by Jason Inman
I came to learn about his legend thanks to the pages of Wizard Magazine, a publication now hallowed because there is no periodical or website that lives up to its legacy. Wizard was the one-stop shop for comic news, and myself being a poor Kansas farm kid with no easy connection to a comic book shop, Wizard Magazine was as good as gold to me. By flipping through its pages, I could learn almost everything happening in the comics world during any given month. The magazine also had large sections dedicated to luminary characters and comic series from the past. One of the characters they touted was the leader of Easy Company, the man known as “Rock.” There was something mythic about him from first glance. Many of the images were of a grizzled man holding a weapon and looking like he had been through hell. What was so mythic about that? It’s just a man on a battlefield. Maybe it was the astounding line art by Joe Kubert, or the fact that I had no idea what war comics were at the time. Either way, this Sgt. Rock seemed like a king among gods.
He is an interesting take on an enlisted man when you think about it. Sgt. Rock is an enlisted non-commissioned officer, and if there is one “real” truth about the military, it’s that enlisted service members are the true power of the military. What are non-commissioned officers? They are marines, airmen, sailors, and soldiers who don’t become officers or go to college to join the military. These dedicated service members earn their NCO rank by promotion through the enlisted ranks.
They volunteer by signing up and jumping into the deeper end of service. They carry the weight. They actually fight the battles and they suffer the blood loss for the mission, similar to former NFL player Pat Tillman, who enlisted in the Army after the 9/11 attacks. He joined where he could do the most! That’s not to say officers don’t deserve their due in the military, because they definitely do. However, any officer worth his salt would agree with me and say the enlisted men do the real work.
Let me set the stage for you from an enlisted man’s perspective, because I was an enlisted man. In Iraq, generally, when we left the base for early morning missions, we would meet up at the God-awful hour of 0400. The squad would gather in front of the various Humvees and semi-trucks that would soon be bouncing up and down the pothole-filled roads of Iraq. Our lieutenant, an officer, would pull out his manual. I never learned what manual this was, but one can assume it must have been a leadership manual, full of Army rules and whatnot. He would spout our objectives and tell us the rules of engagement and various other regulations we would have to follow while on the mission. The very young lieutenant would then give us our departure time and leave. As soon as he was out of earshot, my squad leader, a staff sergeant—my non-commissioned officer—would step forward and say, “Okay, forget all that. This is actually how it’s going down, so we don’t all die.” I remember later asking him why he would bend and change the lieutenant’s orders every time. He replied that rulebooks don’t work in the real world. Their ideas do, but the exact letter and intent doesn’t. Sometimes officers have a hard time seeing this truth. They are told to follow the rules every single time. I tend to believe that, and I will state this: that staff sergeant brought us home every single time. Because the enlisted soldiers carry the squad.
In a further nod to the strength of non-commissioned officers, Sgt. Rock led the war stories at DC Comics. Many of their war comics published at the time when he was first created consisted of an anthology format. Our Army at War #83 in June 1959, featured the debut of the man known as Rock, an Army character who would stay around for years. Rock co-creator and comics legend Joe Kubert once said:
“The day Bob [Robert Kanigher, co-creator] handed me a script featuring a character called Sgt. Rock held no special significance for me—or Bob. Just another war story about an American soldier. I don’t think either one of us ever dreamt that, fifty years later, Sgt. Rock would still be around.”
In the issue, we meet our fine sergeant for the first time, and he’s affectionately called “Rocky.” The sergeant found himself pinned down in a trench with an injured private as the Germans attacked with every weapon in their arsenal. Rocky picked up the heavy machine gun with relative ease and surprised the young private, but Rocky shrugged it off. “I used to work in a steel mill.” The noise of the German bullets ricocheting all over the valley didn’t faze Rock one bit. “No louder than the factory,” he commented. Every aspect of this man was filtered to the reader through the injured private. Even the dialogue propels this character to a higher pedestal; when an officer from the German side cornered Rocky and our point-of-view private Rocky fought him. His fists flew in every direction as the text of the comic read: “He fought as if no one else was in the war.” The captured Germans were dumbstruck. How could this American have defeated their impervious and indestructible officer? The private declared, “Guess he met the Rock of East Company!”
