Let’s Celebrate National Humor Month, WWII Style

Did you know that April is National Humor Month? I didn’t either as I usually think of April in terms of income tax preparation. Of course, that is no laughing matter unless you are getting a refund! So I was surprised to discover that it was founded forty-one years ago by Larry Wilde, comedian, best-selling author and Director of The Carmel Institute of Humor. The celebration appropriately begins on April Fool’s Day with perhaps a funny prank and merrily continues for the next thirty days.

So you may wonder why this funny-focused celebration was started, what the relationship is to WWII, and why I wanted to write about it. Celebrating humor is a serious business as wise men and women throughout the ages have recognized the value of laughter. They may not have been aware of the scientific evidence substantiating this, but they knew first hand its redeeming and beneficial value. I think Mark Twain got it right when he remarked “The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter. The moment it arises, all your irritations and resentments slip away, and the sunny spirit takes their place.”

According to the official National Humor Month website, http://www.humormonth.com/, this celebration “was conceived as a means to heighten public awareness of the therapeutic value of humor. Laughter and joy – the benchmarks of humor – lead to improved well-being, boosted morale, increased communication skills, and an enriched quality of life.” Amen and tickle my funny bone!

War, likes taxes, is no laughing matter. So it may seem strange to be celebrating humor and frivolity in the context of WWII. But as I read my father’s letters, I realized how important humor was to him. It was a coping strategy, a diversion and a way to detach from his not-so- funny surroundings for over thirty months.

Humor has always been a strong Jett family trait, and I remember with fondness the quick wit and humor of my many aunts and uncles. Fortunately, my dad was able to channel some of that even in the hostile jungles of New Guinea. He would share funny stories about his fellow GIs and kid his wife about becoming a ‘milkmaid’ or wearing her ‘birthday suit’. I am sure just writing these quips put a smile on his face and also made my mother laugh when she read his letters. He also remarked how much he enjoyed working with his Company as they would kid each other and joke around. This was especially important as they were all working in unbearably hot, wet, humid, hostile conditions with few creature comforts. This joking helped relief their stress even momentarily.

So what were the primary humor outlets for the service members in the isolated jungles? As the camp bases were developed and lines of communication were established, there were usually several typical ways the GIs had access to entertainment. First there were the weekly outdoor movies shown in a makeshift outdoor theater. Usually these were upbeat films and provided the soldiers both laughter and material to write home about even when watching them standing in the rain. The second were the monthly USO shows which always featured a well-known comedian like Jack Benny, Bob Hope and even John Wayne. After seeing one of these productions my father wrote, “These make one forget about the war for the time at least.” The other outlets that he mentioned were the shortwave broadcasts of his two favorite radio shows, The Bob Burns Show and It Pays to Be Ignorant. I can just see him and the other GIs in their sweltering tents gathered around the radio and exploding with laughter from the wacky humor coming across the airwaves.

Until I read my father’s WWII letters, I did not even consider the importance of humor for these service members who were so far from home. I did not realize how much they needed and enjoyed anything that brought laughter and joy into their life. They faced unimaginable conditions in the line of duty and to survive, there were times when they needed “to rise above it” and put it temporarily on hold. Sharing a funny joke and having a good belly laugh often provided them the hot air they needed to elevate their spirits and enjoy a short time-out.

We all need laughter and mirth in our lives no matter what our surroundings are. If my father and his buddies could find humor in the jungles, then we must find it in our daily lives as well. As April unfolds, see where a good laugh can take you and share your good humor with others. After all, the creators of the National Humor Month movement know that “Humor as a tool to lift ailing spirits is an established notion supported by scientific research. The curative power of laughter and its ability to relieve debilitating stress and burnout may indeed be one of the great medical discoveries of our times.” May you laugh long and hard!