# Why does Beetle Bailey never go to war? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 26, 2004, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369 "2004-06-26T23:41:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/21 "2004-06-29T01:41:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Why is no cartoonist gutsy enough and witty enough to step up to the plate? What about _Doonesbury_? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/22 "2004-06-29T02:23:53Z")
Camp Swampy is the “black hole” of the US Army. All the losers, low lifes and clueless officers are sent there, never to be posted anywhere else again. Such a unit would never be sent into combat since even as cannon fodder they’d probably mess it up. Also: “Get Fuzzy” has addressed the issue of a returning wounded BWII vet. ---
**Author:** ![Whiter\_Carpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Whiter\_Carpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiter_Carpet)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/23 "2004-06-29T02:35:57Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > What about _Doonesbury_? That’s even _less_ funny than Beetle Bailey. At least in BB you can tell when there’s supposed to be a punch line. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/24 "2004-06-29T02:41:15Z")
I always figured it had something to do with the fact that Beetle can’t see, what with that damn hat over his eyes all the time. What use would he be in a combat situation? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/25 "2004-06-29T02:43:36Z")
I was always under the impression that Beetle was in perpetual basic training. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/26 "2004-06-29T13:32:32Z")
Beetle signed up to go to war in March of 1951 - prior to that he’d been a college student (still with his hat over his eyes). Why he never went, I don’t know - perhaps Mort Walker preferred to do a basic training version of “Willie and Joe”. [Here](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/02/regular/style/comics/r_style_comics101102.htm) is an interview Walker did with the Washington Post that covers the subject a bit. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/27 "2004-06-29T13:57:43Z")
Before Beetle joined the army, he was, as noted above, a college student, with a hat habitually pulled down over his eyes. In one strip, the professor required him to remove the hat, which he did. The professor looked at the hatless Beetle (seen only from behind), and required him to put the hat back on again. As far as I know, that is the only time that Beetle’s hat or helmet was ever removed in the strip. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/28 "2004-06-29T14:47:55Z")
Speaking of the OP, [last Saturday’s strip](http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/beetlebailey.asp?date=20040626) does make a reference to the possibility of battle. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/29 "2004-06-29T20:00:46Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Dik Browne’s _Beetle Bailey_ strip has been running since at least the '50s, I think – through several periods of American armed conflict. So why is it that Beetle and Zero and Sergeant Snorkel and Lieutenant Fuzz never seem to get out of Camp Swampy? Why didn’t they get sent to fight in Vietnam? Kuwait? Or Somalia? Kosovo? Afghanistan? Iraq? Why do they do nothing but train and complain? You want the truth? You want the truth? YOU CAN’T **HANDLE** THE TRUTH! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/30 "2006-07-17T19:57:29Z")
> [@vl\_mungo](#): > > All the comic combat was done by [Sad Sack](http://sadsack.org/SSyanktop1.htm) and [Willie & Joe](http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/02/nov02/mauldin/pages/_maul21.html) And the short-lived Gabby Gob, an attempt by Harvey to give Sad Sack a Navy spinoff. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/31 "2006-07-17T19:59:21Z")
Whoops, sorry about the zombie. Links to threads this old really should have a warning attached! ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/32 "2006-07-17T21:36:07Z")
It’s been a while but when Lt. Flap was introduced Sarge was excited that an officer who served in Vietnam was coming to Camp Swampy but was a little dismayed by Flap’s first words which were something about the racial make up of the camp. Near as I can remember, it’s been a while since I read it, and it was printed before I was even born. Marc ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/33 "2006-07-17T22:17:31Z")
In the interest of accuracy… Beetle Bailey debut on Sept. 4, 1950 as a college-based comic. Beetle was a freshman at Rockview U. In 1951 he enlisted in the Army. Lt. Flap’s first word? “HOW COME THERE’S NO BLACKS IN THIS HONKIE OUTFIT?!” ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/34 "2006-07-18T01:00:11Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Dik Browne’s _Beetle Bailey_…So why is it that Beetle and Zero and Sergeant Snorkel and Lieutenant Fuzz never seem to get out of Camp Swampy?.. Someone has to be a REMF. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/35 "2006-07-18T01:02:34Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Someone has to be a REMF. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/36 "2006-07-18T01:08:31Z")
Rear Echelon Mother- F\*\*ker ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/37 "2006-07-18T01:15:26Z")
> [@supervenusfreak](#): > > All of that plus the CBS censor machine. Would not want reality to creep in on it. Remember that was the era of “The Beverly Hillbillies” too. You mean to tell me that “The Beverlty Hillbillies” weren’t real? No wonder I can’t find a single crawdad in Griffith Park. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/38 "2006-07-18T01:29:21Z")
Several years ago, Mort Walker promised that Sargent Snorkel wouldn’t swear or beat up Beetle Bailey anymore. (The swear words were stuff like “@\*$%!”) The strip hasn’t been worth reading since. ---
**Author:** ![JoeSki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@JoeSki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeSki)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/39 "2006-07-18T01:31:53Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > No humor in war. Of course you could argue there’s no humor in BB I guess. Go read Catch-22. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369/40 "2006-07-18T01:37:07Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Several years ago, Mort Walker promised that Sargent Snorkel wouldn’t swear or beat up Beetle Bailey anymore. (The swear words were stuff like “@\*$%!”) The strip hasn’t been worth reading since. And _Snuffy Smith_ kinda jumped the shark when Snuffy had his still destroyed by the revenooers and got a steady job. PCness is teh suxxor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-beetle-bailey-never-go-to-war/252369.md?page=3)