If all American citizens could see for themselves the great good that their Red Cross contributions do for our fighting forces, there would never be any slightest question as tot he sufficiency of Red Cross funds.

The Red Cross has been working in my Command for many months. I have seen it in cities, in bivouacs and at the front - in fact, it is everywhere that Americans are fighting or training to fight for the preservation of democratic ideals. You have been told time and again about the material things that it does for our people in uniform. You have heard about Red Cross clubs with their heart-warming welcome and clean entertainment for tired men. You know that Red Cross workers appear at every point throughout a theater of war with music, movies, reading material doughnuts, coffee, cigarettes - almost anything and everything to meet a soldier’s unexpected needs at odd moments.

But the basic good done by the Red Cross is something of which these things are only symptomatic. In the battle area there is a constant and jarring impact upon the human spirit that is sometimes manifested in just plain homesickness and at other times leads to abnormalities or excesses on conduct. The Red Cross men and women are forever alive to these possibilities and by their unceasing effort they are making it easier for Americans both to meet their war responsibilities and to maintain a record as fine examples of clean Americanism.

The first purpose of the Red Cross is to help send our Forces into every succeeding battle in the highest possible state of morale and determination. The Red Cross concern is in the individual - to help him become an ever more efficient member of the fighting team. It is helping to win this war.

The Red Cross tells the soldier, also, of what you are doing - how you are working and sacrificing - that this war may be won speedily and conclusively. Day by day it tries to keep before the fighting forces a touch of home, to remind them of the things for which they are sacrificing. It helps keep the home front and the fighting front solidly welded together.

As the longer term objectives of this great purpose the Red Cross is helping to bring your sons, brothers, husbands, and friends home to you eventually, sound in body, healthy in mind and strong in spirit.

This is what your Red Cross money is doing. I don’t need to tell you it is a good investment. I am sure that every American man and woman serving under me shares my confidence that when you understand these things the Red Cross drive for funds will be enthusiastically oversubscribed.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER