Pillow tops were popular souvenirs given by servicemen to loved ones during the war. Usually decorated with patriotic motifs and poems to “Sweetheart” or “Mother,” these mementos used the flag to symbolize and reinforce the emotional bonds of home, family, and nation.

This cover commemorates the Tennessee Maneuvers, battlefield training exercises conducted from 1941 until 1944. One of five areas in the United States selected for large-scale army maneuvers, the terrain of Tennessee most resembled that of planned areas of combat in Western Europe. Because the training grounds covered 15,000 square miles, many of the men came to know the farm families living there. In some cases, friendships between the families and soldiers continued through the war.

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