CONTENTS
Music - Betty Grable "Pinup Girl"
Pin-Ups of the 545th Military Police Company
1st Cavalry Division and Arctic MP Battalion
A Pictorial History
As of January 26, 2012
No history of any military unit would be complete without some information on its favorite pin-ups. Keep in mind that in the days prior to women being in just about any and every military unit, soldiers would be in the field and or in combat for months on end and sometimes years as in WW II without seeing or hearing a single female voice or seeing a female of any kind – or at least not any American, English speaking ones. At one point in Africa during WW II, General Montgomery had pin-ups air dropped just in front of his lines in the desert so the Brits would advance against Rommel and the German Africa Corps just to retrieve the pin-ups. Although a little revealing at times, Pin-ups were not what you would call pornography, but instead photos of all American girls in very little clothing but posed in such a manner so as not to reveal too much. No one knows for sure when this trend began, but it is a known fact that Napoleons soldiers carried Pin-Ups with them everywhere they went. A pin-up could also be a photo of a wife or a girlfriend as well. During WW I the Air Corps began the habit of painting “Nose Art” on their planes and later on it carried over to the Dog Faces on the ground where pin-ups were painted on tanks and truck doors as well. Usually pin-ups were wholesome all American girls – movie stars, singers, dancers or just well known celebrities, but occasionally, some of them were a bit on the “Wild Side”. Some pin-ups were not real women at all but drawings as the well known ones by Vargas.
It varied from unit to unit and the local commanders usually had a policy concerning pin-ups. In some units they weren’t allowed at all, in others each soldier was allowed one in his foot locker and one in his wall locker and then there were the units that had them plastered all over the barracks. There were also units that would not allow them in the barracks or squad bays, but they were allowed in the unit barber shop or in the day room. Once the Woman’s Army Corps was disbanded and female soldiers integrated into most units it became politically incorrect to have pin-ups any longer – especially since they had become a bit more provocative after the days of WW II and the Korean War. I hope you enjoy viewing the following pages as much as I did putting this document together.
The Horse Cavalry
Mary Pickford was a silent movie star that was very popular with the old cavalry troopers between 1898 and 1929 and she had acted on stage prior to the days of movies
Clara Bow was very popular with the Cav Troopers during the Mexican War and later during WW I
Fort Bliss, Texas
Myrna Loi was very popular with the Cav troopers at Ft Bliss and could be seen at the Post Movie Theater on Friday and Saturday nights in the 1920’s, 1930’s and 1940’s. She had been a silent movie star that had also become successful later on in the “Talkies”
This is Ann or Annie – last name unknown. She dated several members of the old MP Platoon, Hqs Troop, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft Bliss. She came from El Paso and one of the Cav MPs, Ed Reed even wanted to marry her at one time but decided against it when he discovered that she was also dating other MPs. It is a known and recorded fact that this photo hung in several foot lockers in the Cav MP Barracks. This photo was taken sometime in the late 1930’s at a lake near Fort Bliss
Ann Sheridan was very popular with the Cav MPs just prior to WW II and her movie career lasted well into the 1950’s and later she even had her own TV show.
Mae West the Blonde Bomb Shell was famous for “Is that a pistol in your pocket or are you just happy to see me” and “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime” This was Hollywood’s original wild child and had been in silent movies before she made it big in the talkies in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s
Australia
Betty Garble was very popular with all the GIs training in Australia even the Army Air Corps. She was later seen as nose art on many aircraft throughout both the Pacific and in Europe during WW II
Dorothy La Moure was very popular with the Cav MPs throughout the entire Second World War but her photos began to appear in the Squad Tents as early as Australia
Pacific Theater
Francis Gifford another Hollywood starlet that was popular with the Cav MPs
Heady Lamar
Rita Hayworth was everyone’s favorite
Sherry Britton had a fan club in the Cav MP Platoon and she sent almost every MP in the Cav an autographed photo which they would carry in their steel pots.
Manila
I don’t know this young ladies name, but she was very popular with the Cav MPs in Manila at the end of the War and just prior to the unit going to Tokyo to serve as occupation troops. Before his demise, SGT Lehman told me that almost every Cav MP that had been with the division in Manila before coming to Japan had a photo of this woman in his locker at Camp Drake around 1944 – 1945
Camp Drake, Japan
Towards the end of WW II and later on during the occupation of Japan, these water color paintings of pin-ups became very popular with the troops and the 545th MP Co was no exception
Korean War
The Vargas Pin-ups came on the scene in a big way during the Korean War. These pin-ups were very scantily clad or had no clothes at all but were portrayed in such as way as to not reveal too much
Marilyn Monroe was one of the first totally nude pin-ups that was popular world wide with all the troops at this time
Camp Crawford, Japan
Camp Custer, Korea
Playboy Magazine was now available in the PX and all the troopers of the 1st Cav to include the 545th MPs collected Playboy Centerfolds. If any of you Korea veterans out there have a favorite, please send me a copy for inclusion in the photo history
Bettie Page was very popular at Camp Custer
Panama
The 545th MPs in Panama also enjoyed Playboy centerfolds, but also displayed photos of the local Panamanian girls in their barracks and lockers. Many of these girls were night club entertainers such as this one above.
