 James Jones got the title of his book from the poem "Tommy" by  Rudyard Kipling, Kiplings commentary of how "society" looks down on  the military . . . until "society" needs to be defended. A couplet  that contains the line is, "Then its Tommy this, an Tommy that,  an Tommy, ows yer soul?/But its Thin red line of eroes when  the drums begin to roll,"