Percy Crosby did not complete high school because his father became crippled with arthritis and Percy had to become the family breadwinner, working at newspapers for less than $10 a week, walking 15 miles to work since he could not afford trolley car fare. It was during this time that he became familiar with life in the New York slums, the plight of poor children and the corrupting influence of the Tammany Hall political machine. He saw first hand the rampant bribery and fixing of cases while he was a court room artist, which had a profound effect on his political beliefs. He enlisted in the Army during World War I, after contracting with a syndicate to do military cartoons on the battlefront in France, (Between Shots and That Rookie of the Thirteenth Squad, his first publications). He served as a First Lieutenant of the 305th Infantry of the 77th division in action on the Vesle, and in the Baccarat sector. Percy was wounded in battle and awarded the Purple Heart, and Victory medal.
Cartoon by Percy Crosby