Wow becoming a (recognized) C.O. is quite the process

Since last week, I finished MLK's Strength to Love. It was pretty amazing to read a work written first hand during a time when MLK was going through some of his most trying moments. We learn in school and read that Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader and concerned most with racial issues but it was sooo much more than that. His unifying principal was love. Martin Luther King Jr. was insanely well read! Poets, philosophers, etc.  He was extremely intelligent, created very well structured arguments, and was an excellent story teller.  I totally understand why grandpa drew from his words.  I wish I could have been there to hear his speeches.

After I finished, I was thinking more about the time that grandpa became a C.O. It was before Martin Luther King Jr. Grandpa must have had other inspirations before that. Gandhi's life was concurrent with Grandpa's but I'm not sure how much he may have heard in the news (radio mostly. TVs were just starting to be all the rage in the 40s) about Gandhi's struggles in India. After MLK's book, I was looking for a more historical book, so I started Krehbiel's  General Lewis B Hershey and the Conscientious Objection during WWII. I'm about half way through it. The CPS camp that grandpa went to was managed by the NSBRO (National Service Board of Religious Objectors). The members of the NSBRO were members of the historic peace churches (Mennonite, Quaker, Brethren etc). Ultimately, oversight of the camps was the responsibility of the Selective Service. The Selective Service and NSBRO worked closely together to determine how these camps should be run often with very different opinions.

One of the main things that I've found interesting so far is that the CPSers were not paid (only given $2.50 for amenities) and the camps were paid for by the churches (but all decisions were made by the Selective Service). So far I've read two reasons for the unpaid CPSers, the first being that congressional approval would be required. If congressional approval was required, then the whole alternative service project would be shut down.  There were several attempts to remove alternative service from the Selective Service Act during that time. The other reason I've read about so far was public outcry. The book has emphasized many times that projects should be chosen that didn't illicit a negative response from the general public and most of these camps were located in rural areas (old CCC camps). Grandpa was in his 30s and hadn't started his family yet. He started a family as soon as he got out of the camp. Many of the people in the camps may have already been married and had children so had to rely on support from family, their churches etc. Since there was a farm labor shortage during the war, many of the COs were conscripted to work on local farms. Their wages were put into a CPS frozen fund. This fund was supposed to be used to give the CO's a small stipend and the rest used for relief efforts after the war.  According to an article (I'm trying to get my hands on the original. It was just cited in the book), the NSBRO never saw this money and the author gave the impression that the estimated ~$1.4 million (1945) was not used for war relief efforts.

I also watched the film, The Good War and those who refused to fight it. It was interesting hearing first hand accounts from the COs from grandpa's time. It was a very hard time to be a CO. They were definitely in the minority.  The majority of CO's didn't go to camps but served non-militant duties like medics during the war. I think there is a movie coming out soon about a CO medic that won the Medal of Honor (Desmond Doss http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Doss)   Many COs  wanted to prove that they were brave and willing to risk their own bodies just not their fellow man's. Many of the men who went to the camps volunteered as smoke jumpers and to be guinea pigs in scientific experiments (starvation experiments and experiments where they were infected with live Hepatitis virus). 

Another part of this movie was a meeting where present day COs gave their stories and it described the process for becoming a conscientious objector today. I have to figure out if the process was any different for grandpa. Basically, there are 3 major steps. The first is to fill out a 20 question essay style application. Most of the questions are employee application style questions (where were you born, where have you lived etc), and six of the questions pertain to your beliefs. Here are the six main questions to show your sincerity (reference http://www.centeronconscience.org/images/stories/pdf/The_Guide_for_COs_in_the_Military.pdf)

1. State your belief
2. Explain the source of your belief
3. Describe your moment of "crystalization"
4. Explain the circumstances under which you believe in the use of force and to what extent
5. Show how you live your beliefs. You have to state how your daily life is different and also state what actions you plan to pursue in the future
6. State the one thing that shows you are sincere. 