Rocky—or Rock, as he would later be called—was a dynamic figure. He was an unstoppable bull on a battlefield of death and an inspiring ideal for fellow soldiers and civilians alike to look up to. An enlisted man who would protect you. Shield you. March through hell and punch Nazi Germany in the face for you. What else could you need from someone watching your back?
He was born Franklin John Rock in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rock came from a military family. His father, John (also a Sgt. Rock), died from a sniper’s bullet in World War I, and our young Rock was raised by a stepfather. Rock carried on the tradition of serving his country by enlisting at the rank of private in the early days of World War II. During World War II, it was common for men to enlist in the Army. Some would volunteer, but most were drafted. It illuminates a lot about the nature of his character that Rock enlisted. He had every reason not to; experience told him he shouldn’t. His father had been taken by the service, and still, he signed the contract, raised his right hand, and sacrificed his time for his country. In the same way Captain America is the mythical officer who can protect you during the war, Sgt. Rock occupies that same mythical space for the enlisted men. The grunts in the dirt and the foxholes can look up to him. The trainees in their barracks far from home, even the ones participating in wars long after World War II, can look at this character, recognize some of their own traits, and discover motivation capable of seeing them through to the other side.
It might surprise you to know that I did not serve in World War II. Shocking, I know. However, I do have a personal connection. My grandfather, William Inman, was drafted to serve in what would later be known as “The Great War.” He was eighteen years old and, at that time, the head of his household. During his teenage years, my grandfather’s father (my great-grandfather) passed away. He was suddenly left to fill the position of main provider to his mother and his four younger siblings on a small Kansas farm. I remember chatting with him about this when I was about to sign my enlistment. My grandfather told me he was certain they were going to send him overseas when he received his draft letter. With this in mind, he jumped on a bus, as the orders instructed, and arrived at the military processing center. There, he and several other recruits stripped down to their underwear and did the “duck dance,” as he called it. That was his name for all the moving and prancing around in front of military doctors in order to ensure he was physically capable of serving his country. My grandfather passed every test. He was young, he was physically able, and, since he had been in charge of a farm for several years at that point, he would have been a perfect squad leader in the Army. The men in charge did not see it quite like that though. They washed him out of the draft by citing his position as the head of the household. As a result of his father’s death, my grandfather needed to stay at home and take care of his mother and younger siblings. With no other recourse, he boarded the bus and began the very long ride back to his farm. Who knows what would have happened if my grandfather had been sent overseas to World War II? Would I have even been born? I guess I should thank the US Army Draft Board of the 1940s for ensuring my grandfather stayed out of harm’s way, thus cementing m
y later birth into the world.
The world that rejected my grandfather’s service was the same world that needed the example of Sgt. Rock—who did volunteer to serve and is a character you can empathize with as he takes your bruises. He always moves forward. Sgt. Rock is a humanist who would always preserve life, as well as an honest human being. This speaks to one of the problems with the way the modern world views the soldier these days. Soldiers are human beings first. However, most people in their day-to-day life do not see them that way. When you scrape off the scars and damage of war, you will see an honest-to-God human looking back at you. That’s one of the aspects which makes Sgt. Rock so compelling. He’s just a man.
In Our Army at War #83 (1959), the “real” man behind the Rock persona is revealed. The story is titled “The Rock and the Wall.” A few new recruits joined the company to ask the eternal question in all Sgt. Rock stories: “Why do they call him Sgt. Rock?” His loyal compatriots responded, “’Cause when the going gets so rugged that only a rock could stand, he stands.”
One of the new recruits goes by the name of Joe Wall. Also, because this is a DC war comic, he had to be named after an inanimate object as well. If the comic had continued until the modern day, I’m certain Pvt. Cellphone and Sgt. Internet would have signed up for Easy Company. Joe Wall was no joke, however, despite his silly name. He was one tough customer. He could easily take out a German tank with a grenade. Wall lumbered back to the unit, mocking Rock. “He doesn’t look so tough to me.” Sgt. Rock remained silent. If he heard the comment, he gave no indication.
