DEFEND YOUR COUNTRY WWII POSTER

Major Thomas B. Woodburn (1893-1980), Editor and Art Director of Recruiting News, created this World War II offset lithograph exhorting men to ENLIST NOW in the UNITED STATES ARMY.  But this stirring poster is so much more than just a powerful call to arms. Uncle Sam is shown rolling up his sleeves (having thrown off his jacket and hat) and striding forward with a fierce and determined expression on his face.  He's going to do all he can to defeat the enemy, and he expects everyone else to do the same.  This idea doesn't just apply to enlistees but to all the citizenry: it's everyone's patriotic duty to do all that can be done to support the war effort. 

All of the patriotic images that embellish this poster --- the red and white stripes with the blue field and white stars above them, the fierce eagle flying beside Uncle Sam, and even Uncle Sam's clothing --reinforce this message. 

This poster appeared on billboards across the country and on Railway Express delivery trucks during World War II.  It and the many other posters produced during World War I and World War II remind us of how calls to patriotism shaped public opinion and rallied citizens to support the war efforts.

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