Issue(s): Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #15, Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #16, Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #17
Cover Date: Feb-Apr 65
Title: "Too small to fight, too young to die!" / "A fortress in the desert stands!" / "While the jungle sleeps!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Dick Ayers - Penciler
Steve Ditko / Frank Giacoia / Vincent Colletta - Inker

Review/plot:
George Roussos had been inking this series since he took over from Ayers in issue #4, but with issue #15 he's gone. Ditko inks #15 and then there's isn't really a regular inker for a while.

In occupied Holand (you can tell because of the windmills)...

...the Howlers meet a boy named Hans Rooten.

He doesn't know it, but his father, who is seemingly a turncoat Nazi supporter, is really Agent X, on the side of the Allies.

The Commandos take Hans with them back to the UK with them at the end of their mission.

At the beginning of issue #16, he's referred to as the Commandos' mascot. Normally when you add a little kid to your cast out of nowhere, it's a sign that your sitcom is in its final season, but of course the Sgt. Fury series will continue on for quite a while. Hans is relatively inconspicious anyway, although between him and Bucky i'm wondering if army bases really did have "mascot" kids running around. Kind of weird. But he stays behind when the Commandos are sent back to northern Africa for their next mission.

Their goal is to stop the new Nazi secret weapon, which turns out to be Super V2 rockets. Non-nuclear ICBMs, esentially.

Once again, the Commandos make a short term alliance with a local Arab nomad tribe.

The Commandos blow up the desert castle where the rockets were stored.

Dino's celebrity status almost ruins the Howlers' mission in #15.

His looks also complicate the Howlers' relations with the Arabs in #16.

For the first time in this series, issue #17 is a loose continuation of the story in #16. The Commandos are still in the desert, exhausted and trying to find a way back home, but when they make contact with the Allies they are instead sent further into Africa for another mission.

And that puts me in uncomfortable territory, because that means natives.

And Gabriel Jones dressing up like a native witchdoctor.

Don't worry, he keeps his horn, though.

Gawd.

Quality Rating: D+

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - first Hans Rooten

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: Still taking place during a non-specific (and probably implausible)period during World War II. Issues #16-17 are a direct continuation; issue #15 is just grouped here because it's the way i broke up my Essentials trade.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? Y

My Reprint: Essential Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos

The old western TV show the Adventures of Rin Tin Tin also had a kid mascot on an old West army post.