“The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II

John Houseman worked for the Office of War Information (OWI). He describes how the OWI operated and was the first “machinery for propaganda” (350) in US history.

A professor of German, Henry Hatfield was enlisted by the OWI to give broadcasts in German targeted to the German military and civilians. Henry describes how there was a distinction between “white” propaganda, which was not deceptive, and “black” propaganda, which used misleading tactics. Henry argues that the bombings of Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki were unnecessary and that, since World War II, people have become more wary of propaganda.

Milton Caniff was the writer and artist of the Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon comic strips. Both strips became popular vehicles of World War II propaganda. Despite that, Milton says “he has never been called a tool, so to speak, of the Pentagon” (360).