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.