Always be careful: the A-B-C of every ordnance worker
Industrial safety banner: huge three-dimensional letters A, B and C in red, grey and blue spell out 'Always Be Careful', beside the line 'The A-B-C of every Ordnance Worker!'. The technique is faint here: the poster addresses a workforce by its job title and ties the safety rule to that group identity. The Ordnance slogan 'Keep 'em shooting!' appears at lower right.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Ordnance Department, U.S. Army
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Labor, Home front, War and the military
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
Ordnance Department, U.S. Army. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-337 (NAID 513784).
Text on the object
ALWAYS BE CAREFUL The A·B·C of every Ordnance Worker ! [imprint:] U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1942—O—475782 ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT, U. S. ARMY KEEP 'EM SHOOTING!
