19th Apr 2008
All about War Bonds
Late in World War II, the US Department of the Treasury put out Mr. and Mrs. America to encourage citizens on the homefront to buy war bonds.
Full of images of death and more death, it also offers optimistic promise that eventually this will be over. The bond not only wins the war, but secures the peace. “The America To Be: Where will you stand in it?” I loved seeing immigrants and minorities included in the testimonials of bond buyers, but the dull narration by the head of the Treasury rather ruined its impact.
One thing odd about “modern” wars is how little involvement is asked of civilians. Unlike wars before 1950, today there is no request for Americans to sacrifice or participate. Obviously we all pay for it with our taxes, but that’s somewhat indirect; it’s not immediate, like growing a Victory Garden, rationing, or conserving fuel. The burden today falls almost fully on military families, and is almost fully emotional.
I always loved Bugs Bunny belting out, “Any boooooonds today?” to promote war bonds. It was a great commercial short, and I think the song also included the line, “Buy a share of freedom, today!”