And if our lines should form, then break (a U.S. Marine)
Painted scene of a bandaged Marine firing a pistol from cover in a burning jungle, with a prose message over it. The text, signed 'a U.S. Marine', asks whether producers will 'take the blame' for supplies that never came. The technique is testimonial, an unnamed fighting man addressing workers, with an implied accusation of blame.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- General Cable Corporation
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Corporation
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, War and the military, Labor
- 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)
General Cable Corporation. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-399 (NAID 513850).
Text on the object
AND IF OUR LINES SHOULD FORM, THEN BREAK BECAUSE OF THINGS YOU FAILED TO MAKE THE EXTRA TANK, OR SHIP, OR PLANE FOR WHICH WE WAITED ALL IN VAIN AND THE SUPPLIES WHICH NEVER CAME WILL YOU THEN COME AND TAKE THE BLAME FOR WE, NOT YOU, WILL PAY THE COST OF BATTLES YOU, NOT WE, HAVE LOST a U.S. Marine [signature:] [illegible] [imprint:] © GENERAL CABLE CORPORATION
