Men and women in service have many needs, including recreation and education. For thousands of American troops in World War II, the Victory Book Campaign covered both.
Though forgotten today, the campaign was a wildly successful national program to collect and distribute reading material to the armed forces.
Millions of books, including many from Illinois, were enjoyed by the troops, providing a welcome respite from the drudgery and stress of daily military life.
Andrew Brozyna, a California-based freelance book designer, has studied and written on the Victory Book Campaign, and he believes the campaign had a happy effect on men in the field.
“I’m sure they enjoyed having something to read,” Brozyna said. “There’s a lot of downtime for servicemen, and the boredom that comes from having nothing to do. The campaign gave them a piece of home, wherever they were from.”
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The collection of books began Jan. 12, 1942, as citizens were asked to donate suitable books for the enjoyment of servicemen and women. Illinois Secretary of State Edward Hughes declared that “the men in our armed forces are a cross-section of American life. For relaxation and inspiration, they need good books.”
Only books of good quality were accepted. Hughes called for “books that you, yourself, value.” Similarly, donors on local levels were told “no attic cleanings wanted ... give a book you have enjoyed – give a book you would rather keep.”
Illinois was one of the top two states in the number of donations, receiving over one million books in the campaign’s first year alone. By late 1943, the total had jumped to over 2.2 million, divided equally between Chicago and downstate.
Locally, the campaigns were directed by the city librarian, a library board member or a prominent citizen. In DeKalb, the headquarters were at the local public library, though there was ample local support.
A meeting on the VBC at the library Jan. 12, 1942, was attended by local members of the Red Cross, the American Legion and its auxiliary, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its auxiliary, both the Boy and Girl Scouts, the Business and Professional Women’s Club, the American Association of University Women, Northern Illinois University, the township high school, the city’s public and parochial schools, and the Friends of the Library.
Books for the VBC were placed in a “special barrel” at the DeKalb library, and plenty of donations rolled in. On Aug. 5, 1943, the Daily Chronicle reported that the district “has sent 500 books to the camp libraries of this state, 1,075 books to the West Coast for overseas, and 650 books to a southern camp.” The VFW auxiliary also collected magazines for the drive.
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The response was much the same in other Illinois cities. Springfield set a national record early in the campaign, collecting 30,000 books in three hours on one Sunday afternoon.
In nearby Decatur, collection boxes were found in all Piggly-Wiggly locations throughout the city, and many service organizations and women’s groups throughout the city spearheaded contributions.
To the south, the town of Carlinville claimed the honor of being the first in the state to report the delivery of books to one of the state’s 20 regional depositories.
The city of Moline sent handbills to every home in the community, requesting donations. Nearby, the town of Orion mailed letters to every town and rural box holder.
In Peoria, fliers were enclosed with bank statements. In some churches statewide, ministers called for donations from the pulpit. Over 350 Illinois communities participated in the Victory Book Campaign.
“The reaction from the public was very enthusiastic,” Brozyna said. “The organizers made it easy to participate, and anyone, even children, could donate a used book. Everyone wanted to pitch in, and do their part for the war effort. They may not have been able to afford war bonds, but they could donate a used book.”
Deliveries were made on a volunteer basis by trucking companies. Worn-out or unusable books were sold to raise additional money for transport. Other books deemed unsuitable, such as publications for women or children, were sent to five defense areas in Illinois, small libraries near industrial areas and hospitals.
Books were shipped to military camps in nearly every state in the nation and were received with tremendous enthusiasm. In highest demand were Westerns and mysteries, in addition to current bestsellers, recent technical books, joke and cartoon books, and pocket-sized publications. Cash contributions were also received to buy books. Pocket Bibles proved a popular choice for purchase.
One woman donated a copy of Gone with the Wind, with a letter attached: “If the first boy that reads this book will write to me, I will send him a chocolate cake.” Ralph McCoy, the director for the campaign in Illinois, hand-delivered the book to the librarian at Fort Sheridan, “who agreed to plant the book where it would be found by a cake-hungry soldier.”
In an open letter to Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, an alumnus serving as librarian at a training base in Washington declared that “the Victory Book Campaign is wonderful ... (the men) are mad for reading material. If a five-minute break comes, out come the books and magazines.”
• Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Illinois. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.