A Snoopy digression (and who doesn’t like a Snoopy digression!)

In the third chapter of Unarmed and Unafraid (see post below), regarding aerial reconnaissance in World War I, there’s a passing reference to Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a. the Red Baron, as one of the fighter pilots that the recon planes had to contend with. This caused a quick mental slide to Snoopy and his Sopwith Camel. I was a huge Peanuts fan as a child and I owned dozens of the paperback Peanuts books. Somehow I picked up on Snoopy’s imaginary scenario here of WWI flying ace. It’s an interesting cultural reference for Charles Schultz to use in the ’60s and ’70s (consider: another Snoopy alter-ego was the hipster Joe Cool).

Anything that causes me to think of Peanuts cartoons makes me happy.