The Exquisite Corpse of Private SNAFU

Private SNAFU is, of course, an animated cartoon character. This ‘unknown veteran’ represents the countless anonymous military personnel that, either by ineptitude, inability, or instability could not conform to Armed Military Service. The brains behind SNAFU was Colonel Frank Capra, the acclaimed director and propagandist who helped shape the idea of the American-ideal, as well as the ideal American, in information animations for WWI era recruits. The negative depictions of Capra’s SNAFU protagonist is a reminder of how Americans often view military members who cannot toe the line.—Roger Ourthiague