Conscientious Objectors in World War II Florida

By Dr. David Coles, Longwood University
Published: September 19, 2011
Last Updated On: November 1, 2011

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Although refusing to fight primarily for religious reasons, many conscientious objectors still contributed to the war effort, and many camps were located in Florida.

Conscientious objectors (COs) refused military service in World War II primarily because of religious convictions. Most of the 100,000 COs agreed to alternative service, which they performed in Civilian Public Service Camps established throughout the United States, including Florida. Some 6,000 COs who refused to perform any type of service, or who based their objections on political grounds, were jailed during the war.

They performed $22 million worth of work for less than $5 million.

Civilian Public Service Camps in Florida were located at Crestview (with an auxiliary camp at Milton), Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Tampa, Mulberry and Miami. The COs usually constructed their own barracks and camp buildings, and experienced shortages of lumber and other materials. They often faced either overt or subtle hostility from local citizens who questioned their status.

Florida COs concentrated on eradicating hookworm and constructing privies to prevent soil contamination. At the Crestview Camp, COs constructed 262 privies, drilled 31 wells, dug 25 septic tanks and screened 12 houses during its first year of operation. They worked on typhus experiments, isolated tuberculosis patients, tested dairy herds for disease and experimented with low-cost housing techniques. They performed $22 million worth of work for less than $5 million. After the war, many COs volunteered for relief work in Europe and in Latin America.