christmas.

Pat Lang

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mauldin

Posted at 06:54 AM in Christmas, Humor | Permalink

Comments

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Dangit, Patrick, Mauldin was/is always the best. I try and collect it as I find it. Thanks for this latest. Merry Happy Holidays, Christmas, whatever.

Posted by: Ronzoni Rigatoni | 25 December 2005 at 11:34 AM

Col. Lang,

Thanks for the memories. My father was a Thunderbird (45th Inf Div), as were Joe and Willie.

Merry Christmas

Posted by: Richard Armstrong | 25 December 2005 at 02:19 PM

If anyone is travelling through OKC, you might want to drop buy the 45th Inf Div Museum. In addition to museum pieces on display that the Smithsonian wishes they had, Bill Mauldin left his personal collection to the Museum.

http://www.45thdivisionmuseum.com/Exhibits/Mauldin.html

Posted by: Richard Armstrong | 26 December 2005 at 12:42 PM

Great holiday music links, Pat.

Anyone interested in a few more links to both traditional & non-traditional holiday tunes might want to pop over to The Athenaeum- a post I put up over there yesterday has quite a few of 'em.

I've actually been to the 45th Inf Div Museum while traveling with my husband, Richard, & the Bill Mauldin collection is outstanding. Here's a web addy I just dug up describing it:

http://www.45thdivisionmuseum.com/Exhibits/Mauldin.html

Posted by: Maureen Lang | 21 December 2008 at 01:08 PM

Me thinks the Col. is one bad dude.

Yo Col., Don't change baby!

Merry Christmas,
Mad Mike

PS. I hope there is one more round of the intertwining Christmas Tracers..., Just for Willy ;-)

Posted by: Michael D. "Mad Mike" Adams | 21 December 2008 at 05:17 PM

To Pat, Maureen and those whose lives intersect here, I wish peace on earth and goodwill to all!

Posted by: Mad Dogs | 22 December 2008 at 10:14 AM

When stationed in the late 60's and early 70's with a unit supporting the Bundeswehr(reincarnation of the Wehrmacht in 1950) I was told by several German officers that Willy and Joe cartoons captured by German Soldiers in WWII were considered choice prizes of war and was one of many reasons they always hoped to be captured by the Americans. And it was not at the bottom of the list either. i kept a book of Willy and Joe cartoons in my apartment and let them see it when guests for dinner. When leaving Europe I gave it to my best German officer friend. Also a book by Ernie Pyle. By the way at that time, my friend was an Oberleutnant, his father (an Oberst) commanded the exact same battalion he had commanded in fall 1941. Yet in my mind both were true democrats as opposed to some ring-knockers I served with. The latter had absolute contempt for Willie and Joe's drafted to support their careers (so they believed.)

Posted by: William R. Cumming | 22 December 2008 at 10:16 AM

Col. Lang,

A very Merry Christmas to you and your family also. Thank you for a wonderful year of thoughtful commentary.

Sherry

Posted by: Sherry Long | 22 December 2008 at 10:55 AM

My father purchased copies of both Up Front and Coming Home,even though he had never been in the military aside from CMTC camp. They're among my prized possessions.

Coming Home is about about how the WWII vets were treated after leaving the service; the pointed comments and cartoons could still apply to today's vets.

Posted by: bigbird | 22 December 2008 at 08:43 PM

Col.,sir: thanks for the link to Willie's MV. Cheered me up. Makes me wanna sample weed as well. All I need for this festive season would be a woman with "naturally curvy size" to spend it with. Maybe smokin' pot might help?

Happy holidays to you & your family.

Posted by: YT | 23 December 2008 at 08:43 AM

From Bill's interview with Studs Terkle in '85. I believe Bill would have approved of SST.

"Willie and Joe were really drawn on guys I knew in this infantry company. It was a rifle company from McAlester, Oklahoma. There were Indians in it and a lot of laconic good ol' boys. These two guys were based on these Oklahomans I knew. People like that really make ideal infantry soldiers. Laconic, they don't take anything too seriously. They're not happy doing what they're doing, but they're not totally fish out of water, either. They know how to walk in the mud and how to shoot. It's a southwestern sort of trait, really. Don't take any crap off anybody.

I think Willie and Joe would have voted for Roosevelt cynically, sardonically, with a lot of reservations. He really wasn't their cup of tea. They would have considered Roosevelt too much of a bleeding heart. They couldn't bring themselves to be Republicans. Someone like Harry Truman would be more their cup of tea. I'm really expressing my own feelings. I dug Truman. I still do. It really shows you what my limitations are.

