GI Roundtable EM30 Can War Marriages 1944

🏯 GI Roundtable EM30: Can War Marriages Be Made to Work? (War Department, 1944) — Education Manual #30 in the G.I. Roundtable series, prepared for the United States Armed Forces by the American Historical Association. Illustrated by Peter Arno, the celebrated New Yorker cartoonist. Staple-bound pamphlet in good vintage condition.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: American Historical Association, under the Army Division of Information and Education
• Publisher: War Department Education Manual Series, distributed by USAFI (United States Armed Forces Institute), Madison, Wisconsin
• Year: 1944
• Format: Staple-bound pamphlet, 21+ pages, illustrated
• Illustrator: Peter Arno (Curtis Arnoux Peters Jr., 1904–1968)
• Series: G.I. Roundtable, EM30
• Condition: Full report below

THE STORY

Part of a 42-pamphlet series commissioned by the U.S. Army between 1943 and 1945, the G.I. Roundtable publications were designed “to increase the effectiveness of soldiers and officers as fighters during the war and as citizens after the war.” The series was prepared under the direction of the American Historical Association’s Historical Service Board, led by director Theodore C. Blegen (University of Minnesota) and later Guy Stanton Ford. Topics ranged from foreign policy to economics to — as in EM30 — the personal and social challenges soldiers faced.

EM30 tackles the wartime marriage question head-on: What happens when service members marry quickly before deployment? The pamphlet examines the psychological pressures driving hasty marriages, the statistics of wartime divorce, and practical advice for couples navigating separation, idealization, and reintegration. It covers mate selection, family compatibility, financial expectations, and the reality that “three-fourths of all marriages are rated happy” — even under wartime conditions.

THE ILLUSTRATIONS

The cover features a bold orange, blue, and white design with Peter Arno’s signature cartoon of a soldier and his bride. Inside, Arno’s black-and-white editorial cartoons punctuate the text: a newlywed couple with competing inner monologues (“She’ll be less apt to notice other men if she’s married to me” vs. “This is probably my last chance to get a man!”), a soldier returning home (“Remember me? I’m the guy you married!”), and a couple mid-quarrel under the heading “Recommended: A Good Fight (Now and Then).” Arno (1904–1968) contributed 101 covers and hundreds of cartoons to The New Yorker over 43 years, and his wartime government work is a less-known but significant part of his career.

WHY IT MATTERS

• One of 42 pamphlets in the G.I. Roundtable series — the only social-science education program of its scale run by a major academic association for the U.S. military during WWII
• Peter Arno illustrations elevate this above typical military ephemera; Arno is one of The New Yorker’s most celebrated cartoonists alongside James Thurber and Charles Addams
• The series was printed on “exceptionally cheap wartime paper” (per the AHA) that is actively degrading — physical survivors are increasingly scarce
• Full digitized copy available at Archive.org confirms this is public domain material (prepared under federal contract)

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What series is this from? The G.I. Roundtable series, 42 pamphlets prepared by the American Historical Association for the War Department, 1943–1945. This is EM30.

What condition is it in? Staple-bound, complete, with both staples secure and not rusty. Light surface wear and creasing on covers. No tears, writing, or loose pages. Full report below.

Who illustrated it? Peter Arno (Curtis Arnoux Peters Jr.), one of The New Yorker’s most famous cartoonists, active 1925–1968. His signature appears on the cover.

FOR COLLECTORS

The G.I. Roundtable series sits at the intersection of military history, social science, and illustration art. The Peter Arno connection makes EM30 particularly appealing to New Yorker art collectors and cartoon historians, while the wartime marriage content gives it crossover appeal to social historians. The cheap wartime paper stock means most copies have not survived in good condition.

Booklet is complete, with both staples secure, not pulled through in the center,
not rusty. Some light surface wear on covers, a little light creasing. No tears,
writing or loose pages.

See accompanying images for full condition details.

Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

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