Collection PNO/IV-5.1 - Civilian Public Service Records

: In World War I American conscientious objectors were drafted into military service with the expectation that they would perform work with the military as noncombatants. Many of these draftees refused to participate or wear a military uniform. In 1940 the U.S. congress passed legislation titled United States Selective Service and Training Act Civilian Public Service which allowed conscientious objector draftees to serve doing “work of national importance.”
In the six and one-half years that men were drafted under this law, nearly 12,600 men were assigned to Civilian Public Service camps. Of these, 4,665 or 38 per cent were Mennonites. Following the Mennonites in number of men in the camps were the Church of the Brethren, Friends, and the Methodists, who ranked second, third, and fourth respectively.
Mennonite Central Committee worked with the National Service Board for Religious Objectors in cooperation with Mennonites and other anabaptist groups in the United States to administer the Civilian Public Service Program.

Alternative Service Work Camps were the Canadian response for conscientious objectors during World War II.