robmic
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Posts: 14
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Post by robmic on Feb 14, 2018 12:14:59 GMT -5
John Boy should have been an officer. He had a college degree. It should have been Lieutenant Walton rather than Sergeant Walton. He went into the service as a journalist, obviously using his college degree. He should have commissioned. Didn't Jason have a degree too? I think in "The Conscience" he stated that the Army would allow him to finish college before reporting. At least one of them should have been an officer. Ben and Jim Bob didn't have degrees so it made since that they were enlisted. Also, I watched "The Furlough" last night, the one where John Boy comes home and can't remember what happened to his friend Stewart in the plane crash. I was trying to imagine how much better that episode would have been with Richard Thomas as John Boy.
Another thing, did anyone else think that Jason was home a little too much to be active duty military? It was more like he was in the reserves because he would report for a while and then be right back home. I know that he was stationed close to home. But still, wasn't the camp over 100 miles away? Was it the same one that Kurt and G.W. were at? Kurt said it was 140 miles. That is a lot of traveling today, much less in the 1940s with slower transportation and limited funds.
I also found the episode "The Hot-Rod" to be somewhat unrealistic. Jim Bob had not been to war. He wasn't even overseas. He was close to home for the duration of the war. Like Jason, he was home just about every weekend. It didn't make sense that he would come home and be all wound up and getting in trouble when he was showing no signs of that earlier. They said he was wound up because he was back from the service. Heck, he was "back" all the time. Plus, Jim Bob had wanted all his life to join the Air Corps. He wanted to enlist when he was way too young, even before the war. It's a little odd that he would come back as if he hated it and couldn't wait to get out. It didn't make sense that he wanted to ditch the uniform in the closet when he had been so eager to join up all his life.
Finally, I wish that at least one of the Walton girls had joined up too. In WWII, they had the Women's Army Corps (WACs), the WAVES (women's navy), etc. Mary Ellen would have been the most obvious, especially if she had joined the Army Nurse Corps. However, as a single mother, that wouldn't have been possible. In one episode, Elizabeth expresses an interest in joining the WAVES, but she was too young. That leaves Erin. I would have liked for them to have her join a service branch rather than working in a defense plant. Of course I don't know if Erin was the military type. Mary Ellen and Elizabeth would have been better.
Would love to hear other fans' thoughts on these!
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Post by Brenda on Feb 14, 2018 12:46:38 GMT -5
I'm not sure that John Boy had a college degree. He was only on the show for 5 seasons, and he was in high school for the first 2 seasons. He started college at the beginning of season 3. Season 5 would have been his third year. Also, there was no graduation. I think the family would have had a huge celebration for a college graduation. Earl Hamner didn't finish his degree until after his military service.
I agree that much of the military storylines were a bit unrealistic. Besides spending so much time at home, where were the military haircuts?
Jim Bob wanted to serve in the Air Corps, but he was unable to fly because of poor eyesight. That probably caused him to be resentful. Also, his brothers returned home as heroes. They were right there in the thick of it, being wounded or captured, while he got to stay close to home. Maybe he regretted that he didn't get to fight in the war like his brothers.
The Walton girls didn't join up for the reasons you stated - Mary Ellen was a single mom, and Elizabeth was too young. Erin probably felt that she was doing her part in the war effort by working in the defense plant. The WACS were represented, however, since that's how Jason met Toni.
I enjoyed reading your comments about the various war time storylines.
