Original U.S. WWII Female Marine “Free a Marine to Fight!” Enlistment Poster - 14¼ x 20”

Original Item. Only One Available. During WWII, the need for American troops superseded the traditional draft conscripts. Congress passed special legislation to allow women to serve in four units: the Women's Army Corps (WAC), the Navy Women's Reserve (WAVES), the Marine Corps Women's Reserve, and the Coast Guard Women Reserves (SPARS). Here, we see a professional and concentrated Reserve member, dutifully inspecting a Marine plane for battle. She was Veronica Byrnes Bradley (1923-2018), who began her service repairing planes in California. She would eventually be rewarded the World War II Victory Medal and the Connecticut Wartime Service Medal.

‘Free a Man to Fight’ – the  call to arms in  February 1943 when the Women’s Reserve (WR) of the United States Marine Corps was activated.  The first WR reported to Marine Corps Base (MCB) San Diego in September 1943 and more arrived virtually every week.   By February 1944 there were 3000 WR serving in the San Diego area, at MCB, with Marine Air units at North Island, at Camp Elliot (now MCAS Miramar), Camp Mathews (now the site of the University of California at San Diego), and a myriad of smaller postings through the county.

This is a fantastic example of the scarce “Free a Marine to Fight” enlistment poster, without any damage or even fold marks that we can see! The color is very well-retained, and this example would look fantastic framed.

Comes ready to be framed and displayed.