Norman Rockwell & Willie Gillis

Rockwell by Boyer

 

Norman Rockwell has been a well-known artist since his first magazine cover.  His work helped the home front during the war in more ways than just a nice painting at the news stand.  He produced over 300 covers in his 50-year career.  His influence is still felt today.

Rockwell’s Willie Gillis Jr.

Willie Gillis, Jr. (more commonly simply Willie Gillis) is a fictional character created by Norman Rockwell for a series of  World War II paintings that appeared on the covers of eleven issues of the Saturday Evening Post between 1941 and 1946.   With the rank of  Private, Gillis was an  every man whose career was tracked on the cover of the Post from induction through discharge without being depicted in battle.   Gillis and his girlfriend were modeled by two of Rockwell’s acquaintances.

Although Gillis was not exclusively used on Post covers, the Willie Gillis series of covers was a hallmark of Rockwell’s wartime work.  In Rockwell’s prime and at the peak of its popularity, the Post had a subscriber list of 4 million, and many of these subscribers believed Gillis was a real person.   Rockwell’s wartime art, including Willie Gillis, the  Four Freedoms and Rosie the Riveter, contributed to the success of the  wartime bond sales efforts.

Robert Otis Buck aka Willie Gillis Jr.

Robert Otis “Bob” Buck served as Rockwell’s model for Gillis and eventually enlisted for service in the  U.S. Navy, despite being except from the draft.  When the 15-year-old Buck met Rockwell to pose for the first time, Buck only stood 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) tall. At that time, Buck had a lock of hair that used to drop down on his forehead.   Rockwell had been seeking a model, and met Buck at a square dance in Arlington, Vermont.  Buck’s job in Arlington was as a  sawmill hand.  Rockwell observed Buck from different angles during the dance, and Buck told Rockwell that if he did not stop staring, Buck would knock him flat.

Since 1999 the Gillis series has been included in two major Rockwell tours. From 1999 to 2002 it toured as part of a Rockwell Post cover art retrospective,  and from 2006 to 2010 it toured as part of a 1940’s World War II Rockwell art exhibition.

Rockwell did not name his works, but many of them have one or two names by which they are known.  The following are the eleven Willie Gillis Saturday Evening Post cover paintings:

1. October 4, 1941 – Willie Gillis: Food Package/Willie Gillis: Package From Home
2. November 29, 1941 – Willie Gillis: Home Sweet Home/Willie Gillis: Home On Leave
3. February 7, 1942 – Willie Gillis: USO
4. April 11, 1942 – Willie Gillis: Hometown News/Willie Gillis: On K.P.
5. June 27, 1942 – Willie Gillis: What To Do in a Blackout
6. July 25, 1942 – Willie Gillis in Church
7. September 5, 1942 – Willie Gillis: Girls with Letters/Double Trouble for Willie Gillis
8. June 26, 1943 – Willie Gillis: Cat’s Cradle/Willie’s Rope Trick
9. January 1, 1944 – Willie Gillis: New Year’s Eve
10. Willie Gillis “In Convoy”

1. September 16, 1944- Willie Gillis: Gillis Heritage/Willie Gillis Generations
2. October 5, 1946 – Willie Gillis in College

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Current News – 

The Vietnam War Dog Memorial was dedicated Sept. 28, 2019 at Motts Military Museum in Groveport, Ohio. The sculpture is modeled after Ed Reeves (of Grove City, OH) and his dog Prince.

 

 

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Home Front Humor – ala Saturday Evening Post – 

“I’VE BEEN TRYING TO GET MY LIFE IN ORDER FOR 15 YEARS. NOW MY DRAFT BOARD EXPECTS ME TO DO IT IN 10DAYS!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Lloyd Ahlschwede – Grandin, ND; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO

May Alm (103) – Chewelah, WA; US Army WAC, WWII, ETO, nurse

Hugh Berry – Boston, VA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Co. E/152nd Artillery/11th Airborne Division

John Carter – brn: CHI/CAN; 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles/Indian Army, WWII, CBI, Major

Charles Gentzel – Berlin, MD; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Colonel (Ret.)

William Magidson – Roseville, CA; US Army, WWII, ETO, 507/17th Airborne Division

Jim Miles – Louisville, KY; USMC, WWII

Stanley Raub – Middletown, NY; USMC, WWII, Guam

George Scott – Colchester, ENG; RAF, WWII, B-24 Flight Engineer

Patrick Thomas – Killeen, TX; US Amy, Vietnam, Capt., 8th Field Hospital, Medical Corps

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