“I DON’T WANT A CRACKER! I WANT TO BE A SAILOR LIKE ME POP!” Said the little parrot, talking back to his mother, as she remembered her long lost significant other and tossed out some choice nicknames for the man (or parrot) who was dutifully serving his country (“seagoing slob”, “high seas hitchhiker”).

To the tiny bird’s credit, the slander his mother offered regarding his paternal unit didn’t stifle his fervor to become a member of the United States Navy. Or did it?

The story takes a funny twist. You can see why they don’t air Looney Tunes for children anymore these days.

You can also see how these cartoons played a role in recruiting. How many young kids watched this parrot and his stubborn determination to become a sailor (even when his mother railed against it!) and thought “gee whiz, that’s going to be me someday if I have anything to do with it!”? We’d estimate it at an unofficial “quite a few.”