Charles Livingston Bull’s enlistment poster for the Army Air Service (the precursor to the Air Force) was one of several he designed during World War I. Here, he appeals directly to American patriotism, depicting the war as a fight to the death between two nations, symbolized by a vicious airborne battle between the American Eagle and the German vulture. The birds also represent the air services of their respective countries, whose biplanes are seen flying in the background. Notably, Bull depicts the American eagle as a majestic creature, superior in size and position to its dark, ugly German counterpart. The flash of bombardment below is described in red, a color picked up in the beak and claws of the German bird. Bull had originally trained and worked as a taxidermist before establishing his professional reputation as an illustrator, mainly of birds and other wildlife, for a huge range of magazines and books.