another fake quote

[Jonathan Lighter]

Good sleuthing, John.

Here's a guy named Sandy who claimed in 2003 that his "Uncle
Harry," allegedly ER's driver, told him she'd made the short-form joke to
him (privately of course) about "Navy guys":

http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2003/vol7n31/LifePolLegacyRoos-en.html

Eleanor visited the South Pacific, including Guadalcanal, in August and
September, 1943.  There was a story that she'd too-hastily shouted "Yoohoo"
to some naked Marines bathing and washing clothes in a stream.  Perhaps that
story, true or not, provided one inspiration for the "quotation."   Another
plausible influence is the canard that ER hoped the Marines could be kept on
some island after the war until they could be "re-civilized" for release
into society.  Right-wingers despised the First Lady for calling as early as
1941 for desegregation of the armed forces.

One thing Eleanor did write regarding her South Pacific trip was, "I have
seen many a boy hospitalized because he went back for a buddy who was
wounded. When you try to tell them of your admiration of their courage, they
seem embarrassed"  ( Google Books: _Empty without You_, p. 252).


JL


On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 12:51 PM, John Patrick <email1 at folklore.ms> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society
> Poster:       John Patrick <email1 at FOLKLORE.MS>
> Subject:      Re: another fake quote
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Jonathan Lighter writes:
>
>  > "The Marines I have seen around the world have
>  > the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the
>  > highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group
>  > of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the
>  > United States Marine Corps!"
>
> <snip>
>  > The passage seems to have appeared in 2002/03.
>
> One can find it attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt in Edward C. Raymer's
> 1996 book _Descent into Darkness_.  The the author says that Elanor
> Roosevelt said this of SAILORS.  Specificly that sailors "Have the
> cleanest bodies and the dirtiest minds in the world".  See here:
>
> *http://tinyurl.com/muf5x5
>
>
> Another 1997 variant but attributed to marines:*
>
> "the owner of the Club Oro, in Olongapo, P.I. told me that Marines have
> the *cleanest bodies* and dirtiest minds of all the G.I.'s "
>
> See here:  *http://tinyurl.com/nfm8re
>
> *
>
>
>
> .
>
>  ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org