"Join the Army/Navy and See the World"

[Barry A. Popik]

     "Join the Army and See the World" was in OUR ARMY, October 1930, pg. 17.
 It was a continuing header for a joke column and appeared later--it might
have appeared earlier as well.
     It wasn't in the RHHDAS under "join," but may make it under "see" or
"world."

"Join the navy and see the world.  SLOGAN (AMERICAN)"
--RANDOM HOUSE WEBSTER'S QUOTATIONARY (1999) by Leonard Roy Frank, pg. 541.

     Did it begin in the army, the navy, or in both?  Frank gives no citation.

"_join the army and see the world--the next world!_  A ruefully jocular gibe
uttered by disgruntled soldiers; since c. 1948.  Poking fun at the recruiting
slogan, 'Join the army and see the world.'"
--A DICTIONARY OF CATCH PHRASES (1977) by Eric Partridge, pg. 129.

"Join the army.  Visit strange and exotic places.  Meet fascinating people.
And kill them.  SAYING (AMERICAN) 1960s."
--RANDOM HOUSE WEBSTER's QUOTATIONARY, pg. 43.

     Maybe I'll just see the world and leave it at that.