G.I. Combat (1952) 1

General Issue, formerly Government Issue, have become the preface for almost any military personnel.

Better known as G.I. the initials first appeared to denote supply records for galvanized iron. During World War I troops began associating the letters for “general issue.” By the second world war G.I. had morphed to mean a generic enlisted man.

Army Sergeant David Breger, a comic strip artist, created G.I. Joe for Yank magazine in 1942. G.I. further became engrained in the American psyche when President Franklin Roosevelt signed the bill that became known as the G.I. Bill.

G.I. Combat (1952) 1

Toy Company Hasbro cemented the abbreviation when they issued G.I. Joe in 1964.

To honor the men and women in service to America, today is designated National Hug a G.I. Day.

Featured guests here are the hard-fighting calvary men and commander, Lt. Jeb Stuart, Arch Asher, Rich Rawlins and Slim Stryker. Collectively they are the

G.I. Combat 87

crew of the Haunted Tank.

G.I. Combat began as an anthology of war-oriented stories published by Quality Comics. National bought the company in 1956, but continued the title.

Writer and editor Robert Kanigher and artist Russ Heath created the Haunted Tank and its inhabitants beginning with issue 87 in 1962. Their spin was the ghost of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart would shepherd the men in the M3 Stuart throughout the war.

The four survived their tour of duty in the European Theater of Operations only to find themselves cancelled in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths with issue 288 in 1987.

The concept was revived in 2010 with a one-shot entitled Listening to Ghosts. Matthew Sturges and Phil Winslade penned and penciled the book, respectively.

DC’s New 52 brought new life for eight issues in 2012. Jeb and company were called up for issues five through seven.

National Hug A G.I. Day began in 1996 and is the only day on the calendar that is also a military command to salute and celebrate the men and woman who serve our country.