American Girls, Beer, and Glenn Miller: GI Morale in World War II

Title Page, Copyright

American Girls, Beer, and Glenn Miller The American Military Experience Series John C. McManus, Series Editor The books in this series portray and analyze the experience of Americans in military service during war and peacetime from the onset of the twentieth century to the present. The series emphasizes the profound impact wars have had on nearly every aspect of recent American history and considers the significant effects of modern conflict on combatants and noncombatants alike. Titles in the series include accounts of battles, campaigns, and wars; unit histories; biographical and autobiographical narratives; investigations of technology and warfare; studies of the social and economic consequences of war; and in general, the best recent scholarship on Americans in the modern armed forces. The books in the series are written and designed for a diverse audience that encompasses nonspecialists as well as expert readers. University of Missouri Press Columbia and London American Girls, Beer, and Glenn Miller GI Morale in World War II James J. Cooke Copyright © 2012 by The Curators of the University of Missouri University of Missouri Press, Columbia, Missouri 65201 Printed and bound in the United States of America All rights reserved 5 4 3 2 1 16 15 14 13 12 Cataloging-in-Publication data available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-8262-1984-8 This paper meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, Z39.48, 1984. Interior design and composition: Jennifer Cropp Printing and binding: Thomson-Shore, Inc. Typefaces: Minon, MS Reference, Blizzard A half-century ago, a GI stationed in Europe walked into the post Service Club and saw a newly arrived Special Services hostess. Wanting to talk to a pretty young American girl, I decided to pass up the coffee and doughnuts; I introduced myself. A year later we were married in the post chapel with the post librarian as a bridesmaid, my company commander gave the bride away, and my platoon sergeant was my best man. So much time has passed, but she still serves as my comma and subject-verb agreement queen. Those fifty years have passed with four children, one war, and a comfortable home in Oxford , Mississippi. Now there are memories with those faint sounds of crying babies, bugle calls, crash of guns, and additions to the house. ...