gwr@cord.UUCP (GW Ryan) (01/04/85)
Thanks to those who sent me responses. The answers to the origins of soldiers names (Jerry for germans, etc.), provided by Gordon, are from "I Hear America Talking," Stuart Berg Flexner (Touch Stone Books, 1979) German soldiers have been known as Jerry since WWI. The term is from british slang for "chamber pot," maybe because the German helmets looked like chamber pots. The British Tommy has been around since the 1800's. Tommy is Tommy Atkins, the British equivalent of the American "John Doe". GI Joe is from an American comic strip. Charlie may come from Vietnam (where the VC were "Victor Charlie"). My source (Gordon, that is), believes it may be a generic reference to "Communist". Forwarding an interesting question: obviously "Jerry and Charlie" are the British/American names for the enemies of Tommy and Joe. What would a German soldier refer to Tommy as? or to himself as? ...anyway, thanks for your responses! jerry ryan cord!gwr
ed@mtxinu.UUCP (Ed Gould) (01/05/85)
> GI Joe is from an American comic strip.
Yes, but before WWII, US soldiers weren't called GIs
(at least if I understand this right!). That term
comes from Government Issue - the label that some
newspeaker added to the catalog of items that the
soldiers were issued.
--
Ed Gould
{ucbvax,decvax}!mtxinu!edgam@amdahl.UUCP (gam) (01/06/85)
> > GI Joe is from an American comic strip. > > Yes, but before WWII, US soldiers weren't called GIs > (at least if I understand this right!). That term > comes from Government Issue - the label that some > newspeaker added to the catalog of items that the > soldiers were issued. > > Ed Gould > {ucbvax,decvax}!mtxinu!ed Well, almost ... "In the 1920's GI began to be used as the abbreviation for 'galvinized iron' in the army and a GI was a heavy galvinized iron army garbage can. By 1935, however, GI stood for General Issue (some say Government Issue), the initials stamped or stenciled on everything issued to soldiers from underwear to trucks.... 'GI' and 'Joe' were combined and first appeared as 'GI Joe' on June 17, 1942, in Lieutenant Dave Berger's comic strip for 'Yank', the army weekly." -- Stewart Berg Flexner, "I Hear America Talking" -- Gordon A. Moffett ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,sun}!amdahl!gam "Will Mr. 'Uh, Clem' please come to the hospitality shelter in this area immediately? Thank you."