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robmic
Newspaper Vendor
Posts: 14
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Post by robmic on Feb 14, 2018 13:16:19 GMT -5
I'm not sure that John Boy had a college degree. He was only on the show for 5 seasons, and he was in high school for the first 2 seasons. He started college at the beginning of season 3. Season 5 would have been his third year. Also, there was no graduation. I think the family would have had a huge celebration for a college graduation. Earl Hamner didn't finish his degree until after his military service. I agree that much of the military storylines were a bit unrealistic. Besides spending so much time at home, where were the military haircuts? Jim Bob wanted to serve in the Air Corps, but he was unable to fly because of poor eyesight. That probably caused him to be resentful. Also, his brothers returned home as heroes. They were right there in the thick of it, being wounded or captured, while he got to stay close to home. Maybe he regretted that he didn't get to fight in the war like his brothers. The Walton girls didn't join up for the reasons you stated - Mary Ellen was a single mom, and Elizabeth was too young. Erin probably felt that she was doing her part in the war effort by working in the defense plant. The WACS were represented, however, since that's how Jason met Toni. I enjoyed reading your comments about the various war time storylines. I just assumed that John Boy graduated from Boatwright, but you're right, there was no mention of it. I assumed that a big deal wasn't made of graduation since Richard Thomas had left, and they weren't sure how to handle the character. But yes, we don't know if he had a degree or not. What about Jason? He said the Army would allow him to finish college. You're right about the military haircuts!! Jason's hair was never in regulation, and neither was Ben's and Jim Bob's. Ben's hair is way out when he first joins the Seabees and is walking with Cindy. And yes, the WACs were represented through Jason's future wife, Toni. Also, Mary Ellen's nurse friend, Nora, joined the Army Nurse Corps. I wish one of the Walton girls had joined though. Would have made for some good episodes, like if Mary Ellen would have been a nurse overseas, etc. Despite the inaccuracies, I really enjoyed the WWII episodes. Those were some of my favorites. |
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Post by JeriJet on Feb 14, 2018 14:14:17 GMT -5
Regarding remaining close to home while in the military.... My Dad enlisted in the Navy soon after WW2 began -- and he lived in Nassau County NY, not far from the Brooklyn Navy Yard.... although he was technically assigned to The Armed Guards Center, also in Brooklyn, he was able to get home just about every weekend, and also visited his employer (the Dime Savings Bank of Brooklyn) frequently during the week. He was kept in Brooklyn from 1942 until May 1945, at which time he was finally sent out to San Diego and assigned to a destroyer, which never saw action. Back home December 19,1945.
Although Dad's hair was "force-clipped" very short when first he enlisted, immediately afterwards he was allowed to let it grow to its former length.
The worst part of it all ?? -- soon after joining up, he was forced to have dental work done (although his parents were pretty good at that) -- four hours in a dental chair, having questionably necessary work done by a naval dentist, with no anesthesia !!
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Post by Marilyn on Feb 15, 2018 13:18:50 GMT -5
I must have missed something, but I thought John Boy was just overseas as a reporter and not a soldier? I don't watch those episodes. I didn't find any enjoyment in the episodes that took place during war.
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Post by JeriJet on Feb 15, 2018 15:04:25 GMT -5
. I know that he was stationed close to home. But still, wasn't the camp over 100 miles away? Was it the same one that Kurt and G.W. were at? Kurt said it was 140 miles. That is a lot of traveling today, much less in the 1940s with slower transportation and limited funds. I thought Jason was at Camp Rockfish---- very close by 
If Curt mentioned 140 miles, I believe he was talking about a different base.
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Post by dave on Feb 15, 2018 15:09:19 GMT -5
I believe Jason was at Camp Lee, which was farther away.
John Boy was a reporter for Stars and Stripes, and went on a bombing mission for a story when his plane was shot down.
John Boy never finished Boat Right because he left for New York in his final show. And no mention was ever made of him finishing later.
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Post by JeriJet on Feb 15, 2018 15:12:42 GMT -5
I believe Jason was at Camp Lee, which was farther away. John Boy was a reporter for Stars and Stripes, and went on a bombing mission for a story when his plane was shot down. John Boy never finished Boat Right because he left for New York in his final show. And no mention was ever made of him finishing later. Was "Stars and Stripes" actually part of the armed forces? ... have always wondered...
Guess I'd better google it....
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Post by dave on Feb 15, 2018 15:15:44 GMT -5
I'd have to google it myself to get all the facts, but it is/was a real armed forces newspaper.
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Post by JeriJet on Feb 15, 2018 15:53:35 GMT -5
I'd have to google it myself to get all the facts, but it is/was a real armed forces newspaper. There's quite a bit of reading to do.... seems that there have been different versions at various times, published in several areas of operation.... its "creation" occurred briefly during the Civil War, by 4 regional newspapers in Illinois.... Then, during WW1 the American Expeditionary Forces published a version for about 18 months.... (under the auspices of the Dept. of Defense)
It came into its own during WW2 -- specifically for servicemen overseas -- staffed by newspapermen in uniform and other young soldiers.... dozens of editions in several operating theatres, some actually assembled and delivered close to the front....
