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What is Yank? Yank, The Army Weekly, was a magazine published during World War II for American military personnel serving around the world. It was pub­lished from 1942 to 1945. Head­quartered in New York but dis­tributed in various editions around the world, Yank was written mostly by servicemen. It featured a variety of articles covering every­thing from news from the home­front to first person accounts from the battle­front. The stories were richly illustrated with photo­graphs and drawings. Yank also included cartoons and photos of pin-up girls and Hollywood starlets.

What is (the unofficial) Yank Archive? This website is an attempt to preserve and make known some of the content of this important his­torical pub­lication. Our goal is to place searchable excerpts from Yank on the web for new generations to enjoy and for scholarly study by people with an interest in history.

Most recent articles posted:
Date posted:   From issue:
Oct 18th, 2011   Mar 28th, 1943
They Fight with Film
The military drafts Hollywood film makers to create films for soldiers.
 
Date posted:   From issue:
May 14th, 2011   Aug 22nd, 1943
If You're Captured, Button Your ...
Advice to soldiers on what to expect if captured.

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Newsbite of the Week

  
 
Jan 23rd, 1943: CAIRO — Some neighboring British soldiers passed on this story:

It seems a Tommy lost his bayonet through care­less­ness and decided to cover the loss by replacing the weapon with one cleverly carved from wood. Things went very well until his company was ordered to fix bayonets. Fearful of baring his wooden sub­stitute, he decided to leave his bayonet sheathed and frantically thought up an answer for the sergeant major who im­mediate­ly demand­ed an ex­plana­tion.

Said he: "My good father, on his deathbed several years ago, pledged me not to bare a bayonet on that date henceforth. Today is that date and I honor his dying wish." The sergeant said the story sounded weak and ex­ceeding­ly fishy, and ordered him to bare his bayonet.

Seeing that the jig was up, the Tommy, as he grasped for the handle, muttered in a solemn voice: "May the Good Lord turn the bloody thing to wood."
  
 
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Article of the Week
  

From the issue dated Jan 23rd, 1943.

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Steady on the Firing Line

MANY predictions were made on New Year's Day that this is the year in which the Axis will be annihilated and the war will end. Strongest statement came from Admiral Halsey who prophesied that 1943 will see "complete, absolute defeat for the Axis powers," including Japan. The Ad­miral has done a great job of knocking the Japs out of the water, and his year-end statement sets up a target for all of us to shoot at this year.

But it should be interpreted as a goal, not as an accomplished fact, as has already been done in some places. For instance, in North Africa some men have bet a month's pay the war will end before June 1. In England, 50 bucks were wagered that we'll be out of the fox holes by July 1. Books have been opened in several U. S. cities setting various Armistice dates this year.

It's a cinch those short-term bets will be lost. Look at this from Churchill: "Do not let us be led away by any fair-seeming appearance of fortune. I know of no­thing ... which justifies the hope that the war will not be long or that bitter and bloody years do not lie ahead." Notice that "years" is plural, bub.
President Roosevelt said: "This is the toughest war of all time." And Joseph C. Grew, our ambassador to Tokyo for 10 years, says: "The Japanese will not crack.... Only by utter physical destruction or utter exhaustion of their men and materials can they be defeated." Ask the guys on Guadalcanal and New Guinea if that sounds like a one-year job to them.

The trouble with getting too bullish is that over­confidence causes you to get knocked off. That's what happened last Fall when Holy Cross whipped undefeated Boston College's football team 55-12. That's what happened the year Bill Terry asked if Brooklyn was still in the league.

Before you start laying any bets on the line, or writing any letters that you'll be home soon, read these words by Secretary of War Stimson: "The real work is still to come, and while everything that has happened is better than we expected, ... we are just now approaching the main work. And any idea that there is to be no further toil and sweat and blood would simply lead this country to tremendous dis­appoint­ment."

Doesn't sound like any time to be making bets.

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