The Sturdy Oak - Look After My Billy!


The United States Marines No. 7, p. 18. (Government Comics, UNL Libraries)

“Look After My Billy,” a comic piece in the 1952 publication The United States Marines No 7, is a short piece that addressed ‘momism,’ as well as the relationship men had with each other and their friends and family at home. The opening panel showed a handwritten letter with a Communist soldier about to bayonet a young, weak, and inept looking American soldier.[^] Behind them, a more mature, stronger looking GI is approaching, weapon in hand. The letter asks Jim to look after her Billy, and the caption begins, “Mothers sometimes have funny ideas about their sons…” Given the context, it’s rather clear that Billy is the weak, young GI, about to be killed in combat, who is inept and needs his mother to look after him.[^]

The story begins as Billy joins a military installment, and is obnoxious and overzealous, irritating many of his peers.[^] Billy rebuffs Jim for offering to look after him, as his mother has requested, and tells Jim that he will be playing craps for the rest of the night.[^] Billy continues to attempt to display his masculinity, as he cheats in the craps game, and then challenges a fellow soldier for accusing him of cheating.[^] He also frustrates his unit members with his false bravado and brags about his football abilities.[^]

Once the unit engages in battle, Billy is scared and completely frozen in place. He’s overwhelmed by the attacking force, and refuses to move until Jim smacks him hard across the face.[^] Here Jim is directly challenging his courage and masculinity through physical means, and it seemingly casts aside Billy’s fears and he agrees to move on.[^] Billy trips an attacker running into the trench, and then becomes enraged when Jim is stabbed with a bayonet.[^] Readers see Billy, now with a completely different demeanor and, for the first time, a straight and orderly helmet, saying, “Why, you dirty son-of-” and attacking the Communist soldier.[^]

In the next scene, readers see an officer telling Jim, “You’ve got Billy to thank for saving your life, Jim. I don’t know what came over him, but he held his position over three hours through four Commie charges, when they finally withdrew there were eleven bodies lying around him, and he was still fuming, standing over you like a watchdog!”[^] Billy comes to visit Jim in the hospital, and his bravado and arrogance are gone, and plans to refuse the Navy Cross for his actions.[^] He is embarrassed that he was a coward and ran away from combat. Billy was at first frozen by the horrors of war, but when is friend was hurt, he found a reserve of courage and defended him tenaciously. The story ends with Jim writing a letter to Billy’s mother, letting her know that Billy can look after himself, and that she need not worry about him again. The comic acknowledges the fear that men encounter in war, but also lays out a transformation that men can go through. The bookend correspondence with Billy’s mother really sets the tone for this transformation into adulthood – and more specifically, manhood.


The United States Marines No. 7, p. 23. (Government Comics, UNL Libraries)

This comes with some mixed messages regarding “Sissy Stuff.” On one hand, the narrative acknowledged that men are often scared, and may freeze or flee when placed into battle. As Jim says from the hospital bed, ”…You’re not the first guy who got scared of those Commie Advances. What counts is that you came through in the clutch! When you first came here, you weren’t a first class soldier because you hadn’t known fear. Now you know it…and I think you’ll be a different guy.”[^] Billy’s transformation here is made clear through means much more broad than simply being a good soldier. When Billy enters the service, he is full of false bravado, cowardly, and his mother must keep an eye over him. This immaturity presumably caused in part by “momism” and similar fears of feminization at the time. He was able to these flaws by battening down and responding to incoming threats and “knowing” (and ignoring) fear, and comes out more mature and humble.

Back to examples of Inexpressiveness

"A’feudin’ and A’fightin’," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 3–9.
"A’feudin’ and A’fightin’," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 4.
"A’feudin’ and A’fightin’," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 5.
"A’feudin’ and A’fightin’," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 6.
"A’feudin’ and A’fightin’," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 9.
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951).
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 2.
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 2-3.
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 3.
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 4.
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 5.
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 6.
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 7.
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 8.
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 10.
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 10-11.
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 12.
Ham Fischer, “It’s All in the Family,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 13.
United States Air Force, At the Ramparts - The United States Air Force Academy, 1959.
United States Air Force, At the Ramparts - The United States Air Force Academy, 1959, 8.
United States Air Force, At the Ramparts - The United States Air Force Academy, 1959, 13.
U.S. Department of Defense, Builders of Faith: The Moral and Spiritual Responsibilities of Religious Leaders and Citizens of All Faiths to Young Americans in Today’s World (Washington, D.C. : US Department of Defense, 1950s).
U.S. Department of Defense, Builders of Faith: The Moral and Spiritual Responsibilities of Religious Leaders and Citizens of All Faiths to Young Americans in Today’s World (Washington, D.C. : US Department of Defense, 1950s), 2-3.
U.S. Department of Defense, Builders of Faith: The Moral and Spiritual Responsibilities of Religious Leaders and Citizens of All Faiths to Young Americans in Today’s World (Washington, D.C. : US Department of Defense, 1950s), 11.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951).
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 4.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 5-6.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 5.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 7.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 6.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 8.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 6-8.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 9.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 10.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 10-11.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 11.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 35.
U.S. Navy, Dick Wingate of the United States Navy (New York: Toby Press, 1951), 30-32.
"The Fighting Redhead," in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 22–25.
"The Fighting Redhead," in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 22.
"The Fighting Redhead," in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 23.
"The Fighting Redhead," in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 24.
"The Fighting Redhead," in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 25.
U.S. Army Recruiting Service, Five Years Later...Where Will You Be? (Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1962).
U.S. Army Recruiting Service, Five Years Later...Where Will You Be? (Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1962), 2-3.
U.S. Army Recruiting Service, Five Years Later...Where Will You Be? (Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1962), 3.
U.S. Army Recruiting Service, Five Years Later...Where Will You Be? (Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1962), 3-4.
U.S. Army Recruiting Service, Five Years Later...Where Will You Be? (Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1962), 5.
U.S. Army Recruiting Service, Five Years Later...Where Will You Be? (Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1962), 6.
U.S. Army Recruiting Service, Five Years Later...Where Will You Be? (Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1962), 7.
U.S. Army Recruiting Service, Five Years Later...Where Will You Be? (Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1962), 9.
U.S. Army Recruiting Service, Five Years Later...Where Will You Be? (Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1962), 16.
U.S. Army Recruiting Service, Five Years Later...Where Will You Be? (Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1962), 9-16.
"Flight into Fury," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 20–26.
"Flight into Fury," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 20.
"Flight into Fury," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 20–26.
"Flight into Fury," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 21.
"Flight into Fury," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 23.
"Flight into Fury," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 24.
"Flight into Fury," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 24-25.
"Flight into Fury," in The United States Marines No. 8 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, c1952), 26.
U.S. Department of Defense, Four Futures: Pick a Professional Career and Plan with a Purpose (US Department of Defense, 1956).
U.S. Department of Defense, Four Futures: Pick a Professional Career and Plan with a Purpose (US Department of Defense, 1956), 1.
U.S. Department of Defense, Four Futures: Pick a Professional Career and Plan with a Purpose (US Department of Defense, 1956), 17.
Charles Biro, Foxhole on Your Front Lawn (Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1951).
Charles Biro, Foxhole on Your Front Lawn (Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1951), 9.
