Grease Hound Cartoon (1918)

Rebeck family traditions recalled Steven A. Rebeck, Sr. as a cartoonist. However, no one had a record! In 2016, one image appeared - the above "Grease Hound" signed just above the oil spill on the far left. It appears the S is over the A followed by Rebeck. The newspaper is Flights and Landings, a 10 month publication and official newspaper of the AEF Air service in Clermont-Ferrand, France. 24 issues were printed by enlisted men and officers during 1918. The above was on page 4 of the second to last issue, December 1, 1918.

The final issue listed Rebeck as Staff Cartoonist, but no cartoons were included. "The present staff cartoonist is chauffeur Rebeck, local artist, who rose to dizzy heights as a sculptor in the States prior to his enlistment"

Rebeck served primarily as a Sergeant mechanic for the 97th Aero Service Squadron of the Army's Expeditionary Force in France. Perhaps that experience suggested the topic of his one and only signed cartoon figure above. He met his wife during this tour (while on leave in Liverpool, England) and they wed upon her stateside arrival in New York, NY March 1, 1920.

Ironically, Rebeck had envisioned serving in the Aviation Corp in an interview of Cleveland Topics, July 1, 1916 pg 24!