"Keep 'em Flying" is our battle cry! First class fighting men needed
Army Air Forces recruiting poster: the same flag-and-bomber image as the 'duty - honor - country' sheet, with a text panel headed 'First class fighting men needed' and separate calls to aviation cadets (18 to 26) and soldiers (18 and 19, 'aggressive, alert, patriotic'). Flag and aircraft lend national symbolism (transfer); the descriptive adjectives are flattering virtues (glittering generalities).
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Army Recruiting and Induction Service
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Recruit
- 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)
U.S. Army Recruiting and Induction Service. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-37A (NAID 513526).
Text on the object
"KEEP 'EM FLYING" IS OUR BATTLE CRY! FIRST CLASS FIGHTING MEN NEEDED AVIATION CADETS . . . . . Young Men, 18 to 26 Years of Age Inclusive, for Air Crew Training as Bombardiers, Navigators and Pilots. SOLDIERS . . . . Aggressive, Alert, Patriotic, Young Men, 18 and 19 Years of Age, Who Want to Fight for Their Country, Especially Desired. APPLY TODAY AT ANY U. S. ARMY RECRUITING STATION [signature: DAN V. SMITH - ALBRO F. DOWNE] [imprint: P-37-RPB-2-24-42-50M (uncertain)]
