Content note: Racial caricature of a Japanese officer with exaggerated teeth and mock pidgin speech ('Him very friendly plane'), as printed in 1942. This object is shown as it was published. Why
America's Alertmen. Learn to Spot 'Em!
Two big-faced cartoon figures: a bucktoothed, squinting Japanese officer says in mock pidgin 'Him very friendly plane' beside a rising-sun-marked plane, while a bewildered American soldier rubs his chin. Headed 'Learn to Spot 'Em!'. The racial caricature carries the name-calling; the unspotted plane is the fear-appeal.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Army, Headquarters Antiaircraft Artillery Command, Eastern Defense Command
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Own forces
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- War and the military, Race and ethnicity
- 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)
U.S. Army, Headquarters Antiaircraft Artillery Command, Eastern Defense Command. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-479K (NAID 513958).
Text on the object
America's Alertmen LEARN TO SPOT 'EM! "Him very friendly plane" [imprint:] FORM NO. 64 8/31/42 THIS IS NO.11 IN A SERIES OF POSTERS ON THE WRONG-DOINGS OF "BENNY THE BUNGLER". DON'T BE LIKE HIM! [imprint:] PRODUCED BY HEADQUARTERS ANTIAIRCRAFT ARTILLERY COMMAND EASTERN DEFENSE COMMAND SANDERFORD JARMAN MAJOR GENERAL, U.S. ARMY COMMANDING
