Front:
Civil Defepse mobilizes Americans at home
CIVIL DEFENSE MOBILIZES
THE HOMEFRONT
29
Civil Defepse
Americans at home
SEP
1991
85026
CD
Chis lalle
AZ
Back:
CIVIL DEFENSE
First Day of Issue: September 3, 1991
First Issue Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Seven months before America officially entered the Sec-
ond World War with the disaster at Pearl Harbor, the
Office of Civilian Defense was formed. From the outset,
the OCD was an organization which made good use of
civilian patriots wanting to defend their country. The
agency prepared evacuation and disaster plans, recruited
members to act as air-raid wardens, ambulance drivers
and air-raid spotters. Air-raid wardens played a particu-
larly crucial role in civil defense. The wardens were given
responsibility for different segments of a community and
tasked with keeping all the lights snuffed during the
intermittent nighttime blackouts. They wore white hel-
mets and arm-bands for easy identification. The OCD also
acted as a public information agency, publishing air-raid
“how-to" pamphlets and encouraging its members to take
first-aid training. And although disaster never came to
America's shores during the Second World War, thanks to
the OCD, millions of Americans were prepared to
weather the worst.
No. 91-65
©1991 The Maximum Card Collection
A division of Unicover Corporation Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007
® Original painting for the Maximum Card by Chris Calle
