Mama, what did you do in World War Two?
Newspaper-style cartoon headed 'Life's darkest moment': a young girl asks her seated mother, 'Mama, what did YOU do in World War Two?' with the caption 'The question Papa dreaded in World War I'. A red hand stamp adds 'Womens Army Corps', turning the cartoon into a recruiting sheet. The fear-appeal is anticipated shame before one's own child.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Women's Army Corps (red stamp); cartoon by Webster, N.Y. Tribune Inc.
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Mixed
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Recruit
- Themes
- Gender and suffrage, Home front, 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)
Women's Army Corps; N.Y. Tribune Inc. cartoon. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1329 (NAID 514976).
Text on the object
LIFES DARKEST MOMENT MAMA, WHAT DID YOU DO IN WORLD WAR TWO ? THE QUESTION PAPA DREADED IN WORLD WAR I Womens Army Corps U.S. Information Bldg 1400 Penn Ave. N.W. [signature: WEBSTER + C.D.] [imprint: (c) 1943 N.Y. TRIBUNE INC.]
