xtyfr
CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
Scroll To Top![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20750%20937'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20599%20840'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20726%20425'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20733%201030'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20715%20972'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20750%20497'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20750%20576'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20750%20529'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201017%20714'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20750%20541'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20750%20542'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20750%20510'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20750%20514'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20750%201075'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20722%20878'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![My Buddy](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20750%20661'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
WWII and the Buddy System
This photography collection showcases vintage military men enjoying each other's (nude) company.
In the relatively innocent and emotionally charged days of the 1940s — long before the Kinsey Report detailed how many men were having same-sex sexual experiences — soldiers and sailors were encouraged to form close bonds with their fellow troops. They needed to trust and count on each other — their lives depended on it. Photographer Michael Stokes captured this all-male environment, and his work is compiled in My Buddy: World War II Laid Bare.
Most of these young men were just entering manhood. Many came from landlocked states and small towns and farms. They didn't know the wicked ways of the world. And when it was time to relax, the tensions were explosive. Because you didn't know whether you might live or die the next day, all the polite rules of behavior were shucked along with their fatigues and BVDs.
Cameras were rare, processing nude images even more difficult, so that Stoke's massive collection of more than 500 images of horseplay and fraternity is a treasure. The book's editor, Dian Hanson, is the tall, beautiful goddess of this sex-packed coffee table book for men. Its intro is written by Scotty Bowers, an 89-year-old ex-Marine who is also the author of Full Service, a best-selling memoir of his sexual exploits as a pimp in Hollywood. Bowers talks about how the war forever altered his attitudes about gay and straight.
[Related: See more of Michael Stokes photography of veterans here.]
See more at Taschen.com, and Amazon.com. Check out images from the book on the following pages, all courtesy of Taschen.
Latest Stories
Breckenridge, Colorado’s 10-Mile Pride is an unexpected haven of queer joy
June 30 2024 10:36 PM
11 of Sarah Paulson's Best Performances (So Far)
June 17 2024 3:21 PM
Pines Play lifestyle brand celebrates Fire Island just in time for Pride
June 16 2024 8:30 AM
35+ sizzling pics from Provincetown Pride 2024
June 11 2024 1:17 PM
Top 10 Pride destinations for Millennials
June 11 2024 11:41 AM
Check out these 5 ways to celebrate (and survive) Pride with the kids
June 05 2024 11:00 AM
LGBTQ+ Airbnb travelers rate their top 10 cities
June 05 2024 9:45 AM
Top 10 surprise Pride destinations
May 30 2024 11:30 AM
More Than 50 of Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Moms
May 12 2024 11:44 AM
Get ready for a sizzling summer at Fire Island Pines in 2024
May 03 2024 9:00 AM
Scarlet fever: exploring our fascination, revulsion with blood
March 28 2024 6:45 PM
Go green with envy with 70 pics from Sidetrack Chicago's St. Patrick's Day party
March 28 2024 6:06 PM
Unleash your Winter Party 2024 cravings with these 30+ pics from last year
February 15 2024 3:54 PM
21+ steamy photos of Scotland’s finest gay men in Elska Glasgow
February 01 2024 10:07 PM
2024 Primetime Emmys: LGBTQ+ celebs who walked the red carpet
January 15 2024 8:17 PM
25 pics of hot, shirtless celebs just to remind us of warmer weather
January 14 2024 10:47 AM
20 LGBTQ+ movies coming out in 2024 that we can't wait to see
January 13 2024 2:21 PM
Golden Globes 2024: Take a look at the LGBTQ+ celebs who walked the red carpet
January 07 2024 8:29 PM
Trending stories
Most Recent
Recommended Stories for You
Christopher Harrity
Christopher Harrity is the Manager of Online Production for Here Media, parent company to The Advocate and Out. He enjoys assembling online features on artists and photographers, and you can often find him poring over the mouldering archives of the magazines.
Christopher Harrity is the Manager of Online Production for Here Media, parent company to The Advocate and Out. He enjoys assembling online features on artists and photographers, and you can often find him poring over the mouldering archives of the magazines.