During World War II, the United States Army Air Corps (which would later break off and form its own branch — i.e. the U.S. Air Force we know and love today) had a “First Motion Picture Unit”. A unit devoted entirely to make films (some might label them “propaganda” but nonetheless) that would in theory boost morale and the collective spirit of the American people during turbulent and often meager wartime conditions.

The First Motion Unit wasn’t a ragtag outfit, either. It was essentially an all-star team, assembled to kick ass and take names when it came to the art of movies and their ability to invoke catharsis, persuasion and overall entertainment — with a purpose.

Wait until you hear this lineup, via Esquire:

It’s a Wonderful Life director Frank Capra spearheaded the initiative. He created the cartoon character named “Private Snafu” to teach soldiers everything from security, to proper sanitation habits, to Nazi booby traps. Veteran animator Chuck Jones directed the shorts, with Bugs Bunny voice actor Mel Blanc providing Snafu’s vocals. And for dialogue, Capra turned to none other than Army Captain Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss.

That was the supergroup. With Geisel on drums. Err, words. And oh was he versatile. Far from the cutesy, playful rhyming he would cement his legacy with through children’s books that are as timeless and cherished in the American lexicon as the works of Twain, Hemingway or Faulkner — “Dr. Seuss” exercised a whole different set of creative muscles with the Snafu cartoons, at the direct request of Capra himself.

What did the legendary director want? He wanted dirty. He wanted crude. He wanted sex. He wanted “busty Nazi spies” and the like. And oh, did our man Seuss deliver.

Take a look at a few examples below — courtesy of the National Archives:

According to the New York Post, several more of these shorts will air this fall on cable television. Check your local listings for time and channel. Or, hop on Pop.