Nov 11th 2009 08:11 am When I was a boy…

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This strip is a bit out of the sequence in which I drew this series, but it doesn’t really matter. I’m showing it to you now, because obviously it’s Veterans Day, as it was when the strip originally appeared in 1999.

What th’ heck! I’m in a good mood this morning. Just to keep you from looking it up in the archives on your own, I’m going to go ahead and show you the next strip in the sequence as it first ran in newspapers.  

1999-11-09-boyhood.gif

Posted by jimmyjohnson / Vintage A&J

43 Responses to “When I was a boy…”

  1. Jim in SE Mississippi on 11 Nov 2009 at 8:19 am #

    Thanks for remembering us, JJ.

    If you enjoy your freedoms, hug a veteran today.

  2. Tom from Seminole on 11 Nov 2009 at 8:25 am #

    Thanks, JJ.
    One of the few strips today to remember the Veterans.
    Keep up the great work.

  3. Brenty on 11 Nov 2009 at 9:02 am #

    A humble salute from me to every man and woman who has fought for our country. Thank you.

  4. billinbossier on 11 Nov 2009 at 9:02 am #

    From veterans everywhere, we thank you.
    bill

  5. David on 11 Nov 2009 at 9:19 am #

    “then I heard the voice of the Lord say “Whom shall I send and who will go for us.’ Then I said, here am I, send me,”

    Thanks to all that have served–wartime and in peace.

  6. Nancy in Bucks County on 11 Nov 2009 at 9:36 am #

    Thank you for remembering our Veterans today. Blessings to all of them.

  7. Jade7 on 11 Nov 2009 at 9:44 am #

    Thanks for the double dose today! The thing that grabbed my curiosity, though, is the use of the word “chunked.” I never heard this term when I lived out west (”chucked” would be the term we’d use), but now that I live in Tennessee, I hear it quite a bit. Is it considered more of a southern term?

  8. Leary on 11 Nov 2009 at 9:50 am #

    Veterans… thanks for being willing… thanks for your service… Thanks.

  9. Ruth on 11 Nov 2009 at 11:00 am #

    Last night my husband said “Tomorrow is Armistice Day.” This led to a discussion on how Armistice Day morphed into Veterans Day. I don’t think too many people today know why 11 Nov is designated Veterans Day. Thanks for the reminder of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in today’s strip.

  10. sandcastler on 11 Nov 2009 at 11:48 am #

    Thank you for remembering those who have and do serve their country.

    Ruth… I recall my mother talking about Nov. 11, 1918, she was 7 years old but it made a lasting impression on her.

    God and a soldier all .people adore In time of war, but not before; And when war is over and all things are righted, God is neglected and an old soldier slighted.
    Anonymous

  11. Dave on 11 Nov 2009 at 2:06 pm #

    Guess with a David showing up here now I’ll have to identify myself somehow. Will have to think of how that should be.

    My dad was in WWII, my brother in law in Vietnam. Another brother in law was in the service stationed in Germany after the US was out of Vietnam.

    May God bless all veterans, those serving in peaceful times, those serving in times of war. May God bless their families too. Those who wait for someone to come back, those who grieve over the loss of someone who comes back draped in a flag, those who wonder if someone is going to ever come back.

    May God bless the ones who come back and allow them to get on with their lives without survivor guilt.

    May God bless the ones who never come back and whose fate is never known, be they alive somewhere still or deceased somewhere unknown.

    May we have generations that thankfully don’t need to know the meaning of the word Armistice, and may they still know that meaning in honor of those before them who fought for their freedoms.

    May our governments remember why lives were lost and wars were fought and not throw it all away chasing a change that is for the worst or holding onto a system that should have been long forgotten.

    And whichever side of that political debate or even an outright political struggle you and your family may find yourself on, may God bless you and your countrymen. May the whole world one day learn to accept differences, respect all people of all ages and abilities, and respect people of all ideologies without a need to hunt them down and kill them because they believe in something different. God doesn’t need you to kill in HIS name, regardless of which name you kill in honor of. If He is truly God he can deal directly with those who don’t believe the way He wishes them to. May we all come to realize that sooner or later.

    You don’t have to agree with someone to respect that they are human and deserving of respect. You don’t have to like what they do to understand that they are still human and deserving of respect.

    Life is a gift from God, it should always be cherished.

    Freedom is a gift too. If you have it, thank a veteran. Without them, you wouldn’t.

    God Bless.

    - Dave

  12. sideburns on 11 Nov 2009 at 2:25 pm #

    Thank you, one and all, for remembering all of us who stood up and did our duty when our country called. As I may have mentioned before, I’m a ‘Nam vet (Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club, ‘72) and my father served in WW II…the BIG one.

    I doubt we’ll never have another war where everybody’s behind it, like we did in WW II, but at least, this time, people aren’t blaming those who serve for doing what they think is right. What made it worse back in the ’60s is that many of the men who went didn’t have a choice; they were drafted, and yet, the anti-war people treated them like dirt. Now, it’s an all volunteer force, and those who oppose our presence in Iraq blame the politicians who put us there, not the men and women doing the work. I can’t help but wonder if the lack of the draft plays a part in that, but in any event, I must say that regardless of your politics, today’s anti-war movement is much more adult about it, and for that, I’m happy.

  13. Bonnie on 11 Nov 2009 at 2:42 pm #

    My dad, who just passed away last year, remembered the original Armistice Day although he was only 6 when the war ended. He lived across the road from a tavern and remembered them whooping it up well into the night.

    Although we lived in the country, I was at a friend’s house in a fair-sized town the day the official cease fire came for Vietnam. I don’t think I will ever forget that day with the church bells ringing all over town and people setting off fireworks and shooting guns.

    I’m so grateful for all the vets who served (and those who currently serve) to keep us free. God Bless you all.

  14. Ursen on 11 Nov 2009 at 2:43 pm #

    Thank you to my fellow Veterans, men and women. Peace or war, career or not, it is a time most unlike anything else. I am thoughtful every time I go to the VA medical facilities and see the wonderful variety of those who served. And thank you to the many restaurants that provide a free meal to Veterans on Veterans Day. And for the Canadians it is Rememberance Day.

  15. Rick (SE Al) on 11 Nov 2009 at 3:05 pm #

    Thanks to all who have served and serve today.

    Thanks for today’s strip Jimmy. Of the strips that show up on my favorites list, yours was the only one that recognized Veteran’s Day.

  16. Jim in SE Mississippi on 11 Nov 2009 at 3:11 pm #

    A family Armistice Day story:

    As an infant, my father’s younger brother fell seriously ill. He had a very high fever, and his survival was very doubtful. The doctor came to the home to check on him and found that his “fever had broken,” which in those days before antibiotics was the best indication that one would recover. Just as the doctor told the family that he believed the child would make it, the sounds of ringing church bells were heard from several directions, much to their amazement.

    Only later did they learn why the bells were ringing out that day…November 11, 1918.

  17. curmudgeonly ex-professor on 11 Nov 2009 at 5:00 pm #

    Indeed, let us thank all those who have gone to fight our nation’s battles, present or past.

    eMb: I messed up on the highschool in NYC. A mental hiccough led me to think of the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn instead of the Stuyvesant HS location. Mea culpa.

  18. Cris in NC on 11 Nov 2009 at 5:04 pm #

    To All Who Have Served and Sacrificed (and those who continue to do so),

    There are not words enough to thank you properly. I wanted to write something eloquent and memorable in appreciation of all you’ve done to keep us safe, secure and free but all I can come up with is:

    Thank You.
    May God Bless each and every one of you.

  19. Mary in Ohio on 11 Nov 2009 at 5:18 pm #

    Another thank you added to all who served and are serving. And to Jimmy for helping us remember!

  20. Mary in Ohio on 11 Nov 2009 at 5:30 pm #

    In my comics surfing, I must credit “Nancy” with mentioning Veterans Day. And of course, somewhere, Snoopy and Bill Mauldin are quaffing root beer together!

  21. John in LA late of PNS on 11 Nov 2009 at 5:33 pm #

    Thanks to all who remembered and mentioned all US vets. I am so touched.
    At work today Veteran’s Day, was mentioned by only two people. I was thanked by a 22 year old male that plays in a punk rock band and and Egyptian lady who is studying for her U.S. Citizenship.
    Thanks again. You guys are great.

