Welcome to the Navy Trivia section. Every so often I will ask a question about the Navy or a famous sailor. Remember, it's not important that you get the answer correct. What is important is that you remember this Navy information so you can pass it along to others....... GO NAVY!

I am a famous sailor, who am I?

I am Norman Rockwell,  20th-century American painter and illustrator, and a United States Navy Sailor!

Norman Rockwell was born in New York City, New York on February 3, 1894.  He grew up in New Rochelle, New York.

In 1918, shortly after the United States entered World War I,  Rockwell who was twenty-three attempted to enlist in the U.S. Navy but was refused entry because, at 6 feet tall and 140 pounds he was seventeen pounds underweight. The doctor on duty was allowed to waive the first ten pounds. So Rockwell had to gain seven pounds to be eligible to enlist.

The "treatment" for being underweight was a quick diet of bananas, doughnuts and water. Several hours and seven pounds later, sloshing and dizzy, he weighed enough to enlist the next day. Norman was officially a sailor!

The skinny, young sailor reported in to the hot and humid Naval Training Camp at the Charleston Navy Yard on 23 August 1918. Being from New Rochelle, New York, the Lowcountry South Carolina weather must have been a eye opening experience for the young artist.

His original orders were to take him to Queenstown,  Ireland, where he would be assigned "landsman for quartermaster" were his duties required that he paint and varnish the insignia on airplanes but a German submarine off the East coast detoured his ship, the USS Hartford  (steam frigate), to Charleston, SC.

While awaiting a duty assignment, several personnel noticed his portraits drawn while waiting and he was assigned to draw cartoons and making layouts for "Afloat and Ashore", the Charleston Navy Yard's official publication. The work only took him two days a week and the rest of the time he could work on anything he wanted as long as it related to the Navy. So he continue doing his paintings and illustrations for the Post and other publications while in the Navy.  Below is the cover for the Saturday Evening Post published 18 January 1919.

Seaman Rockwell survived the 1918 "Spanish Flu" pandemic while stationed at Charleston and eventually moved his studio on the base to the Commanding Officer's site of employment on the USS Hartford, Admiral Farragut's famous Civil War ship -- "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" and was promoted to Petty Officer Third Class.

Here is self portrait of Norman:

Not long after his transfer to Commander Ellis's staff, the war ended on 12 November 1918 and Norman Rockwell was granted an immediate discharge from the Navy and a civilian once again. 

 Here is a picture of Norman getting his discharge:

After the Armistice,  Rockwell returned to full-time illustrating. As well as magazine work, Rockwell became involved in designing advertising campaigns. The big money of the era was in advertising art. Foodstuffs had been one of the first customer products to be branded. In the 1920s, a new, modern wave of edibles hit the mass market, with a corresponding demand for artwork to sell chewing gum, soft drinks, and candy.

During his long career, he was commissioned to paint the portraits for Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. For "vivid and affectionate portraits of our country," Rockwell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America's highest civilian honor, in 1977.

Rockwell died November 8, 1978, of emphysema at age 84 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. First Lady Rosalynn Carter attended his funeral.

In this classic painting, Sailor Dreaming of Girlfriend, Rockwell gives us a glimpse into sailor life during the First World War.

Notice in the lower left it says: Norman Rockwell, U.S.N.R.F. (U.S. Naval Reserve Forces).

- In this illustration, he shows two of his comrades, fellow sailors away from home, but not actually in the thick of the War.

- The big fellow on the right is smoking his pipe and looking downward to his friend.
- The big fellow has lots of tattoos. His left hand has the Navy anchor with the initials USN, for United States Navy, underneath.
- The number 1908, presumably when he enlisted, is tattooed on his left wrist.
- His right wrist, however, keeps with the theme of this painting.
- Tattooed on his right wrist is MARY, the name of his sweetheart.
- On the back of right hand is a heart and the initials MB. 

Rockwell also produced humorous covers for the Saturday Evening Post during the war. A good example of this is Tattoo Artist that appeared on 4th March, 1944. In the painting the tattoos is in the process of crossing out the names of girls already displayed on the arm of the sailor. The work makes fun of sailors who had the reputation of having a different girlfriend at every port.

Here is my favorite Norman Rockwell painting...

A painting of Norman, painting Norman painting. (Wow, say that fast 10 times)

Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell painted that picture!