Willie and Joe are my creatures. Or am I their creature? They are not social reformers. They're much more reactive. They're not social scientists and I'm not a social scientist. We're moral people who do not belong to the moral majority. One of my principles is, Thou shall not bully. The only answer is to muscle the bully. I'm very combative that way."

Mery Xmas, and thanks.

Posted by: Mark Logan | 23 December 2008 at 08:43 AM

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Colonel.

Posted by: par4 | 22 December 2009 at 06:32 PM

For the tankers and Cavalrymen out there...

T'was the night before defense and all through the tank,
not a crewman was stirring so there wasn't a clank.
Our ammo was stowed in the turret with care,
In hopes that some targets soon would be there.
The crewman were sleeping out on the back deck,
I pulled the first watch, figured oh what the heck.
CO's in his HUMVEE and I'm on the steel,
I'm watching our sector cause I know the deal.

When out in the EA there arose such a clatter,
I went to my sight to see what's the matter.
To TRP RED I slewed like a flash,
Flipped it off stand-by (this sight's worth the cash).
When the thermal cut on with it's eerie green glow,
Gave the luster of midday to objects below.
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But an M60 tank I could see quite clear.
With a crusty old TC so lively and quick,
I could tell in a moment it must be St. Nick.

Now faster than lightening in a dust cloud he came,
He cursed and he shouted and called out some names: Now Sherman!
Now Stewart! Now Abrams and Patton!
On Walker! On Christie! On Pershing and Lee!
To the top of the hill we're in some soft dirt,
If I throw a track the driver gets hurt.
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle they blew right on by.
So up to the hill top from the backside he drew,
With a tank full of Class VI, and St. Nicholas too.
And then in a twinkling on my turret roof,
the old man sat down and let out an oof.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,

Down through the hatch came St. Nick with a bound.
From his old black beret to his Graff jacket worn,
you could tell he's a tanker since the day he was born.
A bundle of FMs he had flung on his back,
He looked like a Mike Golf just opening his pack.
St. Nick is a tanker, in this I have faith,
He reeked of old diesel, had grease on his face.
His demeanor was rude his clothes were a mess,
When his boots last saw polish was anyone's guess.
A cigarette butt is held tight in his teeth,
If I tell him to lose it I might get some grief.
His moustache was too long, it's not by the Reg.
This crusty old Mike Golf sure looked like a dreg.
He was filthy, ill mannered, but a happy old self,
And I knew he would help me in spite of myself.

A wink of his eye and a look in my sight,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to fright.
He spoke not a word but went right to his work,
Boresighted my tank, said "Your gunner's a jerk."
And laying a wrench aside of his nose,
And giving a nod out of the hatch he rose.
He sprang to his copula, gave his driver a curse,
And away his tank roared like he'd just stole a purse.
But I heard him exclaim as he roared ought of sight,
Merry Christmas to all and to all...

DAMMIT DRIVER I SAID TURN RIGHT,
WHAT ARE YOU ............

Posted by: Watcher | 22 December 2009 at 06:40 PM

Merry Christmas to you, Colonel Lang, and to your family. And Merry Christmas to all the wonderful and interesting contributors to SST.

I fondly remember the days before Christmas 1976 at the Ranger training camp in Dahlonega, Georgia. We were still housed in dark green plywood squad shacks (actually quite cozy). It was cold for north Georgia and we were often snowed upon. One evening the entire company was in the squad shack area while a fairly heavy snow was falling. The snow falling on the many holly trees and the shacks was a beautiful sight. We all broke out in Christmas carols. No, we did not sound anything like the Celtic Women and we certainly didn't look like them; but it was a wonderful expression of shared Christmas spirit.

Posted by: The Twisted Genius | 22 December 2009 at 07:52 PM

Col. to you and your family and all who pass through this place Merry Christmas. Thank all of you for being lively company.

Posted by: frank durkee | 22 December 2009 at 08:47 PM

Merry Christmas everyone!

2010 is shaping up to be a very "interesting" year in the sense of the purported Chinese proverb.

"It's better to be a dog in a peaceful time than be a man in a chaotic period"

Posted by: zanzibar | 22 December 2009 at 11:31 PM

Dear Col. Lang,

Thank you for the Christmas greeting and for your thought and work in writing your blog. I read it daily here in La Quinta, CA. I just finished "The Winds of War" and have been pondering President Obama's West Point and Oslo speeches.

I've never served in the military but I give you the best salute I can muster.

Mike Rush

Posted by: Mike Rush | 23 December 2009 at 02:04 AM