Forensic Research Archive of Manipulation and Exploitation
Are You Guessing? Read Your Army Cook, 1943 US poster: Cartoon food-waste poster

Are You Guessing? Read Your Army Cook

Cartoon food-waste poster: an Army cook in a chef's hat, cleaver in hand, stares at a crystal ball beside a hanging side of meat, under the headline 'Are You Guessing?' and the instruction 'Read your Army cook'. A yellow seal reads 'Food is ammunition, don't waste it'. The technique is faint; the closest is the slogan equating food with ammunition.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Glittering generalities
Date
1943
Period
Second World War
Made by
U.S. Army (Food Is Ammunition campaign)
Region
North America
Country
United States
Medium
Poster
Issuer type
Military
Regime
Roosevelt Administration
Leader
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Audience
Own forces
Purpose
Warn or inform
Themes
War and the military, Home front
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. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-419 (NAID 513878).

Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

ARE YOU
GUESSING?
FOOD IS AMMUNITION
DON'T WASTE IT
READ YOUR
ARMY COOK
[imprint: U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1943--O--546993]

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