The A.E.F. to the President: 4th Liberty Loan

A wounded, bandaged American soldier with a rifle stands beside a hand-lettered message addressed by the A.E.F. to the President, dated France, Sept. 7, 1918, saying that if the folks at home fall short the troops will go without their pay. The imprint says it was produced for the Liberty Loan committee by members of the A.E.F. The tell of testimonial is that the appeal comes in the soldiers' own voice; identity-fusion is the pairing of 'we' at the front with 'the folks back home'.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Testimonial Identity fusion

Date: 1918
Period: First World War
Made by: Liberty Loan Committee (poster originated and produced by members of the American Expeditionary Force); printed and donated by Robert Gair Company, Brooklyn
Region: North America
Country: United States
Medium: Poster
Issuer type: State
Regime: Wilson Administration
Leader: Woodrow Wilson
Audience: Domestic public
Purpose: Fundraise
Themes: War and the military, Economy and finance
Event: World War I
Regime: Wilson administration
Leader: Woodrow Wilson
Source: Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
Source: U.S. National Archives (NARA), RG 4 (U.S. Food Administration), World War I Posters (NAID 512439), retrieved October 3, 2026
Rights: NARA Unrestricted; hosted by owner decision
Liberty Loan Committee (poster originated and produced by members of the American Expeditionary Force); printed and donated by Robert Gair Company, Brooklyn. National Archives and Records Administration, 4-P-192.

Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

STRAIGHT FROM THE TRENCHES. ORIGINATED AND PRODUCED FOR THE LIBERTY LOAN COMMITTEE ENTIRELY BY MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
THE A.E.F. TO THE PRESIDENT:
"If the folks back home fall short on the billions you need, Mr. President, call on us for the balance. We like our pay - but if we have to we can go without it,
Yours for Victory,
A.E.F."
France, Sept. 7, 1918
Sketch by C. LeRoy Baldridge, Pvt. Inf.
on duty with The Stars and Stripes
Official publication of the A.E.F.
4TH LIBERTY LOAN
F.309
PRINTED AND DONATED BY ROBERT GAIR COMPANY, BROOKLYN, N.Y.

The letter is hand-lettered on the sheet. 'F.309' at lower left is a printer's or edition mark.