For the second anniversary of the Office of Civilian Defense, the office printed a sheet carrying Franklin D. Roosevelt's letter of May 6, 1943 to its director, James M. Landis, with his photograph and signature. The letter salutes "the millions of volunteers who have not questioned their country's need" (NAID 514337).
A letter turned into a poster
A dated banner spans the office's first two years. The archive also describes a portrait photograph of Roosevelt, his signed letter, and a row of civil defense emblems along the foot. The letter has four paragraphs; the last two are excerpted here.
MAY 20, 1941 ★ ★ ★ CIVILIAN DEFENSE ★ ★ ★ MAY 20, 1943
FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
A Message
May 6, 1943
Dear Mr. Landis:
[...]
We have not yet won this war and we must not withhold any human effort in fighting it. Every man, woman, and child must continue to realize that this is an individual, as well as a national, battle [...]
I am proud, therefore, to take this opportunity to salute the millions of volunteers who have not questioned their country's need for their efforts in protecting our bulwarks at home and to remind them that these efforts must continue unceasing until the day of victory is attained.
Very sincerely yours,
[signature: Franklin D. Roosevelt]
Two dates on one sheet
The letter is dated May 6, 1943. The banner marks May 20, 1941 to May 20, 1943, so the sheet was built for an anniversary two weeks after the letter was written. The opening paragraph names that occasion and sets out the office's task as "two-fold": protection against "enemy attack from without" and against "economic and social dislocation from within." The Office of Civilian Defense is the issuer; FRAME files the purpose as "Mobilize or secure compliance."
Thanks, and a hint of what was expected
The second paragraph credits "millions of our own citizens and friendly aliens" who served in the United States Citizens Defense Corps and the United States Citizens Service Corps. The President counted non-citizens among the volunteers, and said so on a poster.
Two phrases ask more. "Every man, woman, and child" must treat the war as "an individual, as well as a national, battle," and the volunteers are saluted for not having "questioned their country's need." The first draws children into a duty. The second praises the absence of questions. A free country can thank volunteers without making unquestioning service the thing it admires. The archive tags transfer and testimonial: the President lends his name and face to a volunteer office.
FRAME object record, From the President of the United States: A Message, 1943. Office of Civilian Defense (message from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Director James M. Landis). Rights as recorded: public domain (U.S. government work).
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, 44-PA-843, NAID 514337, retrieved by the archive 4 October 2026.
