Title: Army, Navy & Marines; Artist: John E. Sheridan; Published: November 13, 1937; © 1937 SEPS. All Rights Reserved;

A Salute to Veterans

The military has long been portrayed on covers of The Saturday Evening Post, from situations serious to humorous. In honor of Veterans Day, we would like to share some of our favorites. The first Post military cover? An action depiction of U.S. soldiers on horseback in the Philippines on our March 31, 1900, cover.

He’s in the Army now. A seldom seen cover from December 1942 by John Atherton shows a faithful dog and a photo. From the uniform, we can guess where the master is. We hope he returns home soon–Spot is itching to go hunting.

The enlisted also included the ladies, as shown in a delightful cover from 1942 by an artist named Gilbert Bundy. A member of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) walking by the shop can’t help but notice the pretty little hat on the mannequin. Someday soon, she thinks, I’ll be able to wear pretty things again.

One of our most endearing covers of a soldier is from the prolific J.C. Leyendecker. This December 1917 cover shows a WWI soldier in Europe sharing a humble meal with a local native, the “native” being an irresistible little girl.

On the May 14, 1927, cover by artist E. M. Jackson, a sailor accomplished an important mission in the Orient—finding a genuine American hot dog!

Celebrating soldiers, sailors, and marines—the 1937 cover by John Sheridan captures all three, with a parade below in their honor. Just as it should be.

Norman Rockwell honored the military during the WWII years with several covers of the “every soldier” he named Willie Gillis. We’ve shown Willie’s military adventures before, but not this one from 1941. Rockwell’s famous private is home on leave, snuggled under the quilts and enjoying the luxury of sleeping late. The sign above the bed echoes our ardent wish for all our military men and women: Home Sweet Home.

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November 7, 2009