J. M. Flagg’s famous 1917 recruiting poster took inspiration from a British design created three years earlier featuring Lord Kitchener. The American version quickly became iconic, serving as a call for new soldiers in both World War I and World War II. Flagg actually used a stylized version of his own face for Uncle Sam, while the pose was modeled by veteran Walter Botts.
War has never appealed to me. Serving your country is one thing; being dragged into someone else’s political grudge match is another. I’ve never understood the romance of dying for a slogan, a flag, or whichever ideology happens to be fashionable that decade.
But here’s the thing: military leaders have always...
