How an Army Librarian Brought the Joy of Reading to the Front Lines

In September 1942, during World War II, the Pacific theater was experiencing severe morale issues among U.S. troops. The Southwest Pacific Area, led by General Douglas MacArthur, faced a bleak situation due to the grueling nature of the war. Battles like Midway, the Philippines, and Guadalcanal had left soldiers exhausted and demoralized. The Pacific campaign involved amphibious landings on heavily fortified islands, where GIs faced extreme danger and harsh conditions. One Marine, E.B. Sledge, described the scenes as 'absolute agony.' The morale situation was so dire that it was described by a MacArthur biographer as 'bleak.' This context set the stage for the arrival of Army Chief Librarian Ray Trautman, who aimed to improve troop morale through reading materials.

Ray Trautman, the Army Chief Librarian, arrived in Australia in September 1942 with a dual mission: assess the reading needs of U.S. troops in the Pacific theater and meet with General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Southwest Pacific. Trautman sought to understand what soldiers wanted to read to boost their morale. He prioritized spending time with enlisted men rather than officers, as they faced the harshest conditions. Soldiers expressed a strong desire for reading materials, including best-selling novels, hometown newspapers, pin-up magazines, Westerns, sports stories, comics, and even Sears Roebuck catalogs, which Trautman called 'wishing books.' These lightweight, softcover books were preferred due to their portability in the troops' mobile and often harsh environment.

During World War II, paperback books were in their infancy in the U.S., with the first American paperback firms, Pocket Books and Penguin Books (New York outpost), launching in 1939. Traditional publishers like Random House and Simon & Schuster avoided paperbacks, viewing them as 'lurid,' 'cheap,' and harmful to their reputation. Hardcover books cost between $2 and $4, while paperbacks were priced at a quarter, making them more affordable but less profitable. Publishers required large print runs (over 100,000 copies) to turn a profit, which limited the variety of titles available in softcover. As a result, paperbacks primarily featured classics in the public domain or reprints of genre fiction like mysteries, science fiction, and Westerns. Contemporary bestsellers were rarely available in paperback, though this did not deter GIs, who valued the lightweight format for its practicality in the field.

For troops stationed in remote and primitive outposts in the Pacific, reading took on a new significance. Many soldiers had little to do outside of military duties, and even those who rarely read at home turned to books as a form of entertainment and distraction. Trautman observed that books provided a mental escape from the harsh realities of war. One notable example was a soldier reading Plato’s Republic in 'basic English,' a simplified version of the text. The soldier, upon learning Trautman was a librarian, asked if Plato had written anything new recently, highlighting how even challenging texts became valuable in such conditions. Books were handled carefully, as there was no guarantee of replacements arriving. Soldiers exchanged books tirelessly, treating them almost as precious artifacts.

One of the biggest obstacles to delivering books and other recreational supplies to troops was the lack of proper storage systems in the Southwest Pacific. During Trautman’s visit in 1942, supplies, including brand-new weaponry and gear, were often stacked on beaches, fully exposed to the elements. Humidity and saltwater corroded containers, leading to the destruction of a high percentage of shipments before they could be unpacked. This wasteful cycle contributed to morale issues, as troops lacked essential equipment. The Special Services Division, responsible for providing recreational items like books, movies, and sports gear, struggled to secure cargo space. Entertainment supplies were ranked low in priority compared to weapons and food, making it difficult to transport them to the front lines.

General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Southwest Pacific, was resistant to providing recreational materials like books to his troops. MacArthur believed that solitary reading and entertainment were antithetical to military discipline and focus. He prioritized weapons, food, and clothing over recreational supplies, insisting that cargo space was too limited to accommodate anything else. Trautman attempted to explain the mental and morale-boosting benefits of reading, but MacArthur dismissed the idea, even threatening Trautman with insubordination for questioning his decisions. MacArthur’s temperament was described by biographers as demanding blind obedience and disliking independent thought, which clashed with Trautman’s mission to provide books to troops.