Fruit you waste here! ... may prevent his wounds from healing there!
Two-panel mess-hall poster: cut citrus fruit above, a medic with a wounded man on a stretcher below. The tell is the paired headline linking fruit waste in the mess hall to a soldier's slower recovery, a guilt-based fear-appeal; the small print gives the vitamin C claim as the reason.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1944
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Army, Office of the Quartermaster General (Army Conservation Program)
- 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, Health, 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, Office of the Quartermaster General (Army Conservation Program). National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-847 (NAID 514341).
Text on the object
FRUIT YOU WASTE HERE! .... MAY PREVENT HIS WOUNDS FROM HEALING THERE! VITAMIN "C" (ASCORBIC ACID) FOUND IN CITRUS FRUITS IS AN AID TO HEALING WOUNDS AND BUILDING TISSUE [seal:] U.S. ARMY SAVE CONSERVATION PROGRAM ARMY CONSERVATION PROJECT NO. 112-Q-38 THIS POSTER TO BE DISPLAYED IN MESS HALLS ONLY [imprint:] U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1944—O—608010 OFFICE OF THE QUARTERMASTER GENERAL
