General Douglas MacArthur this election day GDG

[Hew]

Monty was an animal molester and Rommel wore women's panties. And don't even get me going on Zukhov... j/k

I have a question that's been puzzling me for years and have never been able to find out the answer to. A scene from "The War" on PBS last night reminded me of it...

What is the white cream/paste on the faces and necks of topside sailors while in battle or during shore bombardments? Sometimes, in lieu of the cream, you see guys wearing white facemasks that cover the neck too. The only guess I have is that it protects them from acrid gunpowder residue/smoke. Thanks in advance.

[K G]

My guess is zinc oxide.

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/st...unscreens.html

It would appear that it was used to protect the face from flash heat and burns as well as the Pacific sun.

kg

[stoney]

I was watching the last days of WW2 just now on fox history channel and they had an interview with an american sailor who acted as a aide to Admiral Nimitz during 1944/45.Nimitz had a large framed picture of MacArthur on his wall and after several months the youthful aide plucked up the guts to ask the admiral why he kept McArthurs picture on the wall. Everyone knew that the 2 didnt get along. Nimitz stared down at the young ensign and in his slow texan drawl calmly replied
"Son i never wont to forget what a jackass looks like"