That's right about where Dad was when he went into the service in the mid
1940's. I bet that described half of the enlisted men (18 year olds) at
boot camp that year - 1946.

Half? I doubt that. Even by the BMI standards (which I feel set
inappropriately low standards for taller people), that would be a
surprising number of people.

I don't know about after World War II, but when my dad enlisted in 1942, the
country was still suffering from the effects of the Great Depression. Many
people didn't have enough to eat, including my father. He was my height,
and in the 140 pound range. His pictures -- and the pictures of his high
school class -- look like a bunch of concentration camp victims by today's
standards.

And his service photos are even more gaunt. They really worked those 90
day wonders, and he actually LOST weight his first year in.

It's interesting (and probably not a coincidence) that women who were
considered sexy in the 40s and 50s (Rosalind Russell; Marilyn Monroe, etc.)
were "fat" by today's standards -- yet the majority of the population was
painfully thin when compared to their counterparts today.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"