Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a military newspaper that was originally founded by Union troops during the Civil War in Bloomfield, Missouri, to serve as an informational source for American soldiers. It lay dormant after its initial four editions until it was revived in February 1918 during World War I, when it was printed in France for U.S. troops. The publication attracted a mix of seasoned journalists and young soldiers, some of whom would later achieve fame in the journalism field. In World War II, Stars and Stripes transitioned to a daily tabloid format and was published from multiple locations near the frontlines, reaching a daily circulation of over 1.2 million by early 1945. It played a crucial role in boosting morale among service members and connecting them to life back home through news articles and the popular cartoon characters Willie and Joe. The newspaper has since expanded its reach to include multiple editions worldwide, continuing its mission of providing news and information wherever American troops are stationed. In 2004, Stars and Stripes launched an electronic version, further broadening its audience beyond military personnel. Overall, Stars and Stripes remains a vital link for American military members, offering insights into both their immediate environment and the larger world.
Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Identification Official newspaper for members of the U.S. armed forces
Date Established on November 9, 1861
With continuous publication in Europe since 1942 and in the Pacific since 1945, Stars and Stripes has served as the primary news source of American military personnel for generations. Although the newspaper operates from inside the Department of Defense, it is editorially separate. This independence distinguishes Stars and Stripes from all other sources of information distributed at U.S. military installations.
Founded by Union troops who occupied a captured newspaper office in Bloomfield, Missouri, during the Civil War to report activities of Illinois regiments, Stars and Stripes has always operated as an information source for American soldiers. The original one-page paper saw only four editions, then lay dormant until the United States entered World War I. From February, 1918, until the war’s end in June, 1919, Stars and Stripes was printed in France by the American Expeditionary Forces as an eight-page weekly distributed to U.S. troops. It attracted a staff of veteran newspapermen and young soldiers; some would later become prominent journalists, most notably Stars and Stripes editor Harold Ross, who founded The New Yorker magazine.
Following another period of dormancy, Stars and Stripes reemerged in London, in April, 1942. The paper changed from a full-size weekly to a daily tabloid, but the emphasis on news for G.I.’s remained constant. During World War II, dozens of editions of Stars and Stripes were published in various operating theaters, often close to the frontlines and sometimes in as many as twenty-five simultaneous publishing locations. By January, 1945, daily circulation exceeded 1.2 million. The Pacific edition was introduced in May, 1945, shortly after V-E Day. The paper boosted morale, kept service personnel apprised of military operations and outcomes (with forty-eight-hour delays for security), and linked soldiers to life on the home front. The irreverent cartoon featuring infantrymen Willie and Joe, created by G.I. Bill Mauldin, delighted fellow “Joes.” It was syndicated by stateside newspapers and won a Pulitzer Prize. Again, the staff mixed experienced newspapermen and talented young soldiers, many of whom enjoyed long and distinguished careers after the war (most famously, Mauldin, but also including Andy Rooney, Shel Silverstein, Tom Sutton, and Louis Rukeyser).
In addition to newspaper editions that featured current news, during the 1940’s Stars and Stripes published G.I. Stories, a popular series of 53 booklets, each consisting of thirty-two pages of text and a color centerfold with either a map or a photo montage. The small booklets could fit into a uniform pocket and were often mailed home. Each told the “story” of a separate division in the European theater: 28 infantry, 9 armored, 2 airborne, 7 air, and 7 support divisions.
In subsequent years, Stars and Stripes, which is dedicated to publishing wherever American troops are deployed, expanded to five daily newspaper editions, originating in Europe, the Middle East, Okinawa, mainland Japan, and Korea. In May, 2004, Stars and Stripes became available in electronic format, thus reaching a readership far broader than military service members.
Impact
During the 1940’s, this widely disseminated military newspaper informed, entertained, and encouraged men and women in the European and Pacific theaters. In war and peace, Stars and Stripes has linked American military personnel with service objectives and outcomes and with news of the greater world.
Bibliography
Cornebise, Alfred Emile. Ranks and Columns: Armed Forces Newspapers in American Wars. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1993.
Sweeney, Michael S. The Military and the Press: An Uneasy Truce. Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press, 2006.
Zumwalt, Ken. The Stars and Stripes: World War II and the Early Years. Austin, Tex.: Eakin Press, 1989.