YANK MAGAZINE July 20 - 1945 G.I. Sketchbook

It became the most widely read publication in U.S. military history, boasting more than two million copies worldwide during its four-year reign.

What yesteryear's Soldiers agree on is that Yank-The Army Weekly, featuring stories about WWII, cartoons poking fun at service life and pin-up girls-was always there when they needed it most.

"Yank was a brilliant mixture of good information as well as humor, which kept you up with the times," said Roger Ryskamp, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces - Europe. "More importantly, Yank gave the reasons why you were there. It was instrumental in making day-to-day living in a world war a lot more bearable."

Capt (Ret.) Ted von Gerichten, 90th Infantry Division, remembered Yank was passed out to Soldiers in the field along with chewing gum and cigarettes.

Twenty-one weekly editions circulated around the world in 17 locations from 1942 to 1945.

Its 127 staff members, consisting of editors, staff writers, photographers and artists, were all enlisted active duty Soldiers who designed and dedicated the publication especially for the low ranking Soldiers during WW II.

From its first publication on June 6, 1942, one of Yank's biggest attractions was humor in cartoon form about a dejected, put-upon private named "The Sad Sack."

"We loved 'The Sad Sack' because it was about screw-ups, and he was always screwing up," laughed Frank Invernale, 1st Cavalry Division. "And there was always somebody like that in your outfit, which made it even funnier."

The Sad Sack, created by George Baker when he was serving at Fort Monmouth in 1942, quickly became one of the most recognizable figures throughout the war.

The droopy Soldier who constantly found himself in absurd predicaments provided the GIs much needed comic relief; a way to look at everyday Soldier life and laugh about it.

And it's hard to find a veteran who doesn't have at least one favorite cartoon he remembers to this day.

There was also "MAIL CALL" that touted good-natured bickering between Soldiers, such as a letter by Tech Sgt. O. Nebling from Hawaii complaining about receiving a Hershey's chocolate bar with only seven almonds while another GI received one with nine.

And then there were the girls. The beautiful pin-up girls etched forever into the memories of every Soldier who gazed upon them.

But Yank wasn't just about cartoons and women. The writings of the dedicated reporters serving alongside their traditional comrades-in-arms on three continents and 100 islands, are as extraordinary and significant today as they were half-a-century ago.