Figure 1.--Here we see Slovakian children after the War. They were being cared for by the Czechoslovakian Red Cross. Slovakia at the time was the eastern part of Czechoslovakia. Unlike World War I, the American Red Cross was not the major American relief agency. It primarily assisted the troops. The press captioin here read, "Slovak Girls: These Slovak girls are typical of thousands [more like millions] who lost their health through lack of proper food during the war. They are now fighting their own war to regain it. The children are shown leaving the 500-year-old chapel of a castle in which the Czech Red Cross [????] for children is located. The American Red Cross is continuing to [aid] this and other institutions whose supplies were depleted by war danage and seven years of German occupation." One of the girls looks Jewish. Tragically very few Slovak Jews, espcially children survived the War. Some vrey brave soul must have hidden her.
The American Red Cross (ARC) did not play such an important role in assisting refugees and civilians as it had during World War I. It was in World War II primarily focused on aiding the troops. This effort was by the time of World War II well established. Mrs. Roosevelt was a representative of the ARC when she visited the troops in the South Pacific (1943). The first war action was an early blood processing program for relief of English war victims (1940). It was called called Plasma for Britain and was overseen by Dr. Charles R. Drew. The Red Cross enrolled more than 104,000 nurses for military service, prepared 27 million packages for American and Allied prisoners of war, and shipped over 300,000 tons of supplies overseas. A new program requested by the military was a national blood program that collected 13.3 million pints of blood for use by the armed forces. One major difference in World War II was that the totalitarian powers that played such a major role in the War, were not prepared to allow humanitarian efforts to reach millions of people, in some cases people targeted for death. The Red Cross sent millions of packages of food to American POWs held by the Germans and Italians. The Germans behaved correctly in delivering the packages, although not in adequately feeding POWs. There were also shipments to POWs held by the Japanese, but only a few hot through. They also established clubs like the famous Rainbow Corner to offer entertainment and food to servicemen. Other agencies were created to specifically aid refugees and other civilians, especially (UNRRA). This was vital because the German war goal was in addition to murdering Jews was to kill tens of millions of other civilians, chiefly by starvation. The ARC did, however, support efforts to aid civilians. This was mostly done indirectly. The ARC supported the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC). It was the largest single contributor to the ICRC which played a vital role in dealing with Prisoner of War (POW) issues. The ARC also assisted other national chambers. This was somewhat complicated by the fact that the German Red Cross was thoroughly Nazified. The Germans did allow the national chambers of occupied countries to operate. With meager resources they did a great deal of good work. While it was primarily working on the POW problem, it did play a major role in ending the Greek famine. As the War began to go against the Germans, available resources became less and less available. As the liberation of occupied countries began (mostly 1944), supplies from the Allies became available. at first only in the West. After the German surrender, some moistly American supplies began to reach Eastern Europe. This included both countries in Western and Eastern Europe. As the Soviet Union began to establish Communist police states in Eastern Europe, these efforts were discontinued. But they did occur for some time after the War. Austria was a special case because like Germany, it was divided between the Soviets and Western Allies. There was also a dispute over the ICRC and the League of Red Cross Societies which the Communists favored. The ARC and other national chapters as well as the ICRC were existing institutions even before the War. As a result there was cooperation with UNRAA. We notice uniformed ARC staffers at UNRRA Displaced Persons Camps after the War. In addition to the regular American Red Cross, the Junior Red Cross was also active during and immediately after the War.
The American Red Cross consists of chapters organized by communities across the country. The primary purose is to collect money from the public or organize a variety of drives in local communities, most prominently blood drives. Red Cross chapters primarily provide food, clothing, shelter, transportation and medical assistance to individuals and families impacted by local or national disasters. While locally based, they may respond to calls for assistance elsewhere in the United States or sometimes overseas. The funds are used to finance the various ARC programs. And react to emergency situations such as floodd and tornadoes. These are disasters that are beyond the capability of affected local communities to deal with, necitating a natuiinal organizatiin to respond with emergency assistance. And in the case of war, the needs of American servicemen. The funds collected help mauntain he national organizastion that coordinates the needed disaster relief operrations. They are the backbone of the organization. The individual chapters are the organizatuin's on-the-ground units, directly serving their local communities. As non-profit entities, they miostly consist of volunteers with a small paid staff.
Overview
with America's enbtry into World War II, the Anmerican Red Cross (ARC) rapidly expanded from a peace time to a much more expansive war-time role. This effort peaked in 1945, with 7.5 million volunteering along with 39,000 paid staff. The Red Cross provuded service to 16 million military personnel, including often extensive serbices to 1million combat casualties. Te Amerucn people conrtibuted over $784 million. (This was 1945 dollars, much more if expessed in current dollars.) The ARC estinatesc that vrtually every family in America had a member during the War who had either served as a Red Cross volunteer, made contributions of money or blood, or was a recipient ofRed Cross services.
