Match their courage with your responsibility
Painting of three helmeted soldiers firing a machine gun amid shell bursts, with the headline and a block of slogans asking those who pack overseas shipments to mark them correctly. The soldiers' courage is set beside the packer's task (transfer). A six-panel strip below shows crates marked wrong and a one-line RESULT for each.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. War Department; painting signed Schlaikjer, printed by Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul, Minn.
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- War and the military, Home front, Labor
- 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. War Department. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1338 (NAID 514992).
Text on the object
MATCH THEIR COURAGE... WITH YOUR Responsibility OVERSEAS SHIPMENTS MUST BE MARKED RIGHT * THE ARMY MARKING SYSTEM IS EASY TO APPLY IF YOU FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS ... IF YOU DON'T KNOW ASK THE BOSS [signature: SCHLAIKJER 1943] (c) WAR DEPARTMENT, U. S. A. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SHIPMENTS ARE MARKED WRONG -> WATCH SERVICE COLORS Quartermaster shipped typewriter. Quartermaster color is green, by mistake corners painted Ordnance Yellow. The word "Typewriter" is illegible. RESULT: Tank unit expects tank parts; Gets typewriter instead! CHECK AND DOUBLE CHECK OVERSEAS ADDRESS-- This equipment belongs to Air Force Combat Unit 1234-A, but careless marking sent it to Air Force Administrative Unit 1324-A. RESULT: Squadron Headquarters has no use for items received, while the Unit they were intended for-some 3,000 miles away, can't get them soon enough. BE SURE TO STENCIL CONTENTS The Half Moon indicates Subsistence, but who can tell what's inside when contents aren't marked on the box. RESULT: They wanted canned peaches-- Found corn starch instead. MARK THE SET MARKS Two boxes started on this journey, but the marker forgot to stencil Set Marks, and boxes became separated. RESULT: The X-Ray machine arrived, but it is useless without the tube shipped in the second box. NOMENCLATURE MUST BE COMPLETE Whoever marked this box put down "OIL" and stopped short. One kind of oil is no substitute for another. RESULT: These boys can't run their vehicle on salad oil when Medium Lubricating Oil is needed. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING! Old container was used, but old markings were not obliterated. Different service colors incorrectly placed are confusing. True weight isn't shown. Contents and overseas destination typed on a small label and no where else, and no packing list attached to show actual mixed items inside container. RESULT: Hungry soldiers want butter - Find bandages instead. [crate markings in the panels, partly legible: WT-50 CU-10; WT-150 CU-12 A-8 FOR-1324-A; HQS 1st SQN; WT-120 CU-10 MACHINE X-RAY STOCK # 60880 (LESS TUBE) FOR-BOBO-MED II-A68; WT-60 CU-8 OIL; PRESERVED BUTTER (CARTER'S SPREAD); PORT STOCK] [imprint: BROWN & BIGELOW, ST. PAUL, MINN. PRINTED IN U.S.A.]
