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56 pages 1 hour read

“The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1984

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Book 3, Section 4Chapter Summaries & Analyses

“John Houseman” Summary

John Houseman worked for the Office of War Information (OWI). He describes how the OWI operated and was the first “machinery for propaganda” (350) in US history.

“Henry Hatfield” Summary

A professor of German, Henry Hatfield was enlisted by the OWI to give broadcasts in German targeted to the German military and civilians. Henry describes how there was a distinction between “white” propaganda, which was not deceptive, and “black” propaganda, which used misleading tactics. Henry argues that the bombings of Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki were unnecessary and that, since World War II, people have become more wary of propaganda.

“Milton Caniff” Summary

Milton Caniff was the writer and artist of the Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon comic strips. Both strips became popular vehicles of World War II propaganda. Despite that, Milton says “he has never been called a tool, so to speak, of the Pentagon” (360).

“Bill Mauldin” Summary

Bill Mauldi was famous for Up Front, a comic strip about two US soldiers. On World War II, Mauldin feels that the war did not achieve “anything positive” and only “destroyed something negative: Hitler” (362).

“Herman Kogan” Summary

Historian and journalist Kogan describes his experience as a combat correspondent with the marines. He credits his time there as saving him from becoming a snobby academic.

“Alfred Duckett” Summary

During World War II, Alfred Duckett was a journalist who worked for African American publications. In particular, he recalls being pressured by President Roosevelt himself not to be too critical of the United States without actually having his work censored by the government. Alfred argues that the fact that the United States was in a war against fascist and racist regimes like Nazi Germany encouraged demands for equality in the United States itself. While Alfred concludes that the war did cause some progress with racial equality in the United States, racism is still as bad as it was during the World War II era, if not worse.

“Garson Kanin” Summary

Garson Kanin was enlisted to film Operation Overlord, a codename for the Battle of Normandy. He filmed battles as well as scenes at the concentration camps.

“Richard Leacock” Summary

A combat cameraman during World War II, Richard was involved in the US military’s efforts to recapture Burma from Japanese occupation and return it to British colonial control.

“Walter Rosenblum” Summary

A combat photographer, Walter Rosenblaum was sent to Europe to take photos around the time of D-Day. After the war, he returned to take photographs of Spanish refugees in Southern France.

Book 3, Section 4 Analysis

This section focuses on those who participated in American propaganda efforts or served as journalists, photographers, and filmmakers on the front. The very fact that such roles existed, and that an organization like the OWI was established, shows that the US government was very much concerned with its own propaganda efforts.

 

To really understand the significance of this chapter’s narratives, it is important to understand what is meant by “propaganda.” Despite some still widely held preconceptions, propaganda is not necessarily a negative thing, nor is it something only used by authoritarian governments. Further, propaganda can refer not only to explicit works commissioned by a government agency but also works produced with little or no government involvement. Examples from this chapter prove this point, ranging from an official government office to the Terry and the Pirates comic strip.

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