9. A Cartoonist’s Victory Over Patton
To Patton’s annoyance, Mauldin’s cartoons were deemed useful because they depicted war’s dark side. They showed civilians that victory would not come easy, but would require considerable effort and sacrifice. It was a good thing that Bill Mauldin stood up to Patton and did not cave in under pressure. Back home, the Willie and Joe cartoons became a wild success. Not only with the military, but also with civilians after they were syndicated. They earned Mauldin a Pulitzer Prize in 1945. As Band of Brothers author Stephen Ambrose described Willie and Joe: “More than anyone else, save only Ernie Pyle, [Mauldin] caught the trials and travails of the GI. For anyone who wants to know what it was like to be an infantryman in World War II, this is the place to start – and finish.”
