Milford chronicle., 1931-07-03
WALLY'
A Philadelphia CartOOniSt Who
Became the BeSt-KnOwn Buddy
OF the A. L. +.
BY Theodore E. ASIA Buddy

ned him-eVer mothers son OF EN-
He was to the Yanks what BARNS
father was to the Tommies-theil
poet laureate of the pen who wrote
the real history of their war and IL
the way they could feel and under
stand-with pictures. Not photo
graphs, but cartoons with laugh in
every line. Wally's funnies made
them pack up their troubles in their
old kit bags and smile, smile, smile
French mud, cOoties, trench rats
and stunt Wally made his buddies
take them lightly-that was his
power, his great achievement. He,
too, as a fighting Marine, had been
jawed at and bulldozed by top;
he had hiked for miles, and lay for
hours in Shiny hoosegows. The dis
illusion of a war from a priVate's S
viewpoint had come to him, and he
accepted it philOsOphically - he
would see the funny side of it and
laugh it off-make his buddies laugh
it off. And he did. That's why Gen
eral Pershing singled him out for
high praise. But that was small
compared with the great affection
for him by every man in the A. E.
+.
And this is the strange part of tie
story of Wally.
Abian A. Wallgren was churning
out comics by the yard for the sports
page of the Philadelphia Ledger
when war was declared on April 6,
1917. Patriotic exercises in indie
pendence Square opposite, perked up
his ears, and the fiery posters of the
First to Fight" of the Marines got
under his skin. Then something
snapped. He just couldn't keep his
mind on his work. I'm through. l
can't draw funny stuff day after day
and read about those poor devils
dying" he confided to a pal. Next
day along with Bob Reath, Percy
Glendenning, Sid Guest, Sid Thayer
and Emil Geyelin he Joined the Ma
rine Corps Reserves at League Is
land, in the hope of getting COM
mission. He didn't. He got setting
up exercises, bayonet drills and lot
of hell from a second-looie.
Then came June Z. An officer
called the Reserves together: "ThOse
who want to transfer to the regular
outfit as enlisted men, say So"
Seventy-six said the word, and
Wallgren was one of them. In four
days they were on their way east
ward on the transport Hancock"
This was the Fifth Marines among
the first of the First Division. And
soon Wallgren was in France. He
was as unknown as any in that vast,
strange army, fighting in a strange
land.
Nine months later arose the prob
lem, how could the morale of such
an army be kept up 1t takes some
smiles and enthusiasm as well as
equipment and efficiency to win
war. A dOughboy's newspaper, edit
ed by doughbOys, might supply the
smiles. 1t was proposed, given con-
sideration, and finally started. This
was the origin of the "Stars and
Stripes" fate landed Wallgren
in the cartoonist's chair-Wallgren
who went to war because he |
couldn't draw funnies, was now or
dered to do just that. Philosophi-
cally he took his assignment. He'd |
see the funny side of that, too. And |
he did.
Among other things Wally felt
keenly that the Volstead Act was a
menace equalling that of the Helm
les. And not infrequently looked |
upon the vim when it was rouge. Of
ten he knew not the color and car
ed less. But something seemed to
put power into his pen that made
his cartoons the most interesting
part of the STARS and Stripes" All
of his buddy editors were in accord
on that.
Odd crew, too, this editorial staff
of dOughboys. All agreed one day
not to accept commissions. And they
didn't, although this opportunity
once presented itself. Some day,
however, the Marine Corps may do
itself credit and make Wally an Off
Ger in the Reserve. Or maybe Uncle
Sam will honor "Wally" with the
Distinguished Service Medal as
John Bull honored Bairnsfather.
And why not?
Probably no newspaper ever was
so popular as the "Stars and
Stripes" Few, if any, have reached
a circulation of half a million, at
ten cents a copy. And certainly none
has been so profitable in so short a
time. The Stars and Stripes" tur-
ned over to the U. S. Treasury more
than seven hundred thousand dol
lars when the paper ceased publica-
tion. And much of this money was
made from the sales rights on re-
productions from the plates of Wal
ly's cartoons.
General Pershing Immediately
saw the advertising" value of Wal
ly's cartoons. He knew they could
sell, in fact, were selling confidence,
and good will to the doughboys.
The general issued a permission"
for Wally to go anywhere, at any
time. And Wally went. His sketches +
were made on the spit. He got real
local color.
Pershing also had an inkling of :
Wally's shortcomings. One day the :
General came into the editorial Of :
fee to congratulate the staff.
where's Wally?" he inquired. Ev- i
srybody knew him as Wally-the
signature on his cartoons. Wallgren q
was as unknown as the number on :
his Identification tag. !
Wally wasn't in sight. A short G
while before he had mistaken bot '
lie of cognac for the German army
and had attempted to surround it. '