  22. IM from UK on 11 Nov 2009 at 5:59 pm #

    The last surviving British WW1 veteran is 108 years old and living in Australia.

    It might be 91 years since “The Great War” ended, but it is important that we do remember the horrors of it, in order to prevent it from happening again. I have visited the military graves and find it a depressing sight. Long may we remember their sacrifices.

    In September 1990, I visited Auschwitz in Poland, where I read from one of the posters that we must learn from our past to prevent history from repeating itself. It was the time just before the first Gulf War, when my cousin, who had been working in Kuwait, was in hiding (just like the Jews in Europe in the 1940’s). He was captured and became a ‘guest’ (hostage) of Saddam somewhere in Iraq. I certainly hoped history would not repeat, and was thankful when all the ‘guests’ were released unharmed.

    We are grateful to all servicemen and women, past and present who fight and have fought for their country and to safeguard our way of life which includes the freedom of speech.

  23. emeritus Minnesota biologist on 11 Nov 2009 at 6:19 pm #

    Mary in Ohio. They ran a Bill Mauldin Peanuts in our local paper today. Bill was one good cartoonist, and would appreciate praise from Schultz. Who remembers the WW II cartoons by Raymond Low? We and our peers grew up [= through grad school] with Pogo duirng the McCarthy era, and it still affects our vocabulary and imagry: “Alligator!”, “Friday the 13th falls on a Friday this week!”, Porky’s humorless retelling of jokes. Walt Kelly was another master. They would [do?] all appreciate Jimmy.

  24. Bob, near Mark on 11 Nov 2009 at 6:34 pm #

    Walt Kelly - who else would name a mud turtle “Churchy La Femme?”
    Or three bats “B. Witched,” “B. Othered,” and “B. Mildred?”
    How’d that old song go? “B. Witched, B. Othered, and B. Mildred am I.”

    Walt Kelly/Pogo quote:
    “We have met the enemy, and they is us.”

    Unfortunately, they still is.

  25. Ooten Aboot on 11 Nov 2009 at 6:59 pm #

    Actually, there is another WWI veteran still living in the USA: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Babcock

  26. Jim on 11 Nov 2009 at 7:00 pm #

    Jimmy,
    The top strip and the series with Arlo’s father recounting his vivid memories over the phone with Arlo are outstanding works, in the way they portray the effect of the war on those who lived through it. Thank you.

  27. Steve from Royal Oak, MI on 11 Nov 2009 at 7:23 pm #

    It is great that all of our posters have mentioned Veterns Day. War is never a popular thing, but unfortunately it sometimes needs to be fought for a noble and just cause.

    However we feel about whether a particular war is right or noble, we take one day to remember the brave ones who made the sacrifice, some the ultimate sacrifice. Let us never forget that THEY are the noble ones and that we owe our freedom to those brave boys and girls that become men and women in a very short span.

    11/11/18…Let us never forget.

  28. emeritus Minnesota biologist on 11 Nov 2009 at 8:10 pm #

    Shoe store x-ray machiines were, in fact, dangerous. Go to http://www.museumofquackery.com/devices/shoexray.htm

  29. Bruce Parsons on 11 Nov 2009 at 8:56 pm #

    Thank you, sir, for remembering Veterans’ day. Just one technicality. There are actually TWO WWI veterans in the US at the moment. The other is John Babcock, who lives in Washington State. Maybe the reason he was overlooked is because he is a Canadian veteran who now lives in the US. There is a third, Claude Stanley Choules, who lives in Australia.

    This past year was a tough one for WWI. We lost Henry Allingham of England, and a week later, the only surviving British WWI vet, Harry Patch. By next Veterans’ day, they may all be gone. Thanks for mentioning Mr. Buckles.

    P.S. Lest we forget, Walt Wallet of Gasoline Alley is still alive too…

  30. Bill in Paducah on 11 Nov 2009 at 10:25 pm #

    A couple of my groups (concert band and jazz ensemble) played a veterans day concert tonight. Surprised myself by tearing up a couple of times - once when the colors were presented - they were accompanied by an honor guard of world war II vets in uniform, and once during the medley of service hymns and songs that we play. The vets stand when their song is played - and that also got to me some.

