"Marine Corps Times" traces its roots back to the 1940s, when "Army Times", founded by Mel Ryder, had reporters covering the U.S. Army Air Corps and U.S. Army Air Forces. With the creation of the U.S. Air Force in 1947 came the birth of Air Force Times as a separate newspaper. Mr. Ryder began his newspaper career on the staff of "Stars and Stripes" selling and delivering papers to the troops on the front lines during World War I. In 1921 he joined Willard Kiplinger in forming the newsletter service, the Kiplinger Agency. He sold his interest in the agency in 1933 and began publishing "Happy Days", a paper written for members of the Civilian Conservation Corps. His first order was for 400 copies and the first advertiser was GEICO. Next, Ryder started the publication of "Army Times". The first issue was published in 1940 and the company was incorporated the same year.