The Fighting 69th And 1/2!

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When I was a kid, this cartoon could be seen once a week on the Dallas after school cartoon shows.  2 days ago I decided to look for it, I could not remember the name or the studio.  This is Merrie Melodies, Warner Brothers, The Fighting 69 1/2th.  In it two armies of ants clash over a picnic.

https://www.b98.tv/video/fighting-69-%C2%BDth/ 


 When scouts discover the picnic a tussle ensues over an olive.

 Of course you know, this means war.

The Black Ants are more than up to the task, and are shown as superb fighters.

This cartoon is a 'funny' version of trench warfare.  The only fight the U. S. Army was in between 1918 and 1941 was the Bonus Army disgrace, so this is what the animators knew and showed as warfare.  Here is the Black Army chemical corps.


Here Douglas MacArthur and his Aide-de-Camp Dwight Eisenhower oversee the operation of clearing the desperately poor unarmed WWI veterans off of Anacostia Flats, July 28, 1932.  Major George Patton led the charge of 6 tanks against the crowd of 45,000, 17,000 of whom were war veterans.  2 dead.  MacArthur is wearing 7 rows of ribbons, Eisenhower none.
In 9 years Field Marshal MacArthur will lose his entire air force on the ground 12 hours after being informed of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  In the Corps, we would practice crowd control out at Anacostia, ha ha!
The Marine Corps was in constant combat between the wars, against armed opponents in horrible conditions.  I draw no conclusions, of course.
 

 Your objective is the Hot Dog.  Over the top!


Both sides make local gains.
 

 Every war has it's heroes.  Here is the ant equivalent of Sgt. Alvin York.


In order to kill one must first learn to live.  Savvy infantry use every scrap of cover the terrain offers.


'Gung Ho' means working together...


...yet even in battle there can be time for common decency.


As always, a single objective will become paramount and must be taken at all costs!


But when the fighting is done even old enemies can be friends.  This is a direct reference to the 1938 75th Gettysburg Reunion.


 
I'd have my thumbs in that Yankee's eyes.  Grrrrr! 


Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a frightfully well deserved Medal of Honor winner.
 
(Under his command the 20th Maine held the absolutely vital Little Round Top at Gettysburg and finally, out of ammo, drove back the Texas troops under John Bell Hood with a bayonet charge that saved the position and the day.  I mention this because my co-conspirator in the running of Hybrid Online is from Maine and Chamberlain is buried not far from where he lives.  Courage knows no nationality, and Texans like myself can be forced to admit that even if it takes a bayonet charge to make them see reason.  But we're all friends now)!


But, as usual the war to end all wars is the prelude to war.  Leaders are constitutionally unable to refrain from grabbing spoils,

 
...and war breaks out anew.  When will we ever learn?


This is what the cartoon title is referring to, released the year before by, (wait for it)...Warner Brothers!


Warner Brothers - Merrie Melodies. d). Fritz Freleng, with Mel Blanc, of course.  1941.


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