Caption: A Marine Corps German shepherd is comforted by his partner while being x-rayed. Shot by a Japanese sniper on Bougainville, the dog died of his injuries. Date unknown.
"When waging war against each other, human armies often enlist the aid of the animal kingdom. In past conflicts, horses, elephants, and camels hauled men and supplies; pigeons carried messages; dogs tracked enemies and protected troops. Their efforts helped to turn battles—and the fortunes of many a combat soldier." During the second world war, the United States made extensive and notable use with service dogs. Everything from tracking, alerting, attacking, sentry duty, to just being a comforting soul in a time and place where comfort is scarce and safety is only amongst friends. In the pictures in this box you will see servicemen and service dogs in very imtimate and caring settings that could happen between a regular civilian and his pet. Moments that could happen between any human and dog.
Caption: Pfc. Rez P. Hester of the Marine Corps Seventh War Dog Platoon on Iwo Jima takes a nap while Butch stands guard. February 1945.
"The Marine Corps considered breed of secondary importance to the general excellence of the dogs. Those breeds found most suitable were: German Shepherds, Belgian Sheepdogs, Doberman Pinschers, Collies (farm type, with medium length coat), Schnauzers (Giant), Airedale Terriers, Rottweilers, and positive crosses of these breeds. The Eskimos, Malamutes, and Siberian Huskies, were used for sledge or pack use only. Other breeds were considered acceptable, provided the individual dog met the required specifications in other respects." The Marine Corps used these dogs for service, however, the common soldier could have his own dog, or even in some cases a cat or another animal (our sources have a picture of a soldier with his pet donkey in Italy).
Caption: Soldier kneels beside his sitting German Shepherd to point where something is
Caption: Soldiers walking single file with their dogs in the jungle over crushed fuana and dirt with tire tracks.
Citations:
Auel, Lisa B. “Buddies: Soldiers and Animals in World War II.” National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, June 17, 2022. https://tinyurl.com/USNatArchivesAnimalsWWII.
“War Dogs in the Marine Corps in WWII.” MCU. Marine Corps University. Accessed April 25, 2023. https://www.usmcu.edu/Research/Marine-Corps-History-Division/Information-for-Units/Shoulder-Patches-In-WWII/War-Dogs-in-the-Marine-Corps/.
In this letter, John mentions to Margaret that he's been recommended for ASTP. The Army Specialized Training Program (or ASTP), was a program created by the United States Army in December of 1942 to help identify, procure, and project "academically-talented" servicemen. The ASTP used university facilities in order to train specialists for the military in engineering, medicine, language, and other technical skills. Along with the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), the ASTP took over college campuses, accelerating the typical four-year training into a year and a half. By the fall of 1943, more than 3,000 student-soldiers were filling dormitories and fraternity houses. Thousands of soldiers trained between 1943 and March 1944, when the program ended. These men who were chosen could be identified by an octagonal, gold and blue patch depicting the lamp of knowledge with a sword inside sewn onto their sleeves. The lamp and sword symbolized both the physical and mental skills that made these men different than others.
Additional details about the ASTP program are explained in "Birth and Death of the Army Specialized Training Program", linked below.
Citations:
1940s. Stanford Stories From the Archives - Spotlight at Stanford. (2016, August 18). Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://exhibits.stanford.edu/stanford-stories/feature/1940s
“ASTP Program.” 103d INFANTRY DIVISION WORLD WAR II ASSOCIATION. The University of Southern Mississippi. Accessed April 20, 2023. https://103divwwii.usm.edu/astp-program.html.
“ASTP the Army Specialized Training Program and - Marshall Foundation.” Accessed May 1, 2023. https://www.marshallfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ASTP_The_Army_Specialized_Training_Program_and.pdf.
Wikipedia contributors, "Army Specialized Training Program," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Army_Specialized_Training_Program&oldid=1119477974 (accessed May 1, 2023).
The following object description information includes basic elements from the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI). An additional notes field is included to list dates from the actual letter, envelope postmark locations, and any other identifying details.
Cosmetics, Beauty, and Patriotism
In this letter from John, he writes "P.S. In your next letter put some lipstick on and press your lips to the paper. I think that would make me feel a lot better, and It will help me to remember how sweet and what a good job they did." Throughout the war, advertisements encouraged women to see beauty as part of their patriotic duty, and placed that in juxtaposition to Hitler's dislike of "made-up" women. In fact, women in the military were issued a standard cosmetic kit that included a lipstick, cream blush, and nail polish; Elizabeth Arden created the signature color "Montezuma Red" to perfectly match the trim on women's military uniforms. The civilian equivalent of this shade was called "Victory Red", and model / actress Constance Ford was the original "face" of the lipstick. It's not much of a stretch to imagine that Margaret herself likely owned this color of lipstick and could have used it to mark her next letter to John. It should be noted, however, that cosmetics were subject to rationing just like many other goods, so makeup was likely used sparingly despite the government's propaganda encouragement. The article "The Civic Duty of Red Lipstick" provides a more in-depth history of the Victory Red shade, as well as how Elizabeth Arden, Philippe Halsman, and the genre of commercial fashion art combined to emphasize duty and patriotism.
Actress Constance Ford photographed by Philippe Halsman 1941.
Pictured above is the iconic Elizabeth Arden ad depicting the lipstick shade "Montezuma Red".
Pictured below is another Elizabeth Arden ad from 1942, "Frankly, he was Fascinated...". This time the shade "Burnt Sugar" is highlighted, which the ad says is most effective when worn with khaki. Notice the depiction of a military woman, seemingly with a civilian man by her side in the background.
Citations:
Hughes, Patrick Michael. "The Civic Duty of Red Lipstick." IRK, March 29, 2021. Accessed April 25, 2023. https://www.irkmagazine.com/post/the-civic-duty-of-red-lipstick
Patterson, Sarah E. PhD. “Beauty Isn’t Prerequisite for Girl Marines: Images of Female Marines During World War II.” Marine Corps History. Summer 2022. Accessed April 26, 2023. https://doi.org/10.35318/mch.2022080101
Elizabeth Arden. "Frankly, he was Fascinated..." 1942. Ad*Access, Duke University John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History. Accessed April 26, 2023. https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4g737r35