[2] Lichtenstein was a trained United States Army pilot, draftsman and artist as well as a World War II (WWII) veteran who never saw active combat.

[5] Lichtenstein's reinterpretation of the original comic image eliminates the horizon line and other indications of depth of field.

as exemplary of Lichtenstein's "aggressive, hyper-masculine war paintings" due to the depiction of the guns creating sound effects and the use of onomatopoeic words during military conflict.

[8] The work is regarded as one in which Lichtenstein exaggerated comic book sound effects in common pop art style.

[9] In the view of critic Steven Weisenburger, Lichtenstein's reimagining creates a tension between the narrative and graphical content because the "exhausted soldiers" are absent.