U.S. Navy, Judy Joins the Waves (Toby Press, 1951).
U.S. Navy, Judy Joins the Waves (Toby Press, 1951), 3.
U.S. Navy, Judy Joins the Waves (Toby Press, 1951), 3-4.
U.S. Navy, Judy Joins the Waves (Toby Press, 1951), 11-13.
U.S. Navy, Judy Joins the Waves (Toby Press, 1951), 12.
U.S. Navy, Judy Joins the Waves (Toby Press, 1951), 30-34.
U.S. Navy, Judy Joins the Waves (Toby Press, 1951), 11.
Alfred Andriola, “Kerry Drake in the Case of the Sleeping City,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951).
Alfred Andriola, “Kerry Drake in the Case of the Sleeping City,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 5.
Alfred Andriola, “Kerry Drake in the Case of the Sleeping City,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 6.
Alfred Andriola, “Kerry Drake in the Case of the Sleeping City,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 6-13.
Alfred Andriola, “Kerry Drake in the Case of the Sleeping City,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 15-16.
Alfred Andriola, “Kerry Drake in the Case of the Sleeping City,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 16.
Alfred Andriola, “Kerry Drake in the Case of the Sleeping City,” in Citizenship Booklet (Harvey Publications, Inc./Armed Forces Information and Education Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense, c1951), 7.
Norvel E. Packwood, Leatherhead in Korea (Quantico, Va: Marine Corps Gazette, 1952).
Norvel E. Packwood, Leatherhead in Korea (Quantico, Va: Marine Corps Gazette, 1952), 36-37.
Norvel E. Packwood, Leatherhead in Korea (Quantico, Va: Marine Corps Gazette, 1952), 38.
Norvel E. Packwood, Leatherhead in Korea (Quantico, Va: Marine Corps Gazette, 1952), 39.
Norvel E. Packwood, Leatherhead in Korea (Quantico, Va: Marine Corps Gazette, 1952), 40.
Norvel E. Packwood, Leatherhead in Korea (Quantico, Va: Marine Corps Gazette, 1952), 62-63.
Norvel E. Packwood, Leatherhead in Korea (Quantico, Va: Marine Corps Gazette, 1952), 67.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950).
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 4.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 6-7.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 7-10.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 9.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 11-12.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 13.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 14.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 16.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 20-30.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 33.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 34.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 34-36.
Al Capp, Li’l Abner Joins the Navy! (New York, N.Y.: Toby Press, 1950), 32.
"Look After My Billy!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 18–23.
"Look After My Billy!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 18.
"Look After My Billy!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 18–21.
"Look After My Billy!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 19.
"Look After My Billy!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 19–22.
"Look After My Billy!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 22.
"Look After My Billy!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 23.
Gene Ward and Milburn McCarty, The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.).")
Gene Ward and Milburn McCarty, The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 3.")
Bob Powell, The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952)
"Mister Marine Corps," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 24–26.
"Mister Marine Corps," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 24.
"Mister Marine Corps," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 25.
"Mister Marine Corps," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 25–26.
"Mister Marine Corps," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 26.
"Palau," in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 8–9.
"Palau," in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 8.
Pvt. Droop Has Missed the War! (United States War Dept. National Safety Council/Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1944).
Pvt. Droop Has Missed the War! (United States War Dept. National Safety Council/Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O., 1944), 1.
Tony Di Preta, “Saipan!,” in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 15–21.
Tony Di Preta, “Saipan!,” in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 15.
Tony Di Preta, “Saipan!,” in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 19.
Tony Di Preta, “Saipan!,” in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 20.
"The Spirit of Semper Fi!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 28–33.
"The Spirit of Semper Fi!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 29–31.
"The Spirit of Semper Fi!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 29.
"The Spirit of Semper Fi!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 28.
"The Spirit of Semper Fi!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 30.
"The Spirit of Semper Fi!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 32.
"The Spirit of Semper Fi!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 31–32.
"The Spirit of Semper Fi!," in The United States Marines No. 7 (United States Marine Corps/Magazine Enterprises; New York, 1952), 33.
Mart Bailey, “Tarawa,” in The United States Marines No. 3 (New York: New York: Magazine Enterprises, c1944), 3–9.
Mart Bailey, “Tarawa,” in The United States Marines No. 3 (New York: New York: Magazine Enterprises, c1944), 6.
Mart Bailey, “Tarawa,” in The United States Marines No. 3 (New York: New York: Magazine Enterprises, c1944), 9.
Dr. Seuss and Leaf Munro, This Is Ann (War Department; U.S. G.P.O., 1943).
Dr. Seuss and Leaf Munro, This Is Ann (War Department; U.S. G.P.O., 1943), 1.
