Filename: Pulaski, Ralph W.
PMOS: Armor
SMOS: Transportation, Artillery
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, PA
Grade: O-1

Ralph Pulaski grew up in a blue-collar family; most all of his male relatives were steelworkers. His family installed in him a great work ethic, yet also hoped for him to achieve more in his life. He went to college with the help of the ROTC program, and graduated Pitt in 1941, as part of the school's last Motor Transport Unit. He was called up to active duty that fall, and sent to Ft. Knox for Armor training, where the young Lieutenant was assigned a crew and M3 Stuart tank. Like most US troops, Pulaski served his first tour in the Pacific theatre. Like his hometown football team, who were in the midst of their first winning season (in 1942), Pulaski's dogged determination and success on the field earned him the nickname "Steeler". Although, that he sings the praises of his team with pride probably helped with that, too.

With that success comes a new appointment: After hearing reports of a mysterious mercenary agency, not tied to any government, lending its military power to Hitler's, General Eisenhower and President Roosevelt have created by executive order a top-secret special forces team to join the English in advance of D-Day to aid their fight against Germany and Cobra. Steeler and his crew also have a new toy to play with, an 'experimental', modified M4 Sherman tank.

I think the thing that really inspired me to make Steeler were a couple photos; one from an Osprey guide on WWII tankers, which showed a driver wearing the close-fitting M-1938 under the M1 hardhat. The second was a sculpture of a 3rd Cav crewman sitting on the turret of his Sherman, wearing the tank overalls over his cold weather jacket. The two of these combined gave my WWII Steeler's 'look', but I knew I had to really step up my sculpting skill to get the bib right.

I took my time with the bib, sculpting in stages and letting each one harden before the next: the front panel first, then the back, the straps, and finally the connector rings and the zipper. I also did my best to preserve the stitching found in the source sculpture.

It was a happy discovery that the Crankcase helmet fits over the Barrel Roll. I added a Lieutenant's bar to the M1, and gave Steeler a gold shirt for old times' sake.