Military Officer - December 2006 - (Page 63) Military urban legends have likely been around as long as war itself, though it wasn’t until the 20th century that folklorists started recording them. One of the earliest known military/war-related urban legends is a Civil War-era story Brunvand calls “The Bullet Baby.” According to this tale, a matriarch and her two daughters were watching a battle between Union and Confederate troops take place on a field near their home when a bullet passed through the scrotum of a young soldier, amputating his left testicle, then struck one of the daughters in the abdomen. Nine months later the daughter gave birth, despite her vehement claims of virginity. Shortly after the “miracle” birth, a doctor was called to check a lump under the baby’s skin. The doctor operated and removed a battered minié ball, which he concluded had struck the soldier and, carrying some spermatozoa, then penetrated the girl’s ovary and impregnated her. A matriarch and her two daughters were watching a [Civil War] battle. … Nine months later the daughter gave birth, despite her vehement claims of virginity. Another Civil War-related urban legend involves a father and son who, as the story goes, met on opposite sides of the battlefield. In the battle, the boy was mortally wounded, and in his pocket his grieving father found the melody known today as taps. It’s a poignant story, but completely untrue, say historians. According to Brunvand, military/war urban legends tend to fall into five categories: home front, training, troop transport, survival, and technological stories. World War II saw numerous urban legends in all of these categories. A popular wartime home front urban legend was “The War Profiteer,” in which a woman is overheard telling a friend that she hopes the war continues for a long time because her husband has a great job and is making a lot of money. Upon hearing the boast, another woman slaps the first in the face. “This is for my boy who was killed at Pearl Harbor!” she says. “And this” — another slap — “is DECEMBER 2006 MILITARY OFFICER 63
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - December 2006 From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: How to Fund the Future Martial Lore Good Night, Sleep Tight Mixed Review Information Exchange Advertising Index Member Books MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Military Officer - December 2006 Military Officer - December 2006 - (Page Cover1) Military Officer - December 2006 - (Page Cover2) Military Officer - December 2006 - (Page 1) Military Officer - December 2006 - (Page 2) Military Officer - December 2006 - (Page 3) Military Officer - December 2006 - (Page 4) Military Officer - December 2006 - (Page 5) Military Officer - December 2006 - (Page 6) Military Officer - December 2006 - (Page 7) Military Officer - December 2006 - From the Editor (Page 8) Military Officer - December 2006 - From the Editor (Page 9) Military Officer - December 2006 - From the President (Page 10) Military Officer - December 2006 - From the President (Page 11) Military Officer - December 2006 - Your Views (Page 12) Military Officer - December 2006 - Your Views (Page 13) Military Officer - December 2006 - Your Views (Page 14) Military Officer - December 2006 - Your Views (Page 15) Military Officer - December 2006 - Your Views (Page 16) Military Officer - December 2006 - Your Views (Page 17) Military Officer - December 2006 - MOAA Directory (Page 18) Military Officer - December 2006 - MOAA Directory (Page 19) Military Officer - December 2006 - MOAA Directory (Page 20) Military Officer - December 2006 - MOAA Directory (Page 21) Military Officer - December 2006 - MOAA Directory (Page 22) Military Officer - December 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 23) Military Officer - December 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 24) Military Officer - December 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 25) Military Officer - December 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 26) Military Officer - December 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 27) Military Officer - December 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 28) Military Officer - December 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 29) Military Officer - December 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 30) Military Officer - December 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 31) Military Officer - December 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 32) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 33) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 34) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 35) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 36) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 37) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 38) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 39) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 40) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 41) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 42) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 43) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 44) Military Officer - December 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 45) Military Officer - December 2006 - Financial Forum (Page 46) Military Officer - December 2006 - Financial Forum (Page 47) Military Officer - December 2006 - Ask the Doctor (Page 48) Military Officer - December 2006 - Ask the Doctor (Page 49) Military Officer - December 2006 - Chapter Activities (Page 50) Military Officer - December 2006 - Chapter Activities (Page 51) Military Officer - December 2006 - Chapter Activities (Page 52) Military Officer - December 2006 - Chapter Activities (Page 53) Military Officer - December 2006 - Cover Story: How to Fund the Future (Page 54) Military Officer - December 2006 - Cover Story: How to Fund the Future (Page 55) Military Officer - December 2006 - Cover Story: How to Fund the Future (Page 56) Military Officer - December 2006 - Cover Story: How to Fund the Future (Page 57) Military Officer - December 2006 - Cover Story: How to Fund the Future (Page 58) Military Officer - December 2006 - Cover Story: How to Fund the Future (Page 59) Military Officer - December 2006 - Martial Lore (Page 60) Military Officer - December 2006 - Martial Lore (Page 61) Military Officer - December 2006 - Martial Lore (Page 62) Military Officer - December 2006 - Martial Lore (Page 63) Military Officer - December 2006 - Martial Lore (Page 64) Military Officer - December 2006 - Martial Lore (Page 65) Military Officer - December 2006 - Good Night, Sleep Tight (Page 66) Military Officer - December 2006 - Good Night, Sleep Tight (Page 67) Military Officer - December 2006 - Good Night, Sleep Tight (Page 68) Military Officer - December 2006 - Good Night, Sleep Tight (Page 69) Military Officer - December 2006 - Mixed Review (Page 70) Military Officer - December 2006 - Mixed Review (Page 71) Military Officer - December 2006 - Mixed Review (Page 72) Military Officer - December 2006 - Mixed Review (Page 73) Military Officer - December 2006 - Mixed Review (Page 74) Military Officer - December 2006 - Mixed Review (Page 75) Military Officer - December 2006 - Mixed Review (Page 76) Military Officer - December 2006 - Mixed Review (Page 77) Military Officer - December 2006 - Information Exchange (Page 78) Military Officer - December 2006 - Information Exchange (Page 79) Military Officer - December 2006 - Advertising Index (Page 80) Military Officer - December 2006 - Advertising Index (Page 81) Military Officer - December 2006 - Advertising Index (Page 82) Military Officer - December 2006 - Member Books (Page 83) Military Officer - December 2006 - MOAA Calendar (Page 84) Military Officer - December 2006 - MOAA Calendar (Page 85) Military Officer - December 2006 - Sounding Taps (Page 86) Military Officer - December 2006 - MOAA Member Services (Page 87) Military Officer - December 2006 - MOAA Member Services (Page 88) Military Officer - December 2006 - MOAA Member Services (Page Cover3) Military Officer - December 2006 - MOAA Member Services (Page Cover4)
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.