Gasoline Alley by Jim Scancarelli for September 09, 2016

Ah, just like M*A*S*H.

By the time she gets done talking the kid will pop out on his own!

Yesterday someone asked the date that this Vietnam story ran in Gasoline Alley. I ’m curious to know as well.

Chipper went into the service in 1967 and got out in 1970. The story that Jim has referenced for the past two days ran from January 1-31, 1969 and was reprinted back in 1998 in COMICS REVUE #150. Today’s panel comes from the Jan. 28 daily and yesterday’s was based on the Jan. 21 strip. It’s well worth seeking out.

If I remember correctly, it was a long time ago, Chip was a U.S. Navy Corpsman serving with a Sea Bee Team in Vietnam in 1969 or 1970. I was in a Sea Bee maintenance unit in Vietnam at the time and my mother enclosed a few of the strips about Chip in her letters. I have always respected my fellow Sea Bees who volunteered for the teams. Those guys were out in the villages doing a lot of good for the people and were only 13 in number. A very dangerous assignment.

You’re welcome! If you happen to be on Facebook, I just posted those two 1969 strips on the COMICS REVUE FB page.

Wow, that’s some background.

You would think in the Wallet family tradition Chip’s own son would have served in Iran or Iraq.