Content note: Enemy soldiers are drawn as caricatures with exaggerated teeth and glasses, and the verse says 'Nippon'. This object is shown as it was published. Why
Don't be a dope! Handle equipment right! (Joe Dope left everything out in the rain)
Equipment-care cartoon for soldiers: in a muddy field, a mortar lobs a dud and a rifle round drops short into a puddle, while grinning enemy soldiers in helmets pop out of holes with a flag and a rude gesture. The verse blames Joe Dope for leaving ammunition in the rain so shots 'cause Nippon no pain'. The slogan 'Don't be a dope!' is name-calling aimed at the careless soldier.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1944
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Ordnance Department, U.S. Army; artist CWO Will Eisner
- 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
- Theme
- 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-1143U (NAID 514723).
Text on the object
Joe Dope, friends, has done it again Left everything out in the rain. Now the shell is a dud, Shots fall short in the mud, And hang-fires cause Nippon no pain! Don't be a dope! HANDLE EQUIPMENT RIGHT ! [signature: CWO Will Eisner] [imprint:] U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1944-O-569902 [imprint:] ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT, U. S. ARMY