Editions have been continuously published in Europe since 1942, and in the Pacific since 1945.
Although it somehow still "falls under" the Dept. of Defense, it's hard to understand whether it's actually published by the armed forces.... more research is required !! -- research from sources other than the questionable Wikipedia !!
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Post by Brenda on Feb 15, 2018 16:11:28 GMT -5
I must have missed something, but I thought John Boy was just overseas as a reporter and not a soldier? I don't watch those episodes. I didn't find any enjoyment in the episodes that took place during war. As others have said, Stars and Stripes is a military newspaper that operates from the Department of Defense. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stars_and_Stripes_(newspaper)I just finished watching The Valediction on INSP today. The episode ends with the 4 Walton brothers leaving together after Jim Bob's graduation. I took a couple of pics of my tv screen. They're not real clear, but maybe you can see that John Boy was wearing an Army uniform. |
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Post by JeriJet on Feb 15, 2018 16:52:41 GMT -5
... I'd have to google it myself to get all the facts, but it is/was a real armed forces newspaper. There's quite a bit of reading to do.... seems that there have been different versions at various times, published in several areas of operation.... its "creation" occurred briefly during the Civil War, by 4 regional newspapers in Illinois.... Then, during WW1 the American Expeditionary Forces published a version for about 18 months.... (under the auspices of the Dept. of Defense)
It came into its own during WW2 -- specifically for servicemen overseas -- staffed by newspapermen in uniform and other young soldiers.... dozens of editions in several operating theatres, some actually assembled and delivered close to the front....
Editions have been continuously published in Europe since 1942, and in the Pacific since 1945.
Although it somehow still "falls under" the Dept. of Defense, it's hard to understand whether it's actually published by the armed forces.... more research is required !! -- research from sources other than the questionable Wikipedia !!
Here's the paragraph from Wikipedia that I find difficult to "pin down"....
Stars and Stripes is a non-appropriated fund (NAF) organization, only partially subsidized by the Department of Defense. A large portion of its operating costs is earned through the sale of advertising and subscriptions. Unique among the many military publications, Stars and Stripes operates as a First Amendment newspaper and is part of the newly formed Defense Media Activity. The other entities encompassed by the Defense Media Activity (the DoD News Channel and Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, for example), are command publications of the Department of Defense; only Stars and Stripes maintains complete editorial independence.
I like the fact that it appears it's not "dictated" by the military, only partially subsidized by the Defense Dept. and maintains complete editorial independence....
So, it's military, but it's not military (not a "command publication") ... !! 
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Post by Marilyn on Feb 15, 2018 19:32:44 GMT -5
I must have missed something, but I thought John Boy was just overseas as a reporter and not a soldier? I don't watch those episodes. I didn't find any enjoyment in the episodes that took place during war. As others have said, Stars and Stripes is a military newspaper that operates from the Department of Defense. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stars_and_Stripes_(newspaper)I just finished watching The Valediction on INSP today. The episode ends with the 4 Walton brothers leaving together after Jim Bob's graduation. I took a couple of pics of my tv screen. They're not real clear, but maybe you can see that John Boy was wearing an Army uniform. |
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Post by Brenda on Feb 15, 2018 20:41:06 GMT -5
I watched that one today too and wondered about his uniform and why nothing was ever mentioned, that I heard... about him having enlisted. Also.. why were they all WALKING away? No car? No truck to give them a ride to wherever they were headed? LOL! Why they were walking? A couple of reasons in my opinion. One, they wanted to spend some quiet time together as brothers before shipping out, not knowing if they would ever be together again. Two, I think the writers put it in there for dramatic effect. Watching 4 brothers leave their home and family and march off to war together is much more appealing than watching them all pile into a truck and get dropped off at the bus station. |
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Post by Marilyn on Feb 18, 2018 11:34:40 GMT -5
I watched that one today too and wondered about his uniform and why nothing was ever mentioned, that I heard... about him having enlisted. Also.. why were they all WALKING away? No car? No truck to give them a ride to wherever they were headed? LOL! Why they were walking? A couple of reasons in my opinion. One, they wanted to spend some quiet time together as brothers before shipping out, not knowing if they would ever be together again. Two, I think the writers put it in there for dramatic effect. Watching 4 brothers leave their home and family and march off to war together is much more appealing than watching them all pile into a truck and get dropped off at the bus station. |
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