America's War on MosquitoesPatriotic, racist, and goofy anti-
malaria propaganda from World War II—featuring a guest
appearance by the young Dr. Seuss. Of all the enemies American
soldiers confronted during World War II, malaria proved to be
among the most stubborn. The mosquito-borne disease was a
constant scourge for GIs stationed in the Pacific and
Mediterranean theaters. General MacArthur's retreat to the
malarial Philippine peninsula of Bataan in early 1942 led
directly to his sickly army's surrender to the Japanese a few
months later. The illness continued to cripple American forces
during the ensuing campaigns in Papua New Guinea and
Guadalcanal, where it was so rampant that a division commander
ordered that no Marine be excused from duty without a
temperature of at least 103°F. Troops in Southern Europe faced
similar problems. During the Seventh Army's Sicilian campaign
from July to September 1943, 21,482 soldiers were admitted to
the hospital for malaria; 17,535 were admitted for battle
casualties. Al