After another vicious attack, Wall and Rock were separated from their unit, but they came across a plane that needed two tail gunners. Being ever-dutiful soldiers, the two men hopped inside without hesitation and cocked the .50-caliber weapons, preparing for a fight. Wall ridiculed Rock all the while. He taunted Rock, claiming he looked tiny behind his massive gun. If you haven’t been able to tell by now, Wall is a terrible person with a big chip on his shoulder. Nonetheless, Rock remained silent. He gave no response to Wall’s ceaseless mocking. The fight soon began. Both men fired on enemy planes. Bullets sprayed across the landscape to protect the flying behemoth they had jumped aboard. Over the course of the fight, Wall got hit. He fell from his weapon. He was not able to stand. He was not able to fire. Wall was out of the fight. He tried to return to his post, but he was physically unable. His injury was too severe. Rock jumped over to Wall’s weapon and maintained cover for his injured battle buddy. In light of his injury, Wall’s thoughts turned desperate. “What kind of soldier am I? What good am I?” he asked himself. In his mind, Wall had given up. He was ashamed. The fight had become a cacophony of bullets flying between the plane he was in and the lone remaining enemy aircraft. Then Rock lifted Wall up, placed Wall’s hands on the 50-cal, and while holding Wall steady, Rock let him fire the killing shot. Wall only hit the target thanks to Sgt. Rock’s help, and he knew it immediately. Days later, with Wall recovered, he was asked, “Why do they call him Sgt. Rock?” Wall replied, “Cause a wall may fall, but not a rock.”
Wall was not the only member of Easy Company to be featured as the comic series continued. Some other notable members under Sgt. Rock’s command include Bulldozer, a giant of a man who was second in command, Little Sure Shot, the Apache sniper who never missed a shot, and Ice Cream Soldier, who was nicknamed that for always being “cool in combat.” These men followed Sgt. Rock through every obstacle, up every hill, and sometimes to their deaths. They tended to be loud in their character choices and flaws and directly contrast with Sgt. Rock, who tended to be quiet and show restraint toward the enemy. Rock would go so far as to extend compassion to an enemy, when they were injured or proved no threat to Easy Company. While the men of Easy Company were typical archetypes of soldiers, Sgt. Rock showed himself to be a human being in touch with his soul. It didn’t matter what situation he encountered, this enlisted man never lost sight of his morals.
In Our Army at War #175, in January 1967, a little girl pushed Rock out of the way of enemy aircraft fire. This brave little girl died from her wounds, and Rock lost it as a result. He was so affected that he collapsed, crying, in the snow of the battlefield. “What kind of crazy war is this—where kids can get hurt because there ain’t no real battle lines,” he asked in between tears. Since he was in the trenches rather than behind a desk, Rock saw the reality of war. He never glorified it. He felt it. The weight of its impact can be felt by the true juxtaposition of a tall titan of war like Rock, a grizzled man carrying the full weight of the war, being saved by an innocent small child.
These are real lessons taught to the comic book reading audience. The value of duty and the value of following the orders of your sergeant because it would keep you alive. The value of honor: if you take a prisoner of war, you treat that soldier with respect. You will care for civilians, you will bury your dead, and you will keep your soul intact. Some of the other service members mentioned in this book fail to grasp these lessons. Sgt. Rock did not.
In subsequent years of stories, Sgt. Rock constantly turns down promotions, instead electing to remain with his men and choosing to stay on the battlefield where he could make a real difference. Sgt. Rock became a permanent fixture in Our Army at War. Every month, comic readers could pick up the issue and the “Rock” of war comics would always be there to guide them through the tricky moral landscape of humanity, while giving them a solid example of what it means to be a good soldier. His influence would change the title itself. In issue #302 (1977), DC Comics renamed the comic to Sgt. Rock as a result of the character’s popularity. The title was eventually canceled in 1988 with issue 422 (1988). (Which is an impressive number for any comic series to hit. Most modern ongoing comic books are lucky to make to 100 issues.)
