U.S. Recruiting 1940-1941
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World War II broke out in Europe in September 1939. In 1940, although the U.S. was officially neutral, everyone knew that war was coming. Some young men heeded the call to enlist. Others were drafted. Congress passed the Selective Service Act in September, 1940, reestablishing the draft.
We've already seen this photo of a recruit at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, taken by LIFE photographer Bernard Hoffman.
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That photo was published in the Oct. 28, 1940 issue of LIFE magazine, above. As you can see, LIFE had no problem publishing rear-view nudity.
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This photo of Army recruits getting a medical exam was taken by LIFE photographer Ralph Morse.
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And a cropped version of that photo was published in the Oct. 21, 1940 issue of LIFE, above.
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A 1940 photo set called Medical Exam for Army Recruits by LIFE photographer William Shrout included this photo of recruits lined up ...
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and some more recruits.
These are draftees receiving a pre-induction physical exam at the 71st Regiment Armory in New York in June, 1941.
The bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan on Dec. 7, 1941 changed everything. Suddenly the U.S. was at war. Above are Navy applicants getting physical examinations on Dec. 9, 1941, two days after Pearl Harbor.
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A line of recruits at Fort Slocum, New York, photographed by Arthur Rothstein.
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These men are enlisting in the Marines in December, 1941. This photo of the Marine recruiting office in San Francisco, photographed by John Collier, Jr., is in the Library of Congress photo archives.
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The photo has become famous enough that someone colorized it. Although I generally don't like colorized photos, I think this was nicely done.
Next time: U.S. recruiting during World War II.
9 comments:
I always found it funny that rear but not frontal nudity was acceptable. The stuff coming out the back is unsanitary, after all.
The fifth from the right in the first lineup photo is really connecting with us across time.
I always appreciate the butt shots.
Pic no,7 I could take care of the second butt from the left.. Love his V shape back too... and his hair cut..
On the mext photo that one on the right has a very nice face..
LIFE photographers seemed fixated with male military nudity. I wonder what was going on in the minds of the nude recruits as these photographers clicked away.
@Anon - LIFE photographers were not fixated on male nudity. They took millions of photos, but I only post the nude ones. For example, in 1940, William Shrout took a set of 36 photos called "Medical Exams for Army Recruits." Two of the 36 photos (the ones I posted) show recruits nude from the rear. In the other 34 photos, the recruits are dressed or are wearing boxer shorts while their height is being measured and their eyes, ears, teeth, etc are examined.
Handsome hung military stud
A LOT of guys were also malnourished from the Depression, which is a huge reason for the lineups.
The guy in the first picture has a fantastic ass!
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