Forgotten Posters of World War II

On the day Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the United States had not fully emerged from the dark days of the Great Depression. Now the country had to finance an expensive war. The federal budget wasn’t large enough to fund the all-out effort.

To supplement depleting funds, the government issued war bonds and stamps. Everyone, including overseas military troops, was urged to buy war bonds. They were touted as great Christmas presents. One could feel patriotic with each purchase. People were urged to set aside 10% of their income for them.

Here are a few of the most engaging pleas (including drawings by Norman Rockwell) to buy bonds:

• Bonds would preserve freedom of worship...
  
  
• ...And speech
  
  
• They would buy a new ship...
  
  
• ...Or a new jeep...
  
  
• Why waste money on tobacco...
  
  
• ...When those dollars could buy tanks...
  
  
• ...And build invasion bombs
  
  
• With little sacrifice?
  
  

The campaign was remarkably successful. Americans everywhere bought bonds and funded the war.