• Log in
    PoliticsBusinessA&ETransgenderBisexualityReligionFamiliesVoicesVideo
    OUTPrideOut TravelerPLUSADVOCATE CHANNEL
    SubscribeSubscriber ServicesEmail Newsletter Signup
    CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
    © 2023 Pride Publishing Inc.
    All Rights reserved
    Advocate.comAdvocate.com
    Scroll To Top

    By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.

    Accept

    WWII and the Buddy System

    Christopher Harrity

    WWII and the Buddy System

    This photography collection showcases vintage military men enjoying each other's (nude) company.

    My Buddy

    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. 

    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy
    My Buddy

    Latest Stories

    Sen. Edward Durr of New Jersey, Rep. Savannah Maddox of Kentucky, and Sen. Mark Steffen of Kansas
    Politics
    Badge
    gallery

    Here Are the 21 States Trying to Ban Gender-Affirming Care

    20h
    LGBTQ+ Athletes
    Sports
    Badge
    gallery

    27 LGBTQ+ Sports Legends Who Dominated Their Field

    January 13 2023 8:00 AM
    Queer Golden Globes
    Arts & Entertainment
    Badge
    gallery

    14 LGBTQ+ Golden Globes Nominees

    January 10 2023 6:02 PM
    Memoriam
    People
    Badge
    gallery

    In Memoriam: 21 LGBTQ+ Notables Who Died in 2022

    December 30 2022 6:21 PM
    Healey DeSantis Griner
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    The Biggest LGBTQ+ Stories of 2022

    December 30 2022 7:00 AM
    36 Pics of Inhibitions and Shirts Coming Off at Hebro's Jewbilee Party
    Photography
    Badge
    gallery

    36 Pics of Inhibitions and Shirts Coming Off at Hebro's Jewbilee Party

    December 29 2022 3:23 PM
    Queer Saints
    Religion
    Badge
    gallery

    30 LGBTQ+ Religious Saints Throughout History

    December 27 2022 8:01 AM
    best songs
    Music
    Badge
    gallery

    The 12 Best Songs By Queer Artists in 2022

    December 24 2022 11:44 AM
    LGBTQ+ Holiday Movies
    Arts & Entertainment
    Badge
    gallery

    15 LGBTQ+ Christmas Films to Make the Yuletide Even Gayer

    December 23 2022 2:41 PM
    Grindr
    Business
    Badge
    gallery

    Grindr Unwraps Its Sexy & Fun Top Trends of 2022

    December 23 2022 11:43 AM
    Queer Christmas
    film
    Badge
    gallery

    21 Movies That Queered Christmas

    December 23 2022 8:00 AM
    World AIDS Day ball
    People
    Badge
    gallery

    24 Photos of The Center Honoring HIV Awareness & NYC's Ballroom Scene

    December 22 2022 3:00 PM
    Provincetown Holly Folly
    Arts & Entertainment
    Badge
    gallery

    97 Cheery Photos of Provincetown's Holly Folly Holiday Bash

    December 19 2022 4:38 PM
    Crip
    Art
    Badge
    gallery

    Queer and Disabled Lives Beautifully Intersected

    December 18 2022 12:08 PM
    Advocate People of the Year luncheon
    People
    Badge
    gallery

    15 Images of Queer Joy at The Advocate's People of the Year Party

    December 08 2022 8:04 PM
    Susan Collins, Mitt Romney, and Todd Young
    Politics
    Badge
    gallery

    Who Are the 12 Republican Senators Who Voted for Marriage Equality?

    November 29 2022 6:40 PM
    sex work
    Sexy Beast
    Badge
    gallery

    26 Things Gay Sex Workers Want You to Know

    November 28 2022 10:29 AM
    Robert Giard
    Photography
    Badge
    gallery

    22 Photos of LGBTQ Writers, Artists, & Activists of the '80s and '90s

    November 28 2022 9:01 AM
    Queer Big Apple Corps Marching Band
    Voices
    Badge
    gallery

    Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Is Ready to Make Queer History

    November 24 2022 6:00 AM
    Club Q victims
    Crime
    Badge
    gallery

    Photos: Who Were the 5 Victims of the Club Q Shooting?

    November 21 2022 7:35 PM