High-flying descendants of the ship's figurehead, the colorful, non-regulation artworks that decorate the metal skins of combat aircraft are great morale boosters for pilots and crew alike ... (T)he slogans and images used in aviation art, surveying the genre from ... cheeky graffiti; cartoon characters "borrowed'' from Disney, Warner Bros., and Charles Schultz; animal art—from snarling tigers and fire-breathing dragons to predatory sharks and eagles; and that glorious staple of the species, the pinup!

-Nose Art Book Review, by J. P. Wood

Let's face it, if you grew up on Army posts you probably encountered more than a few tanks—working and non-working.

And if you grew up with tanks practically in the back yard, like me, you probably have much more than a passing interest in what they are, what they can do and what they symbolize.