One of my favorite dogs is Snoopy and I believe one of the aspects I love most about this Peanuts character is his ability to impersonate other characters.
With a Walter Mitty complex, one of Snoopy’s most popular impressions is that of a World War I flying ace battling the Great Baron.
He would get on top of his doghouse, putting on his goggles and scarf as he flies in his fighter plane.
We would never see the Great Baron in the cartoon strip or TV specials but we would see the bulletholes through the doghouse as Snoopy shook his fist replying “Curse you, Red Baron!”
In the “Snoopy vs. The Red Baron” hit by the Royal Guardsman in 1966, there is a song about Snoopy being the Flying Ace.
In 1967, Snoopy’s Christmas, there is a song about the two arch-enemies, the Flying Ace, and the Red Baron becoming friends to celebrate a holiday toast. It is played as a favorite on most “oldie” radio stations.
Snoopy is truly an American based on all the ways he has been recognized by his friends all over the country.
A series of postage stamps were released on May 17, 2001 in Santa Rosa, California featuring Snoopy as a World War I flying ace.
Snoopy can be seen piloting his Sopwith Camel in the logo of the Charles M. Schultz – Sonoma County Airport.
The U.S. Air Force Technical Control has immortalized Snoopy by making him their mascot as he can be seen on the Tech Control emblem holding an old analog patch cord above his head as he walks on water.
Snoopy appeared as nose art on several aircraft during the Gulf War and is a popular image in air forces that still allow crews to customize the appearance of their planes.
One of the U.S. Air Force’s B-58 Hustler bombers is named after Snoopy.
The bomber with serial number 55-0665 was the sixth B-58 to be built.
One of the unique features of the bomber is the plane’s big, black nose; however, as most realize most of Snoopy’s big nose is white and only the tip is black.
Below the cockpit of the bomber is a small painted on Snoopy barely visible on the airplane.
The Apollo 10 lunar module was nicknamed “Snoopy” and the command module “Charlie Brown”.
Charlie Brown and Snoopy became semi-official mascots for the mission.
Shultz drew some special mission-related artwork for NASA and at least one regular strip related to the mission, where Charlie Brown comforts Snoopy when the spacecraft named after him was left in lunar orbit.
Someone who works in the space program and goes above and beyond in their efforts in safety and quality can be recognized by an astronaut by The Silver Snoopy, a special honor in the form of a sterling silver pin which has flown on a shuttle mission.
Also, I remember seeing figures of Snoopy as the Flying Ace with his best buddy Woodstock, the little yellow bird who talks in chicken scratches. He also is dressed up like a Flying Ace with a little set of goggles and a small scarf.
After all, even though Woodstock is small he is still important.
Another character Snoopy portrayed was Joe Cool as he put on his sunglasses and leather jacket, leaning against a wall doing nothing.
Joe Cool would attempt to talk with the ladies in the TV special but sometimes his attempts were not successful.
Other characters Snoopy has played include an attorney, a famous writer, an Olympic figure skater, the world famous grocery checkout clerk, the “Lone Beagle” the first dog to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, a much rejected story writer, and even the first astronaut to land on the moon, and even a canine helicopter with Woodstock piloting.
