Tag: Veterans

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Chosin: Baptized by Fire!

Veterans Expeditionary Media and HOPR studios have created a chilling short film to convey the horror of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir through the eyes of a young Marine during the Korean War.

True story from the Korean War! Baptized by Fire is a short animated film adapted from the graphic novel Hold the Line, and inspired by the true story of Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. While delivering mail to the grunts of Fox Company, Private First Class Billy French is trapped in a massive surprise attack launched by the Communist Chinese Army. French must prove his mettle when the company’s position is overrun by hordes of enemy troops.

About the Chosin Reservoir Campaign: In the winter of 1950, deep within the frozen mountains of North Korea, 15,000 U.S. Soldiers and Marines were surrounded and trapped by 120,000 Chinese soldiers. Despite the odds, the Marines refused to surrender and fought their way 78 miles to the sea and rescued 98,000 refugees. This tale of sacrifice and courage that contends with the story of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae as one of the most heroic feats in history.

Produced in partnership with Veterans Expeditionary Media and Hopr Studios.

 
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American History: Why Are American Soldiers Called GIs?

Why Are American Soldiers Called GIs?

The origins of this popular nickname are somewhat murky. A popular theory links the term to the early 20th century, when “G.I.” was stamped on military trash cans and buckets. The two-letter abbreviation stood for the material from which these items were made: galvanized iron. Later, the definition of GI broadened and during World War I it was used to refer to all things Army-related, according to “Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language” by Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman. When this happened, GI was reinterpreted as “government issue” or “general issue.”

The prevalence of the term led soldiers in World War II to start referring to themselves as GIs. Some servicemen used it as a sarcastic reference symbolizing their belief that they were just mass-produced products of the government. During the war, GI Joe also became a term for U.S. soldiers. Cartoonist Dave Breger, who was drafted into the Army in 1941, is credited with coining the name with his comic strip titled “G.I. Joe,” which he published in a weekly military magazine called Yank, beginning in 1942. In 1964, U.S. toy company Hasbro, after taking note of competitor Mattel’s huge success with the Barbie doll (launched in 1959), debuted “G.I. Joe,” a military-themed line of action figures for boys.

Meanwhile, in June 1944, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, which became commonly known as the GI Bill. The famous legislation provided a range of benefits for returning World War II veterans, including funding for college, home loans and unemployment insurance.

 

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