“Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” –Sun Tzu, The Art of War
A fine figure of a man astride a great white steed, his visor closed. Roasting, boiling in his armor, his great steel sword heavy. Yet, he does not waver. He does not move. He will not hesitate when the moment comes. Only the finest horses were good enough for the warrior elite. It was important to be seen by friend and foe. Meant to inspire pride and confidence in their followers, and instill fear and disorder to the foe.
Personalization of weapons was a symbol of authority, but machines would come to dominate the art of war. Early in the twentieth century, a new type of warfare would create another class of elite warrior, the fighter pilot, and no pilot would gain more fame than the German ace, Baron von Richthofen, the Red Baron.
By the end of WWI, aircraft were emblazoned with personal names and markings. History doesn’t record the first pinup girl on a warplane, but the biggest, early influence, according to the authors of Boneyard Nose Art, is clearly the “Flying Tigers”, a small group of American pilots fighting in Burma and China in the early days of WWII.
The Flying Tigers displayed a fearsome shark mouth under the noses of their P-40s. Their success against the Japanese soon became major news back home. It was not long before excited, young airmen, eager to stand out, found a place on the nose of their aircraft. Nose art of all styles and sizes took off.
The practice of applying nose art was neither encouraged nor discouraged. Once a crew had been assigned an aircraft, the pilot and crew made the decision. Lt. Robert Morgan wanted to name the aircraft after a special woman in his life, but the other crew members had their own thoughts. It would take some persuasion to make that happen.
The idea to name the B-17 after his girlfriend was not going to fly with everyone else, but a John Wayne movie would solve his dilemma. He was watching the film Lady for a Night, and something caught his eye. Featured in the film was a riverboat called the Memphis Belle. Morgan’s special lady, Margaret Polk, just happened to be from Memphis, Tennessee, and he soon convinced the crew to name their new B-17, the Memphis Belle.
Now that the name was chosen, it was time to choose some special artwork. Pinup art was popular in Europe and America. Alluring images of beautiful, young women were featured in magazines and calendars. The highlight of each Esquire magazine was the “Petty Girl”, drawn by the graphic artist, George Petty.
Lt. Morgan started with a call to the New York office, and began to tell his story. He soon had George’s attention, and he promised to send one of his Petty Girls for the Memphis Belle. He never dreamed of the fame that this artwork would soon achieve.
The 91st Bomb Group and the Memphis Belle flew their first mission on November 7, 1942. By Christmas, after only a few missions, twenty-nine of the thirty-six aircraft were lost and they had yet to fly a mission into Germany. The losses mounted month after month, and the chances of reaching the magic number of twenty-five and returning home was bleak.
The crew and her new captain endured. After completing her missions, the Memphis Belle and crew returned home to begin a nationwide public relations tour from June through August 1943. With all the newspaper, magazine, and newsreel coverage, nose art and the Memphis Belle became part of the American psyche. Her achievements and those brave souls who flew her through those deadly skies still capture our imagination…
A machine of war might take you to the enemy, but it takes a friend to see you home. My thanks to all who serve, may you always find your way home…
If you'd like to buy this book, why not buy it where you tried it? Simply click on the photo below, or the title, highlighted throughout this post, to purchase the book at From My Shelf Books & Gifts, and to support the writers of this fine blog ;) We thank you!
No comments:
Post a Comment