Dr. Seuss and Leaf Munro, This Is Ann (War Department; U.S. G.P.O., 1943), 2.
Dr. Seuss and Leaf Munro, This Is Ann (War Department; U.S. G.P.O., 1943), 5-6.
Time of Decision (Department of the Army; R.O.T.C., 1963).
Time of Decision (Department of the Army; R.O.T.C., 1963), 2.
Time of Decision (Department of the Army; R.O.T.C., 1963), 4.
Time of Decision (Department of the Army; R.O.T.C., 1963), 5.
Time of Decision (Department of the Army; R.O.T.C., 1963), 6.
Time of Decision (Department of the Army; R.O.T.C., 1963), 7.
Time of Decision (Department of the Army; R.O.T.C., 1963), 8.
Time of Decision (Department of the Army; R.O.T.C., 1963), 9.
Time of Decision (Department of the Army; R.O.T.C., 1963), 10.
U.S. Air Force Academy (US Department of Defense, 1958).
"Vanguard of Doom," in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 44–46.
"Vanguard of Doom," in The United States Marines No. 4 (United States Marine Corps/Life’s Romances Publishing Company; Chicago, n.d.), 45.
U.S. Marine Corps, “Victory at Gavutu,” in The United States Marines No. 1 (New York NY: Magazine enterprises, 1943), 2–7.
U.S. Marine Corps, “Victory at Gavutu,” in The United States Marines No. 1 (New York NY: Magazine enterprises, 1943), 2–7.
U.S. Marine Corps, “Victory at Gavutu,” in The United States Marines No. 1 (New York NY: Magazine enterprises, 1943), 2.
U.S. Marine Corps, “Victory at Gavutu,” in The United States Marines No. 1 (New York NY: Magazine enterprises, 1943), 7.
U.S. Marine Corps, “Victory at Gavutu,” in The United States Marines No. 1 (New York NY: Magazine enterprises, 1943), 6.
This worldview is explicitly described in Builders of Faith, a pamphlet for military clergy.
"A'feudin' and a'fightin'" and "Flight into Fury" are the most notable of these.
The name 'Joe' is a nod to "GI Joe," which sought to establish the soldier as an ordinary man doing extraordinary things, someone anyone could identify with.
The name 'Joe' is a nod to "GI Joe," which sought to establish the soldier as an ordinary man doing extraordinary things, someone anyone could identify with.
I have explored the specific duties, meanings, and histories of the breadwinner role during this time period in the American Manhood section.
American soldiers in "A'feudin' and a'fightin'" and "Flight into Fury", among others, are celebrated for having a lack of concern for their own well being.
Beth L. Bailey and David Farber, The First Strange Place: Race and Sex in World War II Hawaii (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994).
Beth L. Bailey and David Farber, The First Strange Place: Race and Sex in World War II Hawaii (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994), 17-21.
Beth L. Bailey and David Farber, The First Strange Place: Race and Sex in World War II Hawaii (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994), 19.
Beth L. Bailey and David Farber, The First Strange Place: Race and Sex in World War II Hawaii (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994), 21.
Aaron Belkin, Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898-2001 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012).
Aaron Belkin, Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898-2001 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012), 11-14.
Aaron Belkin, Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898-2001 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012), 11-12.
Aaron Belkin, Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898-2001 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012), 12.
Aaron Belkin, Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898-2001 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012), 58.
Aaron Belkin, Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898-2001 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012), 28-29.
Aaron Belkin, Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898-2001 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012), 24-25.
Aaron Belkin, Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898-2001 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012), 25-28.
Aaron Belkin, Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898-2001 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012), 34-35.
Aaron Belkin, Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898-2001 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012), 25.
Aaron Belkin, Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898-2001 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012), 58.
Aaron Belkin, Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898-2001 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012), 67.
Laura A. Belmonte, Selling the American Way: U.S. Propaganda and the Cold War (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010).
Allan Berube, Coming Out Under Fire (New York: Free Press, 1990).
Margot Canaday, The Straight State: Sexuality and Citizenship in Twentieth-Century America (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2011).
Steven Cohan, Masked Men: Masculinity and the Movies in the Fifties (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1997).
Robert Connell, Gender and Power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics (Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 1987).
Robert Connell, Gender and Power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics (Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 1987), 183.
Robert Connell, Gender and Power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics (Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 1987), 184.
Robert Connell, Gender and Power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics (Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 1987), 184-185.
Robert Connell, Gender and Power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics (Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 1987), 185.
Raewyn Connell, Masculinities (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995).
