"Please... get there and back!" Be careful what you say or write
Colour studio portrait of a young woman with a dark bow in her hair, resting her cheek on her fist, above a block of italic type and the line 'Be careful what you say or write'. The technique is transfer: a portrait and a personal plea attach to a security-of-information warning, with the danger itself not shown. The slogan is quoted in the transcription.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- War Department, Adjutant General's Office
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Mixed
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Security and surveillance, War and the military, 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)
War Department, Adjutant General's Office. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1520 (NAID 515186).
Text on the object
"Please... get there and BACK!" BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY OR WRITE W.D., A.G.O., "Girl" Security Poster [imprint: U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1943--O-539260]
