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Chapter 11.
American Beauty
“We had a beautiful girl painted on the plane and called her ‘American Beauty’!”
Sgt. Albert P. Smolensky
In China, the crew of aircraft #251 nominated several names for their plane and held a vote with American Beauty winning out unanimously. “I think Ray came up with the name,” recalled S/Sgt. Fevola, “there were several others, but we discussed American Beauty and decided we could be proud of the name. Everybody agreed with the symbolism, it was patriotic and represented Americanism and what we were fighting for.”
Sgt. Arthur Rockwood recalled the crew’s desire to keep the name dignified. “We didn’t want a name that embarrassed us later when we got home.” “Several men suggested different names” added Smolensky, “but our pilot thought American Beauty was nice. There were no ‘beer stuffers’ showing or anything, just a beautiful lady so we went along with him” “There were all those other nasty ones you know,” explained Loughridge. “Several names were nominated and I picked one out! American Beauty!”
The girl was painted on the aft side of the fuselage and possibly on the starboard side, copied from an Alberto Vargas[1] Esquire pinup[2] titled “Beached for the Duration”, featured in the May 1944 issue of Esquire Magazine.[3] No one remembered the exact origin of the name; however, the same magazine featured two pictorials titled, “American Beauties, Western Style” and “Eastern Style”. Perhaps while leafing through the magazine, those titles, along with the centerfold, created the initial inspiration for American Beauty.[4] The painter of the artwork on the aircraft is unknown but it was not any of the crew. “I don’t know how the painting came about”, Loughridge noted. “We voted for it and it just happened.” It may have been S/Sgt. James (Jim) Jordon, a 375th aircraft mechanic.[5] Evidence appeared in a late 1944 issue of “Poop From Group”, the official 308th Bomb Group base published newsletter.
6 December 1944, Chengkung, China. 1/MOT EXTRACT FROM “POOP FROM GROUP”
“The lewd ladies and corny captions painted on the ships of Major Edney’s Squadron (375th) are testimony to the artistry of S/Sgt. Jim Jordan (no relation to “Fibber” McGee) who promises to become the Salvadore (sic) Dali of China. His latest opus is a mural painted on the foyer wall of our mess hall. Upon crossing the threshold of the Wurzburger Ulcer Emporium one encounters the death-head insignia of the squadron flanked by the names of the ships, past and present that have been assigned to this squadron. ...S/Sgt. Jordon’s artistry appears everywhere, thanks to him, unauthorized personnel do not enter the kitchen, enlisted men do not use the officer’s latrine and no one may be misguided as to where he may fill his canteen” The report concluded, “S/Sgt. Jordon has done a good job of painting for the squadron.”[6]
Recognition of S/Sgt. Jordon’s nose art in the official records and a post-war veteran’s publication lends substantial credence that Jordon painted Vargas’ American Beauty on the fuselage of 44-41251. “He painted allot of them”, John Trisch said of their artist, “including some they did not want to bring back to the States because at that time nakedness wasn’t all that popular.”
[1] Robotham, Tom. Varga. World Publications Group, Inc. North Dighton, MA 1995 pp. 14-19 Alberto Varga (Vargas) (1896-1982), a popular pin up artist of the 30s and 40s created “Varga Girls” for Esquire, the popular men’s magazine of the WWII period. GI painted “copies” of “Varga Girls” adorned many aircraft, while the centerfolds themselves warmed thousands of footlockers and Quonset huts throughout the American Theaters of Operation.
[2] http://www.b24bestweb.com/americanbeauty-v2,htm
[3] Collins, Max Allan, Artist Archives: Varga Girls I. Collectors Press, Inc. Portland OR, 1999 pp. 1-2
[4] Esquire Magazine, May 1944.
[5] Rosholt, Malcolm, Days of the Ching Pao, Rosholt House II, Appleton, WI, 1978 p. 93. Photo of Jordon, caption reads .”Jordon did much of the art work on the big bombers in his squadron.” (375th)
[6] Official reports 308th BG, microfilm page 1606 reel # 1340 Poop from Group was described by it’s editors as “an organizational information sheet planned to inform us about every unit in our command.”
