An Unexpected Discovery in an Unlikely Place

In the fall of 1943 when my father was first stationed in New Guinea, he mentioned how much he enjoyed reading Yank. I had never heard of this publication so was curious about its contents and appeal. My early research revealed that Yank, The Army Weekly was first published in June 1942 and that it quickly became the most widely-read magazine in the history of the US military. With a worldwide circulation of 2.6 million copies, all content was created by enlisted active duty men for twenty-one weekly editions, distributed in seventeen countries. The reliable war accounts along with humorous cartoons and the inclusion of well-known pin-up girls made it a trusted source of information and inspiration.

While I had seen photos of Yank, I had only seen the front cover which was always protected within a secure museum display. That changed recently when I was in Elizabethton, Tennessee, the birthplace of my father and randomly entered one of the many antique shops in the historic downtown. I have always enjoyed visiting antique shops, but since I began working on my book, the first thing I ask is, “Do you have any WWII memorabilia?”

Happily, the proprietor of Antiques on Elk directed me to a booth that was overflowing with a variety of war memorabilia. There on the wall in front of me was a copy of Yank safely shrouded in plastic packing with information about the contents and cost. My heart stopped momentarily when I also saw a large box filled with similarly protected copies. I immediately knew that I could purchase one of these and might even read some of the same articles that my father had read. So as I carefully perused the box, I looked for issues published when he was in New Guinea and those with headlines related to the Pacific Theater. Happily I found two that I thought would help me better understand his service there.

Now that I am back home, I have finally unwrapped one of issues and started reading the personal accounts written about a time and place that is slowly fading from our memory. As I carefully turned the fragile pages, I imagined my dad also reading this issue and relaxing after a long, hot day repairing trucks. Thank you, Antiques on Elk for this unexpected treasure that has connected me even more deeply to my father.