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(top right) With its visual
emphasis on the victorious outcome of a conflict at sea, this exciting
graphic uses a typical wartime exhortation to reflect the central role
of the Submarine Service in carrying the fight to the enemy.
(top left) Although the overt
suggestion that serving in an elite submarine unit will win you
admiration may seem outdated today, those were simpler times, and the
nation was fighting for its life. Celebrated magazine illustrator Jon
Whitcomb (1906-1988) served as a Navy combat artist in the South Pacific
and produced this poster for the Recruiting Command.
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America's response to the events of
September 11th is strongly reminiscent of the upwelling of patriotic
fervor that followed the Pearl Harbor attack at the beginning of World
War II. The Submarine Force recruiting posters of that era, while
providing a nostalgic glimpse of those simpler times, also conjure up a
sense of the nation's wartime intensity and reflect many of the same
themes that recur in today's recruiting advertisements - pride,
patriotism, dedication, and the special distinction that comes from
serving in an elite and technically-demanding organization.
As a result
of the Navy's recent recruiting efforts, 4,329 enlisted Sailors and 426
officers joined the Submarine Force in FY 2001, with officer accessions
rising consistently for the past several years and exceeding recruiting
goals for the first time since 1990. These new submariners volunteered
to join our ranks for a variety of reasons - increased responsibility,
technical challenge, education and training opportunities - but like
their World War II counterparts, a common denominator remains the desire
to serve the nation in an elite, professional community at the tip of
the spear.
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(left) Even 60 years ago,
the promise of learning skills useful in peacetime was a strong
inducement to join the Submarine Service.
(right) Today's recruiting
posters - exemplified by this dynamic and colorful photo-montage
- may not have the artistic impact of their earlier
counterparts, but the same message of pride and dedication still
comes through. |
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