By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 25, 2000 -- For a full minute or so, the two
fatigue-clad soldiers in brown boots stood at attention, ramrod
straight, among the Pentagon brass.
But as soon as the cameras stopped flashing, the Army's most
incorrigible troop, Pvt. Beetle Bailey, gleefully slumped back
to his normal slack-shouldered stance.
Sgt. 1st Class Orville Snorkel, of course, maintained proper
military decorum as befitting a senior NCO.
Beetle and Sarge will celebrate their 50th year of service this
September. The Army recognized that service and their creator,
Mort Walker, at the Pentagon May 24.
Just as he has for years in his comic strip, the 76-year-old
cartoonist poked fun at the military throughout the award
ceremony. "Boy, how times have changed," Walker told reporters
and guests at the ceremony. "I was persona non grata around here
for many, many years."
He recalled that the Pentagon once used his work as an example
of "how not to do things."
"I think finally the brass has learned how to laugh at
themselves a little bit," Walker said. "They're not kicking me
out of 'The Stars and Stripes' anymore like they did a couple of
times."
After receiving framed commemorative coins from the defense
secretary, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the secretary
of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff, Walker quipped, "I
won't spend it all in one place."
Beetle Bailey, the comic strip, is seen by 200 million people
every day in 1,800 newspapers around the world. It is based on
friends and acquaintances Walker met during his Army days.
Drafted into the Army in 1943, the cartoonist advanced from
private to first lieutenant and served in a number of branches.
"I was drafted into the air corps," Walker said, "although I'd
never been on an airplane before. They sent me to the signal
corps, although I had no mechanical ability at all…. They sent
me to the engineers although I'd never even taken any math in
high school. They sent me to the infantry where I became the
first scout of A Co., 97th Division. I was nearsighted."
After "scraping through" OCS, Walker said he went to an ordnance
depot in Italy. There, the infantry officer was assigned as an
intelligence and investigating officer.
"I'd never had any police experience; I was only a little over
20 years old. They said, 'He can also be fire chief and he can
be in charge of the German prisoner of war camp. I ended up with
10,000 Germans. I couldn't speak German," he said.
Concluding his repertoire, Walker remarked, "I just hope that
guy who made those assignments doesn't work for you anymore." On
a more serious note, he added, "Little did I know that I was
gathering research that would come in so valuable for me over
the years. I've learned how to draw jeeps real well."
Army Secretary Louis Caldera praised Walker for his wit,
charisma and mastery of his craft in creating Beetle, Snorkel
and his dog, Otto, Brig. Gen. Amos Halftrack and the rest. "He
has brought to us the lighter side of life in the military,
poking gentle fun at the people, the regulations, the chow, the
order and discipline of the military," he said. "Or in Beetle's
case, the disorder and indiscipline.
As seen through Walker's eyes, Caldera said, soldiers are
"human, warm, sometimes lonely, sometimes funny, and sometimes
in awe of God's creation. The troops at Camp Swampy may not be
the rock-hard fighting force we see in today's Army," he said,
"but they're a lovable and unforgettable bunch who serve as a
daily reminder of all the men and women who serve our nation in
uniform."
Caldera recalled an all-time favorite where Beetle complains to
Sarge about the chow, and Sarge admonishes Beetle to be more
like the chaplain, who always finds something nice to say about
others. "And in the background, the chaplain is telling the
cook, 'Congratulations on the ketchup,'" he said.
Walker received the Secretary of the Army's Decoration for
Distinguished Civilian Service, the Army's highest civilian
honor, for boosting service members' morale for nearly 50 years.
Caldera also recognized the cartoonist for his contributions to
the National World War II Memorial Campaign. Walker recently
helped publicize a Noncommissioned Officers Association World
War II Memorial Honor Walk from Mobile, Ala., to Washington.
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Theodore Stroup honored Walker on behalf
of the Association of the U.S. Army. Retired Sergeant Major of
the Marine Corps Dave Sommers honored the cartoonist on behalf
of the Noncommissioned Officers Association. Retired Army Col.
Bob Patrick saluted Walker's efforts supporting the National
World War II Memorial Campaign.
Later, the Army honored Walker at a Twilight Tattoo that
featured the 3rd U.S. Infantry's Old Guard and the U.S. Army
Band, Pershing's Own. The Army's Chief of Public Affairs, Maj.
Gen. John G. Meyer Jr., and the Military District of Washington
hosted the tribute. Last year, the Army honored Walter Cronkite.
##END##
20005254a.jpg (From left to right) Sgt. Snorkel, Army Secretary
Louis Caldera, Mort Walker, and Pvt. Beetle Bailey pose for
photographers during an award ceremony at the Pentagon. Army
officials honored Walker May 24, for 50 years of raising morale
with his humorous depictions of Army life in his Beetle Bailey
comic strip,. Photo by Linda D. Kozaryn.
20005254b.jpg Pvt. Beetle Bailey and Sgt. Snorkel, the comic
strip characters who've entertained newspaper readers for nearly
50 years, salute the press and guests at a May 24 award ceremony
at the Pentagon in honor of their creator, cartoonist Mort
Walker. Photo by Linda D. Kozaryn.
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