Tommy Atkins

The British War Office in the 18th century used the name "Thomas Atkins" to illustrate how to fill out pay slips. The name stuck for centuries and the term "Tommy" became the name given to the common soldier. British poet Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem for Tommy Atkins noting the double standards soldiers are held to by civilians. Kipling wrote this poem in 1892 to give you an idea that what you see today, on Veterans Day (Armistice Day as it was known to the Tommies who survived the trenches of World War One), are sentiments that have been floated around for a long time, not always to the credit of the promoters. Here is actor Roger Moore quoting the poem: