Purpose of the American
Red Cross
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The duties of the American Red Cross during
World War II were to furnish volunteer aid to the sick and wounded of the
armed forces, to carry out the purposes of the Treaty of Geneva, to act
in matters of voluntary relief and to serve, in accord with military and
naval authorities, as a medium of communication between the people of the
United States and their Army and Navy.
It was further charged with providing a system
of national and international relief to lessen the suffering caused by
famine, fire, flood, and other calamities, and to devise measures for their
prevention. |
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In keeping with its policy, the Red Cross
also extended its help to various civilian groups who are exposed to the
hazards and dislocations of war. These groups included members of the United
States Merchant Marine when under contract for a specified cruise or trip
or on authorized shore leave, civilian pilots of the Army Air Transport,
and members of the Army Water Division when they were merchant seamen or
shore-based personnel stationed outside the United States.
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American Red Cross Structure
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The National Office
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During WWII, the ARC National Office was headed
by the President of the United States and the following officers elected
by the Central Commitee:
- three vice presidents
- a counselor
- a secretary
- a treasurer. |
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt |
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The Central Commitee
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American Red Cross National
Headquarters,
Washington, DC
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The Central Committee consisted of 18 members,
6 appointed by the President of the United States (among them the chairman
of the Central Committee), 6 elected by the incorporators, and 6 elected
by the delegates of the chapters.
Elected members served for 3 years. The Central
Committee had entire control, management, and administration of all aspects
of the American Red Cross. |
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The Executive Commitee
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The nine members of the executive commitee were
appointed by the Central Commitee. The Executive Committee could exercise
all powers of the Central Committee when that body was not in session.
One chairman served both committees and, under the advice and direction
of the Central Committee, was executive head of the corporation. Under
the chairman were a vice chairman at large and 6 vice chairmen in charge
of finance, the American Junior Red Cross and personnel relations, insular
and foreign operations, public relations, domestic service, and area offices
and chapter service.
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Red Cross Chairmen Norman
H. Davis in a conference about a further expansion of the Army and Navy
Nurse Corps.
From left to right: Rear Admiral
McIntyre (Surgeon General of the Navy), Miss Beard (Director of the Red
Cross Nursing Service), Lt. Commander Dauser (Director of the Navy Nurse
Corps), Chairman Dauser, Col. Flikke (Head of the Army Nurse Corps) and
Major General Magee (Surgeon General of the Army) |
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Local Red Cross Chapters
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| The chapter, usually covering a single county,
was the local unit of the American Red Cross and responsible for all Red
Cross activities and services within its territory, subject to the policies
and regulations of the national headquarters.
There were 3,757 chapters throughout the United
States and its possessions during World War II. |
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The following list gives an overview about
the serveral Red Cross offices and the services which they supervised.
The list shows what a tremendous task the Red Cross fulfilled.
Finance Office
- Accounting Service |
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Office of Insular and Foreign Operations
- Relief Service to Prisoners of War
- Civilian Relief Service |
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Office of American Junior Red Cross and
of Personnel Relations
- American Junior Red Cross
- College Units
- the Personnel Service |
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Office of Public Relations
- Publicity
- Fund Raising |
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Office of Domestic Service
- Disaster Relief and Civilian War Aid
- First Aid, Water Safety, and Accident Prevention
- Nursing Service
- Medical Office
- Blood Donor Service
- Nutrition Service
- Volunteer Special Services
- Services to the Armed Forces
- Supply Office
- Home Service
- Services to Veterans
- Camp and Hospital Council Service |
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Area Offices and Chapter Services
- the North Atlantic Area
- the Eastern Area
- the Southeastern Area
- the Midwestern Area
- the Pacific Area |
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