July 1942 was a critical
month on the American home front. The Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor, followed by a series of U.S. defeats in the Pacific,
left many feeling demoralized, vulnerable, and afraid. The government
was in desperate need of a plan to boost morale and raise funds
for the war. After a brief surge in response to Pearl Harbor,
war-bond sales had dropped dramatically.
As war production expanded, bringing economic recovery to
some industries, others, like publishing, were threatened
by material shortages and restrictions. The magazine industry’s
flag-cover campaign, allied with the Treasury’s war-bond
program, was a direct response to the uncertainties of the
time.
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