American Beauty
“We had a beautiful girl painted on the plane and called her ‘American Beauty’!”
Sgt. Albert P. Smolensky
In China, the crew of aircraft #251 nominated several names for their plane and held a vote with American Beauty winning out unanimously. “I think Ray came up with the name,” recalled S/Sgt. Fevola, “there were several others, but we discussed American Beauty and decided we could be proud of the name. Everybody agreed with the symbolism, it was patriotic and represented Americanism and what we were fighting for.”
Sgt. Arthur Rockwood recalled the crew’s desire to keep the name dignified. “We didn’t want a name that embarrassed us later when we got home.” “Several men suggested different names” added Smolensky, “but our pilot thought American Beauty was nice. There were no ‘beer stuffers’ showing or anything, just a beautiful lady so we went along with him” “There were all those other nasty ones you know,” explained Loughridge. “Several names were nominated and I picked one out! American Beauty!”
The girl was painted on the aft side of the fuselage and possibly on the starboard side, copied from an Alberto Vargas[1] Esquire pinup[2] titled “Beached for the Duration”, featured in the May 1944 issue of Esquire Magazine.[3] No one remembered the exact origin of the name; however, the same magazine featured two pictorials titled, “American Beauties, Western Style” and “Eastern Style”. Perhaps while leafing through the magazine, those titles, along with the centerfold, created the initial inspiration for American Beauty.[4] The painter of the artwork on the aircraft is unknown but it was not any of the crew. “I don’t know how the painting came about”, Loughridge noted. “We voted for it and it just happened.” It may have been S/Sgt. James (Jim) Jordon, a 375th aircraft mechanic.[5] Evidence appeared in a late 1944 issue of “Poop From Group”, the official 308th Bomb Group base published newsletter.
6 December 1944, Chengkung, China. 1/MOT EXTRACT FROM “POOP FROM GROUP”
“The lewd ladies and corny captions painted on the ships of Major Edney’s Squadron (375th) are testimony to the artistry of S/Sgt. Jim Jordan (no relation to “Fibber” McGee) who promises to become the Salvadore (sic) Dali of China. His latest opus is a mural painted on the foyer wall of our mess hall. Upon crossing the threshold of the Wurzburger Ulcer Emporium one encounters the death-head insignia of the squadron flanked by the names of the ships, past and present that have been assigned to this squadron. ...S/Sgt. Jordon’s artistry appears everywhere, thanks to him, unauthorized personnel do not enter the kitchen, enlisted men do not use the officer’s latrine and no one may be misguided as to where he may fill his canteen” The report concluded, “S/Sgt. Jordon has done a good job of painting for the squadron.”[6]
Recognition of S/Sgt. Jordon’s nose art in the official records and a post-war veteran’s publication lends substantial credence that Jordon painted Vargas’ American Beauty on the fuselage of 44-41251. “He painted allot of them”, John Trisch said of their artist, “including some they did not want to bring back to the States because at that time nakedness wasn’t all that popular.”
[1] Robotham, Tom. Varga. World Publications Group, Inc. North Dighton, MA 1995 pp. 14-19 Alberto Varga (Vargas) (1896-1982), a popular pin up artist of the 30s and 40s created “Varga Girls” for Esquire, the popular men’s magazine of the WWII period. GI painted “copies” of “Varga Girls” adorned many aircraft, while the centerfolds themselves warmed thousands of footlockers and Quonset huts throughout the American Theaters of Operation.
[2] http://www.b24bestweb.com/americanbeauty-v2,htm
[3] Collins, Max Allan, Artist Archives: Varga Girls I. Collectors Press, Inc. Portland OR, 1999 pp. 1-2
[4] Esquire Magazine, May 1944.
[5] Rosholt, Malcolm, Days of the Ching Pao, Rosholt House II, Appleton, WI, 1978 p. 93. Photo of Jordon, caption reads .”Jordon did much of the art work on the big bombers in his squadron.” (375th)
[6] Official reports 308th BG, microfilm page 1606 reel # 1340 Poop from Group was described by it’s editors as “an organizational information sheet planned to inform us about every unit in our command.”