You KNOW this animated short was made for the military guys, not for kids, when they tell you right in the beginning was SNAFU stands for.....well, almost. They hesitate of the f-word, shake the camera...and then say "fouled" up instead of what it really stands for, but you get the message. The explanation was there because this was the first of the "Pvt. Snafu" cartoons which had the purpose of giving a common-sense message to soldiers on how to behave during a tense war situation.

"Pvt. Snafu" is introduced as "the goofiest solider in the U.S. Army." Actually, as they explain here, he represents dumb soldiers, guys who mean well but "foul up" all the time. He used as an example of how NOT to do things. Mainly, he just dreams about naked women. (Well, I can't blame him on that one.)

There aren't really humorous, at least today, but they served a good purpose and they part of World War II history, even if in a very small way.

The first of a series of black & white cartoon shorts made for use by the U.S. Army during World War II. The shorts all centered on Private Snafu, an incompetent buffoon who shows soldiers what NOT to do in various situations. The shorts did not have to pass the Production Code so they were usually more risqué than what was allowed in theaters at the time. Mel Blanc did the voice for Snafu in all of them and the directing was handled by some of animation's best at the time. This first one was directed by Chuck Jones and is basically just about introducing the character of Private Snafu. We see how he ignores recommended procedures and daydreams of a curvy blonde stripping (my favorite part of the short!). It's a brief cartoon, clocking in at three minutes. But it manages to make an impact with some nice animation and racy humor.

. . . would attempt to promote an upcoming series with a trailer as lame as COMING!! SNAFU. Fortunately for the U.S. Army, the Boot Camp Training Manual states that if a Commander (that is, a superior officer) such as Emporer Caligua or President Donald J. Duck, orders the Bottom Rankers (aka, "Cannon Fodder) to march into the sea in full battle gear, then "By Gosh, we'll Darn Well do it, Yes Sir!!" Watching COMING!! SNAFU (and its 25 later installments) probably was on par with quick-stepping into the ocean, but usually soldiers would not get as wet during the former activity. "Patronizing, silly, and counter-productive" are among the more charitable terms one can use in describing the Snafu Series. Though this early promo pulls its sexual punches, only presenting human female lingerie, it does not include full frontal female human cartoon nudity offered by many if not most of the Snafu Sequels. (Since a Boot Camper's life can be a bit tiring, this Bare-Brass Nakedness probably was the best way to insure wakefulness during a Snafu cartoon's three-to-five-minute running time.)