W H A T C A N I D O ?
I S S U E
D B Y T H E O F F I C E O F C I V I L I A N D E F E N
S E
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War changes the pattern of our lives. It cannot change
our way of life, unless
we are beaten. The kids still play baseball in the
corner lot—but they knock off
early to weed the victory garden, cart scrap paper to
the salvage center, carry
home the groceries that used to be delivered. The
factory whistle blows—but it
calls three shifts of workers instead of one. The
daily paper still has comics, but
it’s the front page that carries the answer to the
urgent question “how are we
doing?” All over America there’s a new tempo, a new
purpose, a new spirit.
Hard work isn’t bad—it’s a badge of courage. That “old
clothes look”
doesn’t matter. It’s smart to be mended. “Sorry m’am,
we can’t get any more
of those.” Good! That means materials are going where
they belong—into war
weapons.
Only one thing worries us.
“I’m too old to fight!”
“I’m too young to fight!”
“I’m busy all day cooking and cleaning and mending.”…
But this is your war—and your part in it is clear. You
don’t need spare time.
You need imagination to see the connection between
tasks which to you may
seem small and unimportant—and winning the war.
You need understanding, resourcefulness,
self-discipline, determination, and
love of America.…
Conservation is a war weapon in the hands of every
man, woman, and child.
And here are two simple rules for using your weapon:
1. Get along with less—Every time you decide not
to buy something, you help
to win the war. Be tough with yourself in making each
decision. Luxuries are
out, and lots of things we used to think of as
necessities begin to look like
luxuries as we get more and more war-minded.
2. Take good care of the things you have. Most of the
comforts and
conveniences you now enjoy will have to last you for
the duration. It’s only
common sense to make them last as long as possible.
But there is no need to
become frantic about your possessions, or to attach
too much importance to
them. That kind of thinking leads to a wild scramble
for possessions and then to
hoarding. In wartime, hoarders are on the same level
as spies; both help the
enemy.
War production goes faster when home life runs
smoothly, and so it is a good
idea to keep our homes and personal possessions in
good order and repair. Do
it now—don’t wait until your things are past
repairing. The more shipshape and
tidy we keep our homes and personal possessions the
less we will feel the need
to buy new things.
Most people understand the why of conservation,
but they want to know
how—how to
get on without, how to use less so as to contribute to the war
supply, how to save, substitute, and salvage. Here are
some of the “hows.”
Consider, for example, a material so scarce that
civilians will not get any
more of it for the duration—rubber. Rubber is high up
on the list of things we
must contribute to the war.
We have been slow in changing our driving habits.
Toll-bridge receipts were
higher in January 1942 than in January 1941. This news
must have pleased
Hitler. It is bad news for Americans—as bad as losing
a battle.
We are beginning to do much better. Pleasure riding is
out for the duration.
As of today we must pool our cars for necessary use,
for driving to work, to
school, to the shops. We must share necessary rides
with our friends and
neighbors so that no car goes on the road with even
one empty seat. The empty
seat is a gift to Hitler.…
Make a thorough search of your closets, attic, cellar,
and garage. You will be
surprised at the amount of useless metal, rubber,
rags, and paper that can be
salvaged. Have a special place to put each kind of
salvaged material. The
children can help.…
V
- H O M E S
Millions of Americans are fighting this war in their
homes every day in the
week, every week in the year. They are doing millions
of hard jobs, full chores,
making millions of small sacrifices. They are saving
and salvaging, conserving
and converting. They are foregoing small pleasures,
putting up with
inconveniences and annoyances. They are doing these
things freely and gladly
because they understand the meaning of their fight for
freedom: freedom for
themselves, their children, and the America they love.
These steadfast and devoted people receive no medals,
no citations. They do
not ask for recognition, but they deserve it, not only
in justice to them, but as an
incentive to go on working for victory. The road is
long and hard, and all of us
need cheer and encouragement.
The V-Home award is a badge of honor for those
families which have made
themselves into a fighting unit on the home front. If
you and your family have
earned such an award, you are entitled to put the
V-Home certificate in your
window. You will receive the award from your local
Defense Council. If you
and your family have not yet enlisted on the home
front you can join today—the
greatest civilian army in American history.
The V-Home certificate means something: it has to be
earned. This is what it
says:
T H I S I S A V - H O M E !
We in this home are fighting. We know this war will be
easy to lose and hard
to win. We mean to win it. Therefore we solemnly
pledge all our energies and
all our resources to fight for freedom and against
fascism. We serve notice to all
that we are personally carrying the fight to the
enemy, in these ways:
I. This home follows the instructions of its
air-raid warden, in order to
protect itself against attack by air.
II. This home conserves food, clothing,
transportation, and health, in
order to hasten an unceasing flow of war materials to
our men at the front.
III. This home salvages essential materials, in
order that they may be
converted to immediate war uses.
IV. This home refuses to spread rumors designed
to divide our Nation.
V. This home buys War Savings Stamps and Bonds regularly.
We are doing these things because we must to Win
This War .
Source: “What Can I Do” by the Office of Civilian
Defense (Washington, 1942).
Reprinted in America At War: The Home Front,
1941–1945, edited by Richard
Polenberg (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall,
Inc., 1968), pp. 8–11.