G.I. is an informal term which refers to members of the United States Armed Forces, in particular the United States Army.[1] It is most deeply associated with World War II[2] and the Korean War, but continues to see use, for instance in the G.I. Joe comics, films, and toys franchise.[3] It was originally an initialism used in U.S. Army paperwork for items made of galvanized iron.[2] The earliest known instance in writing is from either 1906[3] or 1907.[2] During World War I, U.S. soldiers took to referring to heavy German artilleryshells as "G.I. cans".[2][3] During the same war, "G.I.", reinterpreted as "government issue"[2] or "general issue",[3] began being used to refer to any item associated with the U.S. Army,[3]e.g., "G.I. soap".[3] Other reinterpretations of "G.I." include "garrison issue" and "general infantry".[3]
The earliest known recorded instances of "G.I." being used to refer to an American enlisted man as a slang term are from 1935.[2] In the form of "G.I. Joe" it was made better known due to it being taken as the title of a comic strip by Dave Breger in Yank, the Army Weekly, beginning in 1942.[2] A 1944 radio drama, 「彼らは私をジョーと呼ぶ」は、より幅広い視聴者に届きました。毎週異なる人物を取り上げることで、「GI ジョー」があらゆる民族の米兵を包含していることを強調しました。[ 4 ] 「彼らは私をジョーと呼ぶ」は、 NBC ラジオ ネットワークを通じて全米の一般市民に、また米軍ラジオ ネットワークを通じて米兵に届きました。ドワイト D. アイゼンハワーは、 1945 年 5 月のヨーロッパ戦勝記念日の演説で、第二次世界大戦の主な英雄として「GI ジョー」という言葉に言及しました。 [ 5 ] 「GI ジェーン」は元々、第二次世界大戦中の女子陸軍部隊の隊員を指していましたが、最近では、あらゆる女性アメリカ人兵士を指すのに使われています。[ 3 ]
Cooke, James J. American girls, beer, and Glenn Miller: GI morale in World War II (University of Missouri Press, 2012) online.
Kennett, Lee B. GI: The American Soldier in World War II (University of Oklahoma Press, 1997) online.
Meyer, Leisa D. Creating GI Jane: Sexuality and power in the women's army corps during World War II (Columbia University Press, 1996) online.
Piehler, G. Kurt. A religious history of the American GI in World War II (U of Nebraska Press, 2021) online.
Sklaroff, Lauren Rebecca. "Constructing GI Joe Louis: Cultural solutions to the “Negro problem” during World War II." Journal of American History 89.3 (2002): 958-983. online
Primary sources
McGuire, Phillip, ed. Taps for a Jim Crow Army: Letters from Black Soldiers in World War II (University Press of Kentucky, 1993). ISBN 0-8131-0822-5..
Pyle, ErnieHere is your war: story of GI Joe (U of Nebraska Press, 2004) reprint of newspaper essays by famous war correspondent who focused on soldiers' life online.
Shapiro, Lisa K. No Forgotten Fronts: From Classrooms to Combat (Naval Institute Press, 2018) ISBN 9781682472729. Letters from GIs to college professor; primary sources; online book review
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