At yesterday’s Civil War at Sea Symposium, our host called the audience’s attention to this recruiting poster:
So Robert, you’re the naval expert here…. what’s up with this?
It is a World War II era recruiting poster. Our host pointed out the poster lacks any official US government attributes or stamps, normally seen on Navy Department recruiting posters of the time period. But you must admire the composition of the portrayal – the poster manages to meld several otherwise unrelated themes into a moderately effective appeal. Notice though, in comparison to the dominating appearance of Lee in the background, the US Navy Ensign barely makes the poster, flying from the destroyer. Stands in contrast to this official poster:
Although the US national flag appears prominent in the official poster seen here, that was in no way the “standard.” Many recruiting posters of the war included imagery without the US flag displayed at all. So I wouldn’t put too much weight behind the otherwise limited display of the US flag on the “Lee Navy Volunteers” poster.
I must admit finding little to explain who or what the “Volunteers” were. Quite possible this was simply a group of like minded individuals who planned to “offer services” to the Navy or Navy Reserves in the days before official US entry into the war. Might have been a call for “coast watchers” to counter the U-Boat menace. Would love to know, as such would help explain the symbolism in the poster. Regardless, it appears the “Volunteers” were not directly affiliated with the US Navy, at least initially.
The poster does tell us that even three or four generations removed from Appomattox the marketing experts felt “Marse Robert” could still draw Virginians to the flag… even if it was the very flag they fought against in the Civil War!
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Robert Moore
April 24, 2011
You caught me off guard, Craig… but good stuff.
I’ve seen this poster, and I think it was at the Virginia Historical Society exhibit a few years, but… I’m no Navy history expert… just a dabbler.
A few things come to mind, but we’d be doing little more than speculating. Now, if this were the modern Navy, we’d have documentation coming out the… well, you get it… about why this Lee poster was made, and what the thinking was behind it. Was it made on the fly, as a part of a mad dash run on recruiting posters, created in the wake of a brainstorm session. Was it thought-up by a Northerner thinking that the imagery would appeal to a Virginian, or was it actually made by a Virginia Navy man? So many questions. Then again, the hook behind the poster is is easier to figure out. Would love to know more about the “Lee Navy Volunteers”.
Andy Hall
April 25, 2011
Don’t know specifically about the Lee Navy Volunteers, but early in the war, after the light cruiser Houston was sunk with heavy loss of life, the Navy used that event as a rallying point for enlistment in the Houston, Texas area, and ended up with 1,000 men, ostensibly to serve aboard a new cruiser of the same name. They also raised $85M in war bonds. It was a huge event locally, this mass swearing-in, with parades, military fly-overs, etc. AFAIK the “Houston Volunteers” never served together as a group beyond boot camp (if that), and Wiki says only one man of the thousand actually went on to serve on the new U.S.S. Houston. The recruits were also the namesake of a new Liberty ship built at Houston, Houston Volunteers.
So my guess is that the “Lee Navy Volunteers” were something along the same lines, largely a PR effort (in the positive sense of PR) aimed at playing to local pride and heritage, without any real significance operationally, beyond the recruiting office.
Craig Swain
April 25, 2011
Andy, that is a good point. I am a little familiar with the USS Houston related recruiting. That was an effort sanctioned and promoted by official Navy resources (and some of the same resources used for the “Sullivans” appeals running somewhat concurrently).
Thus far my research has failed to turn up a similar official Navy sanctioning for the Lee Navy Volunteers. Still looking though.
Andy Hall
April 25, 2011
Video here.