Over the last two centuries, America's soldiers have been given several nicknames, among them "yanks," "grunts," "doughboys," and "Johnny Reb." However, none of those nicknames has had the staying power of the nickname "G.I." Derived from the words "government issue," the term "G.I." emerged in World War II and gave birth to its own masculine and feminine forms, "G.I. Joe" and "G.I. Jane." It was even attached to one of the most famous educational bills in American history, the G.I. Bill. At one point, the military tried to rid itself of the name G.I. claiming that it dehumanized the people to whom it referred. Military manuals and pamphlets began substituting the supposedly more favorable term "service members." But the public would have none of it. Newspapers, radio, television, and most importantly, World War II veterans themselves clung to the nickname. Particularly for the veterans of World War II, being a G.I. was a badge of honor, and they were not about to give up the name.