| We may not like to use the term propaganda
in relation to our own country, especially in time of war,
but the truth is that we needed propaganda during WW2. There is little man can do to
glamorize combat and the resulting death and destruction
that accompanies it. But, the epic struggle of war on 2 fronts demanded
the best face be put forth about our war effort.
Truth is, at the beginning we were ill prepared and ill equipped to fight on almost any front, let alone 2. The focus of the posters below was to recruit young men and women to the service of their country in the military. It was a well known fact in WW2, Korea, and even Viet Nam that those who enlisted rather than let themselves be drafted often got better jobs than those who were drafted and wound up as grunts in an infantry division. My own family is a good example. Dad was drafted. My uncle, on my Mom's side, joined the Army Air Corp and became a fighter pilot in Europe. Both came from the same area, both were farm boys. And, as we have documented in these pages Dad was infantry. The posters worked. And worked well. Part of the reason is that no expense was spared on art work. The best artists of the day were used. Norman Rockwell for one! Hope you enjoy these, and of course we gladly will accept any new material you may have. |
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