Content note: Photo captions use the period wartime terms 'Jap' and 'Jerry' for Japanese and German forces, as printed. This object is shown as it was published. Why
U.S.A. in Action: ASF Men and Material on Far-Off Fronts
A landscape-format photo montage under the headline 'U.S.A. in Action' shows paratroopers dropping through smoke in New Guinea, guns crossing a pontoon bridge in Italy, an ordnance repair crew in Sicily, Signal Corps men pushing a boat-load up a river, and supplies landing in the Aleutians. Short captions and the slogan 'An Army is as strong as its supply line' present supply work as the Army's strength; the selection shows only successful logistics.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Army (Army Service Forces)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Reassure
- Themes
- 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)
U.S. Army (Army Service Forces). National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-391 (NAID 513842).
Text on the object
U.S.A. IN ACTION ASF MEN AND MATERIAL ON FAR-OFF FRONTS SCREENED BY SMOKE previously laid by fast, light bombers, troop-carrying planes drop American paratroopers behind the Jap lines along the Markham River in New Guinea. Smoke and white phosphorus are two Chemical Warfare munitions much in evidence in today's war. HOT AFTER JERRY. (Telephoto) Guns cross an Engineers' pontoon bridge in Italy, pushing ahead fast on the heels of retreating Germans. "RUSH THOSE SPARE PARTS!" A mobile Ordnance crew does plain and fancy Third Echelon maintenance in Sicily. Notice the variety of materiel here for repair and return to combat service. RIVERS BECOME ROADS. Signal Corps men push a boat-load of radio apparatus up a stream in the Southwest Pacific. Good communications equipment is the only way to keep organized for offensive action. BUSINESS IS BRISK wherever U. S. troops land. Here in the desolate Aleutians, lumber, food, tires and sections for shelter huts are put ashore by the Navy, hustled off by the ever-present Q.M.'s. U. S. ARMY OFFICIAL POSTER AN ARMY IS AS STRONG AS ITS SUPPLY LINE [imprint: U. S. Government Printing Office : 1943 - O - [illegible]]