The second part of the process is getting letters of support from people which show your sincerity.  The third part of the process is 3 interviews. The first interview is with a psychiatrist (to show you aren't under duress or suffering from P.T.S.D.) and the second is from a military chaplain.  An investigative officer then takes your full application and the reports from the two interviews before them. The officer debates with the applicant about their beliefs. The investigate officer creates a final report based on the application packet, debate, and the the other interviews. The officer's report is then sent to a review board for final approval.

My reaction to that, was WOW. In school I have never had to do anything that sounds that difficult. My thesis, its defense, and later publication were not that difficult.  Many of the people who did it said that it was a very long process usually taking from 12-30 months and required writing skill and some persuasive talent. Most of them stated that they also faced a lot of ridicule and it was hard to find support.  It would be a challenge to go through that process with any of my beliefs. I would like to be able to.

I'll try to get some of grandpa's writing up next week. Until then, peace be with you.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day-The beginning of the journey

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Today means a little something different to me. Martin Luther King Jr. was a great inspiration to my grandfather.  Grandpa had me read a piece of writing from King at his funeral. King’s thoughts on unity, love, and peace were what touched grandpa.  My grandfather was a conscientious objector during WWII. During that time, he performed Civilian Public Service at a CPS camp in Ohio (see http://civilianpublicservice.org/camps/23/1). He was there from 1942 to 1946 (from the time he was 30 to 34 years old) and helped with soil conservation and dairy herd testing projects. The CPS’ers also published a monthly newsletter called the “Seed.” Grandpa carried on this practice later in life, writing his own monthly newsletters called “The Peace Advocate.” My grandfather was one of the few people I know who actually LIVED what they believe. He used to pass out his newsletter at church and often called in to a specific radio program to voice his thoughts on how peaceful approaches could be ascribed to the most recent current event. He believed in selflessness. I remember him talking to me once about prayer, stating that we should never pray for ourselves, always for other people. He said that if we all did that, everyone would be taken care of.  When I talked to him about his beliefs, he was always torn between the Old Testament “eye for an eye” God and the New Testament’s “love your enemies” God and could never seem to reconcile the two.  This conflict was illustrated by the fact that his bible was very very worn and only held together by duct tape.

Although I grew up with a Christian background and have read the bible from cover to cover, my bible isn’t nearly as tattered and my beliefs are more. . . spiritual(?).  Before my grandfather passed, I helped him organize his writings and he sent some of them to the radio personality whom he’d developed a relationship with. He really wanted to make sure that the message of peace got out there for anyone interested to read.  To be clear, he would have never called it his message, [maybe His message]. Grandpa always gathered writings and quotes from the bible and other activists like King and Gandhi and applied their words to current situations. Although his newsletters were specific to events at their time (mostly in the 90’s), the messages are still very applicable to today’s events.  This blog is my attempt to learn more about whom conscientious objectors were.  I also want to honor my grandfather’s spirit of getting a peaceful message out there but I’m not exactly sure what that message is or how to do that yet (this blog, a book?).  I’ve wanted to start this process for years but have always been afraid that I wouldn’t be able to honor a man whom I have so much love, respect, and admiration for.  I was also afraid that since my beliefs aren't exactly the same as my grandfathers, I may not be able to really present the message he wanted. My husband will be the first to tell you that I'm a horrible pacifist (I really want to be but its a huge struggle to control your emotions and oppose your gut reactions). I had an instructor who recently challenged that fear, so I’ve decided at least to try to take that first step. This is the beginning of that journey.

The first thing I want to do is learn as much as I can about my grandfather’s personal experience becoming a CO and his experience at the camps. I found a great website (see links) which listed his name as one of 12,000 that were in CPS camps during WWII. These men (mostly. There were a few women) made contributions to soil science, mental health care, and fire fighting.  From the little I’ve read so far in their first-hand accounts, it seems like, those that wrote about it, really wanted to contribute to their fellow country men and do “work of national importance.” My goal is to work through the reference list that I put together from the website that listed grandpa’s name and write about my findings every week.  I also have some of grandpa’s old newsletters that I’ll post too. If there are any other people who have had family who were CO’s, I’d love to hear from you. Please fill out the contact form with your information. We’ll see where this journey will lead.  Peace be with you.