Raewyn Connell, Masculinities (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995), 45.
R. W. Connell and James W. Messerschmidt, “Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept,” Gender and Society 19, no. 6 (December 1, 2005).
R. W. Connell and James W. Messerschmidt, “Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept,” Gender and Society 19, no. 6 (December 1, 2005), 832.
R. W. Connell and James W. Messerschmidt, “Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept,” Gender and Society 19, no. 6 (December 1, 2005), 846.
Stephanie Coontz, The Way We Never Were: American Families And The Nostalgia Trap (New York: Basic Books, 2000).
Stephanie Coontz, The Way We Never Were: American Families And The Nostalgia Trap (New York: Basic Books, 2000), 31.
Stephanie Coontz, The Way We Never Were: American Families And The Nostalgia Trap (New York: Basic Books, 2000), 30.
Stephanie Coontz, The Way We Never Were: American Families And The Nostalgia Trap (New York: Basic Books, 2000), 36.
Stephanie Coontz, The Way We Never Were: American Families And The Nostalgia Trap (New York: Basic Books, 2000), 35-37.
Stephanie Coontz, The Way We Never Were: American Families And The Nostalgia Trap (New York: Basic Books, 2000), 29.
Stephanie Coontz, The Way We Never Were: American Families And The Nostalgia Trap (New York: Basic Books, 2000), 27.
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K. A. Cuordileone, Manhood and American Political Culture in the Cold War (New York: Routledge, 2004), xx.
K. A. Cuordileone, Manhood and American Political Culture in the Cold War (New York: Routledge, 2004), 514-515.
K. A. Cuordileone, Manhood and American Political Culture in the Cold War (New York: Routledge, 2004), 516.
K. A. Cuordileone, Manhood and American Political Culture in the Cold War (New York: Routledge, 2004), 21.
K. A. Cuordileone, Manhood and American Political Culture in the Cold War (New York: Routledge, 2004), 134.
K. A. Cuordileone, Manhood and American Political Culture in the Cold War (New York: Routledge, 2004), 124.
K. A. Cuordileone, Manhood and American Political Culture in the Cold War (New York: Routledge, 2004), 105.
K. A. Cuordileone, Manhood and American Political Culture in the Cold War (New York: Routledge, 2004), 49.
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Deborah S. David and Robert Brannon, The Forty-Nine Percent Majority: The Male Sex Role (Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1976), 90.
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Robert D Dean, Imperial Brotherhood (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2003), 7.
Robert D Dean, Imperial Brotherhood (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2003), 35.
Robert D Dean, Imperial Brotherhood (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2003), 35-39.
Robert D Dean, Imperial Brotherhood (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2003), 30.
Robert D Dean, Imperial Brotherhood (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2003), 13.
Robert D Dean, Imperial Brotherhood (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2003), 43-47.
Robert D Dean, Imperial Brotherhood (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2003), 36.
Robert D Dean, Imperial Brotherhood (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2003), 69.
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Demetrakis Demetriou, “Connell’s Concept of Hegemonic Masculinity: A Critique,” Theory and Society 30, no. 3 (June 2001): 335.
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John D’Emilio, Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities (Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1983), 40-43.
John D’Emilio, Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities (Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1983), 173-174.
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Joshua S. Goldstein, War and Gender: How Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001), 299.
Joshua S. Goldstein, War and Gender: How Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001), 267-268.
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Robert L. Griswold, Fatherhood in America: a History (New York: BasicBooks, 1993), 93-94.
Robert L. Griswold, Fatherhood in America: a History (New York: BasicBooks, 1993), 94.
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Traditionally, many women who exhibit masculine characteristics have been marginalized, although female embodiment of masculinity in some cultures can result in positive social status.
The concept of temporary masculinity for women is more fully examine in the Antifemininity section.
Robert Dean highlighted the story of the Aslop brothers, who used family connections with elite men in the military to gain waivers for hereditary conditions that made then otherwise ineligible. The brothers then made further efforts to gain actual fighting experience, as they felt social and familial pressure to engage in battle.
In 1947, the War Department was split into the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force and joined the Department of the Navy as the National Military Establishment (NME). The NME was renamed “Department of Defense” in 1949. My focus here is not on the specific agents or policies of any of these agencies, but on their existence and purpose as military entities. For the purposes of continuity and clarity, I use “Department of Defense” to refer to all of these Departments.
These groups drew much of their growing resistance from the experiences of the war and immediate postwar period. Working women were pushed out of the workforce when the GIs returned, African Americans had fought bravely for a 'Double Victory,' only to return to continue fighting inequality and discrimination, and homosexuals began to form a more cohesive identity through increased interaction, as well as direct and explicit discrimination through Blue Discharges and the Lavender Scare.