Keep Your Red Cross At His Side - Army

The Red Cross was a critical part of each of America's World Wars. During the war years, the Red Cross tried to encourage people to donate to their War Fund and used posters like this one to promote their cause. This poster was created in the last two years of the war, when fighting was especially intense in the Pacific Theater. The Red Cross needed all the financial help it could get from stateside civilians to help mend injured soldiers on the bloody battlefields. President Roosevelt called The Red Cross' work at this time the "greatest single crusade of mercy in all of history." Here, a weary soldier stares right into our eyes, pleading for assistance. The dark green foliage and visual hint of a rainy climate are subtle touches that transport us to the jungle warfare of the Pacific. John Whitman, Jr. (1896-1967) was an American illustrator who also served as a corporal in the Army during WWII. His commercial illustration background is extremely noticeable in the several posters