Vietnam
545th MP Ernie Trammel gets his hair cut in the company barber shop at Phouc Vinh RVN and you will note the abundance of pin-ups on the walls.
In an email from SGT Ray Ross, who served with me in Vietnam and dated October 25, 2008 –
Sam, my "pin up" was the center fold of Playboy for April 1968. I had carefully torn it out of that month’s issue. It was always with me until I returned home from Vietnam and concealed during inspections. Unfortunately, I lost this and my St. Christopher medal after returning home. Ray Ross (Sgt, 545th MP Co, Vietnam 68-69)
There were quite a few photos of USO Show girls and entertainers as well as Red Cross Doughnut Dollies that could be seen around the barracks as well
A typical group of Doughnut Dollies on a 1/9 Cav chopper – note the Cav patches on their uniforms
And who could forget this great shot of Connie Stevens in the famous Red Dress who loved the Cav MPs – especially the ones at An Khe
This photo of Connie Stevens hung in many barracks all around the world in the 1960’s and 70’s and that includes the 545th MP Co barracks
There were many photos of the young Vietnamese girls throughout the barracks. The MPs loved to take photos of them and any of you Vietnam 545th veterans who have any such photos please send me copies for inclusion in this history
Here is one of the many food vendors that you could find all over Vietnam and you will note the Eurasian features which make her quite good looking. Her father or grand father had probably been a French Legionnaire. The 545th MPs took a lot of photos of these girls
Just a note of interest here – if you went into the CID Shop at Phouc Vinh and flipped up the Case File Board, there were several really great Centerfolds hidden there – at least until Chief Whitaker took over and had them removed.
Kosovo
There are no photos on file at this time
Afghanistan
This westernized Afghan woman was photographed by a professional photographer at the request of a 545th MP
This is also an Afghan woman who is probably a descendant of one of the British soldiers who was once stationed in Afghanistan. This photo was taken in Kabul by a British combat photo journalist and carried by a 545th MP whose name is withheld by request. He tells me she actually wears a Burka when visiting her mother in one of the provinces
Desert Storm
A 545th MP Pen Pal
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Fort Hood, Texas
This pin-up hung in the old wooden barracks of the 545th at Ft Hood
This one as well
545th MP Ken McDaniel’s bunk space at Ft Hood around 1974 and you’ll note the pin-up near his bunk and boots
This was a very popular pin-up that hung in the 3rd Platoon area on the 4th of July which remained posted for quite some time
545th MP Jack Youngs taking off the boots of Phil Pettine upon returning to the barracks after working a low water crossing during a flash flood at Fort Hood in October of 1974. They had obviously stopped for a few beers first. You can plainly see the pin-ups in the background.
545th MP, SP/4 Carl Klein with his favorite Pin Up 1988
A 545th MP “Monty” with his pin ups in the barracks during Christmas at Ft Hood 1988
PFC Ronnie Rogers, PFC Pertee and Sp/4 Carl Klein with beer and Pin Ups in the barracks 1988
This pin-up was not only quite popular in the 545th MP Co around the late 1970’s but was actually drawn by a 545th MP. Rumor has it that the model was a female MP from another unit?
This Pin-Up was very popular in Iraq as well as Ft Hood in many Cav units to include the 545th MP Co
Fort Richardson, Alaska
The 545th MP who keeps these pin-ups in his locker has asked to remain anonymous
Anyone out there who has pin-ups they would like to share with us, please send them to me and I will include them in this photo history. When I say pin-ups, I mean pin-ups – not pornography. I know some of your Japan veterans have some pretty raunchy photos and that is not what I am looking for and yes I do have on file all those naked ladies of the night lined up for their VD Checks at the hospital with the CAV MPs helping them off the truck, but that is not the kind of photo that belongs in this photo history.
I make no apologies for this photo history and there is no intent to insult the feminists or the female members of our unit. This is a part of the unit history as well as a tradition in the entire US Military.
Sam Reinert
CPT MP USAR (Ret)
Founder
545th Military Police Company Association
626 1/2 South 9th Street
Richmond, Indiana 47374 USA
(765) 962 4627 phone & FAX
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