    All in all a good night.

  31. Laetitia in Australia on 11 Nov 2009 at 10:36 pm #

    In Australia, 11 Nov is Remembrance Day and is commemorated with a minute’s silence at 11 am.

    I am always intrigued by the idea of effectively saying, “Ok, we’ll stop the guns at 11am; up until then it’s still open slather.” I guess it’s because they needed time to get word around of the appointed cease fire time to make sure it was observed.

    I expect that the first minute of silence after all the gunfire would have been rather eerie.

    We have a public holiday on 25 April - ANZAC Day - to commemorate the landing of the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on the Gallipoli Peninsula where they were slaughtered by the Turkish defenders. It may seem strange to have a national public holiday for this, rather than the ending of hostilities, but it’s a reflection of the awakening of the relatively young nation of Australia (we achieved federation less than 15 years earlier) to its place in the world and its separation from Great Britain both in military strategy and egalitarianism.

    If you ask a 30-something or older Australian what a “Veteran” is, the most likely immediate response will be that it is someone who fought in the Vietnam War. “Returned Serviceman or Servicewoman” tends to be used for survivors of WWI and WWII (particularly WWI). I expect that this is because the proportion of Service-people who actually made it back from the World wars was so much lower.

  32. debbie on 11 Nov 2009 at 11:12 pm #

    Well, I did not get to comment yet, but let me be among those who say to our vets: “luv ya, guys and gals and thank you.”

  33. Jean from Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean on 12 Nov 2009 at 8:42 am #

    I didn’t get to come back here yesterday either, so please let me say now thank you to all veterans for the service you have rendered to us. Our very way of life is possible because of the sacrifices you have made. And to those who serve today and tomorrow, thank you. We continue to be a free nation because of you. We don’t say it often enough when we should say it every day. Thank you.

  34. Symply Fargone on 12 Nov 2009 at 9:13 am #

    Without them there is no US. May they Symply never be Fargone!

  35. sideburns on 12 Nov 2009 at 2:37 pm #

    The exact time of the Armistice was 11 seconds after 11:11 AM on 11/11/1918. The idea was, apparently, that all of those elevens coming together would bring luck. I wonder what those who were killed between the time it was decided and the time it went into effect thought about it.

  36. Steve the Rigger on 12 Nov 2009 at 3:04 pm #

    Veterans. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    Jimmy, I know that you are a man of few words, but in yesterdays strip, you outdid yourself. “Whats your point?”
    “That was it.”
    That was perhaps the most poignant thing I’ve read in ages. Thank You.

    As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

    http://www.ourtroopsonline.com/STPeteTimes.html

  37. sideburns on 12 Nov 2009 at 3:19 pm #

    The comic strip Userfriendly (http://www.userfriendly.org) takes place up in Vancouver, BC. The last two days one of the characters has been talking to a Canadian vet who was a medic on Juno. Well worth checking out, and a bit of a change from its usual geeky humor.

  38. Mary in Ohio on 12 Nov 2009 at 3:55 pm #

    Whoops - credit where credit is due: Luann has a series where the “girls” are volunteering at a local Vets Hospital. They visited the first patient yesterday.

  39. CIDU Bill on 12 Nov 2009 at 4:31 pm #

    Sideburns, I’ve wondered about that myself. I assume everybody pretty much sat around doing nothing in the interim because, since the terms of the treaty were already set, there was nothing worth either killing or dying for.

  40. debbie on 13 Nov 2009 at 4:04 am #

    just his luck for Friday the 13th…..

  41. Kerry in Lake City Florida !!! on 13 Nov 2009 at 6:53 am #

    Ludwig has ears, Mickey Mouse ears!!!

    Kerry

  42. Jeff in Ann Arbor on 13 Nov 2009 at 8:26 am #

    Kerry - I don’t think those are ears; it’s a pink bow, and lipstick! And Arlo don’t know nothin’.

    It helps to click on the magnifying glass to enlarge the strip.

  43. Bill in Paducah on 13 Nov 2009 at 9:04 am #

    Happy Friday!!

    http://www.cartoonartoriginals.com/Dailies/Da-70-03-13.jpg