The jewel robbery is a surprising twist.

Two more WW2 texts:

The Miami [Fla.] Daily News (Jan. 31, 1943), p. C-12:

                           

                  World War II Inspires New Song Themes

The chicken that they give us,
They say is mighty fine;
But one jumped off the table
   And did a double time.
I don’t want no more of this Ar-mee,
Yipee [sic] I want to go home.

The biscuits that they give us,
   They say are mighty fine,
But one fell off the table
   And killed a pal of mine.
I don’t want no more, etc.

The details that they give us,
   They say are mighty fine;
The garbage that we pick up,
   They feed us all the time,
I don’t want no more, etc.

The sergeants that they give us,
   They say are mighty fine;
They make us count the cadence
   And give us double time.
I don’t want no more, etc.

The women that they give us,
   They say are mighty fine;
The most are over ninety,
   The rest are under nine.
I don’t want no more, etc.

*************************

The Mitchell [Ind.] Tribune (July 8, 1943), p. 5:

[From] Cpl. Clarence Pruet, 172d Ordnance Dept. Co., Camp Adair, Oregon….:

I like the G.I. coffee, like it mighty fine; Good for cuts and bruises, just like iodine.

I like G.I. biscuits, like them mighty fine; One rolled off the table, and killed a pal of mine.

I like G.I. payday, it is mighty fine; Pay you 50 dollars, and dock you 49.

I like the G.I. haircuts, they are surely fine; Peels you like an onion, makes your bald head shine.

I like the G.I. blankets, they are pals of mine; But they are only five feet long; I am five feet nine.

I like the G.I. orders, they are sweet and kind; If it’s not “inspection arms” it’s “straighten up that………line.”

And, Oh, those G.I. mess kits, from which we all do dine; Spent seven hours rubbing mine, the ………..thing still won’t shine.

There is a G.I. article for which I really pine; That’s a two weeks furlough, to that old home of mine.

*****************************

A letter from Miami Beach, published a week earlier in Time (June 7, 1943), has the first three stzs. (only) exactly as above (except in correct form and correctly punctuated). It adds the refrain,

“Gee, Ma, I want to go, gee, Ma I want to go
Gee, Ma, I want to go home.”