Larry Wheeler, age 14, of Des Moines, Iowa, for his question:

What is the meaning of G.I. in G.I. Joe?

G.I. JOE was named early in World War II. He was a man in the ranks of the United States Army. The name was fictitious and he could be any man. But he knew why he was called G.I. Joe and he went along with the joke. It all started when great numbers of young men joined the armed services for training.

All of them were given .any clothing and equipment, for no one expects a soldier to go to war at his own expense. The Army's term for this was general issue clothing and equipment. Everything they wore and carried was G.I. or general issue material and the young soldiers began to call themselves G.I. JOES.