It was not until several years later that comic book readers would learn about the ultimate fate of Sgt. Rock. In the fourth issue of the mini-series DC Universe: Legacies in 2010, the surviving members of Easy Company held a party to celebrate those who had fought and died in World War II. While drinks were passed around, it is revealed why Sgt. Rock was not in attendance. In the final days of the war, Rock saved a little girl from Nazi gunfire. He succeeded in bringing the girl back behind Allied lines but was badly wounded during the attempt. Easy Company later learned the bullet that took Rock out was the last shot fired during the war. One of the men mentioned how appropriate it seemed, somehow. The men raised their glasses to toast Sgt. Rock, “Here’s to Frank Rock! The toughest, hardest, straightest topkick—most decent human being I’ve ever known.”
When you’re serving in the military, you are always looking for someone to have your back. Someone to show you the ropes. Someone to point you in the right direction. If you’re lucky, that person will be your sergeant. An enlisted man just like you, who was once in your shoes. A man who knows exactly what you’re going through, exactly what you feel, and exactly what you need to hear. The perfect example of that man is Sgt. Rock.
There are so many times when Rock could have lost his way. He could have given up. He could have turned Easy Company into a platoon full of monsters looking to seek revenge. He didn’t. Rock stuck to his guns and led by example. He pulled his Kevlar helmet down to his eyes and got the job done. He’s the perfect personification of the enlisted man in the military. Most enlisted service members know their way is harder. They could have gone the route of being an officer, received higher pay and an easier setup, but they didn’t. I certainly didn’t. We chose the harder road because we were interested in the journey and not the destination. Hopefully, along the way, we met someone like Sgt. Rock—an NCO who looked out for us, or an NCO that we could aspire to be. A soldier who talked to his men like a friend would, not like a boss. Someone who cared, someone who would listen. His stories may look like they’re all about the action, but if that’s what you see, you’re not looking closely enough. The stories of Sgt. Rock are stories of the soul.
Chapter 11
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br /> Batwoman
Defying Definition
Many people think the world of Batman lends itself to a military structure. Batman is the general, while all of his various sidekicks and allies are the lieutenants. They execute his vision of a Gotham safe from crime. However, once you dive deep into the stories, you reveal the truth of Batman. For all his order-giving and structured training, Batman is essentially a free agent vigilante, roaming around Gotham and punching anyone in the face without due process or the legal system to protect him or them. “No Miranda Rights for you, chum!” says Batman. Many stories present him as a rule-breaker who is willing to do anything to serve his preferred outcome, as long as no one is killed. The Dark Knight’s “no killing” rule is the one rule he will not bend. For all the pompous ideas floating around inside his cowl, Batman would make a terrible soldier. There is one colleague in his menagerie who has been a soldier, still acts like a soldier, and is a perfect exploration of the combination of military and comic book superhero storytelling. Let me tell you about the Batwoman, Kate Kane.
Kate is a relatively new character in the world of DC Comics. However, she is a character who confronts modern issues head-on. Kate attends West Point Military Academy, and while there, she learns that cadets can be expelled under the Clinton-era policy of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” which was the United States’ official policy on discharging gay military service members. (This policy was repealed in 2011, after the creation of Batwoman.) This narrative confronts the two conflicting natures of Batwoman, her role as a soldier and her identity as a lesbian. Kate has a complication of identity.
Although I am neither a woman nor a lesbian, there is a facet of this story I can identify with. Throughout our lives, we are constantly meeting people who want to put us in boxes for ease of identification. I believe this has to do with our animal brain trying to identify threats out in the wild. When you meet a doctor, they then transform into a doctor in every aspect of their lives as relates to you. You can’t imagine them doing non-doctor activities, even though they most certainly engage in un-doctorly activities in their off time. Doctors aren’t performing brain surgery on the greens of local golf courses, you know. It’s similar to young children learning that their parents had actual lives before they were born, or more shocking, that their school teachers actually have a life outside the schoolhouse! The very idea seems impossible from within their small spheres. Nonetheless, once a person can classify another person by a single identifying trait, they will, and I’ve experienced this phenomenon as a soldier. It becomes very hard for people to look past the uniform. To see the person behind that camouflage clothing. In fact, it’s often hard to look past it when you are serving. When you live on a military base, often there is no reason to ever leave. Why would you? The base has a grocery store, a movie theatre, a church, and a barber. What else do you need? These amenities ensure that every aspect of your day-to-day life is wrapped up in your service.
