Welcome to the supplemental blog post for Episode 23 all about Conscientious Objectors and their work on the American homefront! This episode has a lot of personal meaning to me as my grandfather was a conscientious objector during WWII. It meant a lot to be able to dedicate this episode to him and the work of so many other men whose work has largely gone unrecognized.
My grandfather worked in three camps during the war: 1 in Michigan and 2 in Oregon. He mostly did forestry work including living in a fire tower watching for fires.
Finding photographs of conscientious objectors during the war is very difficult and my grandfather didn't leave behind any pictures of his time in the Service that I'm aware of. So all I have are these fascinating letters that were sent in to President Truman pleading with him to release the conscientious objectors during the Christmas of 1946, a full year after the war had ended. President Truman was adamant that not one C.O. would go home until every last remaining soldier had made it home from the war.
To view these letters, along with many others, you can visit the National Archives link HERE.
The cookbook feature was this amazing cookbook!
The original recipes has some complications, so I typed up this easier to follow version for you!
This cookbook had a few recipes with fun names including these two: Torpedo Frosting and Defense Apples!
RESOURCES
Websites:
Civilian Public Service Camps, People, & History
Alternative Service: Conscientious Objectors and Civilian Public Service in World War II
U.S. Conscientious Objectors in World War II
The Quakers and Conscientious Objections
WWII Pacifists Exposed Mental Hospital Horrors
Images:
Letters of petition in behalf of conscientious objectors to President Truman
Books/Papers:
A Different Kind of War Story - A Conscientious Objector in World War II by Edward M. Arnett
Dear Dods, Letters From a Conscientious Objector in WWII by Art Bryant
The Unlikeliest Hero: The Story of Desmond T. Doss
The Great Starvation Experiment by Todd Tucker
The Thirteen Thousand by Markam P. Brant (accessible via JSTOR with a free researcher account)
Refusing War, Affirming Peace: The History of Civilian Public Service Camp #21 at Cascade Locks by Jeffrey Kovac (This is one of the camps my grandfather served at.)
Smoke Jumping on the Western Fire Line: Conscientious Objectors During World War II by Mark Matthews
Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Small Histories During World War II by Suzanne Kesler Rumsey
The Good War and Bad Peace: Conscientious Objectors in World War II by Bonnie Keady
Newspaper Articles:
“Five Million Man Days of Work Performed During War Two By Conscientious Objectors.” Bedford Daily Times Mail (Indiana), 2 Jul 1946.
“Work of CO Is Praised.” The Sacramento Bee (California), 3 Jul 1946.
“Objectors May Get Farm Work.” The Knoxville News-Sentinal (Kentucky), 9 Feb 1942.
“Urges Consideration for Conscientious Objectors.” The Coshocton Tribune (Ohio), 2 Feb 1941.
“Conscientious Objectors Arrive on Dairy Farms.” Latrobe Bulletin (Pennsylvania), 11 May 1943.
“10 Conscientious Objectors Placed on County Farms.” Intelligencer Journal (Pennsylvania), 25 May 1943.
“Conscientious Objectors to Work on Dairy Farms in Vicinity of Rockford.” Freeport Journal-Standard (Illinois), 2 Apr 1943.
“Objectors Hit As ‘Hopeless’ For Farm Aid.” Democrat and Chronicle (New York), 13 Mar 1943.
“Conscientious Objectors Are Seen as Aid to Farmers.” Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia), 20 May 1943.
Newspapers accessed via Newspapers.com