Pre-War Role
The ARC began mobilizing for the War before Anerica actually entered the War. When NAZI Germany launched the War by inading Poland (Seotember 1939), The ARC became the primary siource of relief supplies for the civilian victims. These relief supplies were distributed by the Geneva-based International Red Cross Committee (IRC). the U.S. Goverment understanding what was coming, requested that the Red Cross begin a Blood Donor Service to produce life-saving plasma for theArmed Forces medical units (February 1941). Plasma was widely used during World War II because it coud be canned and unlike actual blood did not requiure refrigeration.
Red Cross Charter
Congress in chartering the Red Cross mandated it to "furnish volunteer aid to the sick and wounded of armies in timeof war" and to "act in matters of voluntary relief and in accord with the military and naval authorities as a medium of communication between the people of the United States of America and their Army and Navy. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), the Red Cross proceeded to mobilize a volunteer and staff force to fulfil that charter.
War Role
The American Red Cross (ARC) did not play such an important role in assisting refugees and civilians as it had during World War I. This was not part of its cagrter andc aceepted this huge taskn as an emergency measure. The ARC in World War II primarily focused on its charter resoonsibiklities--aiding the troops. This effort was by the time of World War II well established.
Domestic ativivities
Millions of volunteers worked tom offer comfort and aid to servuice menmbers and their families. Volunteers served in the many hospitals experiencing severe shortages of medical staff. The volunteers produced emergency supplies for war victims, collected scrap, ran victory gardens, and maintained training programs in home nutrition, first aid, and water safety. A major ooperatiion eas blood dives.
Overseas activities
Overseas, Red Cross volunters providing compassionate support for the troops they accompanied, operated clubs and clubmobiles for the armed forces, and were attached to military hospitals, hospital ships, and hospital trains. Mrs. Roosevelt was a representative of the ARC when she visited the troops in the South Pacific (1943). The first war action was an early blood processing program for relief of English war victims (1940). It was called called Plasma for Britain and was overseen by Dr. Charles R. Drew. This turned into a major effiort vto provide blood plasma for Amerucan troops duing the War. A new program requested by the military was a national blood program that collected 13.3 million pints of blood to treat the wounded. The Red Cross also was the primary source of nurses fo the troops. The ARC enrolled more than 104,000 nurses for military service. Once deployed they were part of the Armed Forces, but the ARC was largely resoponsible for recruitmentv and training. The ARC prepared 27 million packages for American and Allied prisoners of war, and shipped over 300,000 tons of supplies overseas. The Red Cross sent millions of packages of food to American POWs held by the Germans and Italians. The Germans largelyn behaved correctly in delivering the packages, although not in adequately feeding POWs. The Red Cross packages were thus vital tonthe POWs. There were also shipments to POWs held by the Japanese, but only a few got through. They also established clubs like the famous Rainbow Corner to offer entertainment and food to servicemen.
Totalitarian Murder Campaign
One major difference in World War II was that the totalitarian powers that played such a major role in the War, were not prepared to allow humanitarian efforts to reach millions of people, in many cases people they had targeted for death and wre activekymurdering. Other agencies were created to specifically aid refugees and other civilians, especially (UNRRA). This was vital because the German war goal was in addition to murdering Jews was to kill tens of millions of other civilians, chiefly by starvation.
Civilian Aid
The ARC did, however, support efforts to aid civilians. This was mostly done indirectly. The ARC supported the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC). It was the largest single contributor to the ICRC which played a vital role in dealing with Prisoner of War (POW) issues. The ARC also assisted other national chambers. Here we see Slovak girls beung supported by the Slovalian Red Cross with supplies donated by the ARC (fufure 1). This was somewhat complicated by the fact that the German Red Cross was thoroughly Nazified. The Germans did allow the national chambers of occupied countries to operate. With meager resources, The ARC did a great deal of good work. While it was primarily working on the POW problem, it did play a major role in ending the Greek famine. As the War began to go against the Germans, available resources became less and less available. As the liberation of occupied countries began (mostly 1944), supplies from the Allies became available. At first only in the West. After the German surrender, some mostly American supplies began to reach Eastern Europe. This included both countries in Western and Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe. As the Soviet Union began to establish Communist police states in Eastern Europe, these efforts were discontinued. B ut they did occur for some time after the War when the need was most badly needed. Austria was a special case because like Germany, it was divided between the Soviets and Western Allies. There was also a dispute over the ICRC and the League of Red Cross Societies which the Communists favored. The ARC and other national chapters as well as the ICRC were existing institutions even before the War. As a result there was cooperation with UNRAA. We notice uniformed ARC staffers at UNRRA Displaced Persons Camps after the War.
