More Than Recreation: The YMCA In Early-American War Relief

When most people hear the letters YMCA, they think of little-league sports, summer camps, Indian Guides, and swimming pools. But prior to World War II, the YMCA played a vital role in the lives of soldiers during times of war.

- J.A. Stackhaus

In 1851, the American branch of the Young Men’s Christian Association (or YMCA, or Y) was started to help young rural men find jobs and housing in the big cities. By 1876, the new group had spread from Boston to other cities and boasted 73,000 members. YMCAs provided low-cost housing, employment services, Bible training, and, in some areas, English-as-second-language (ESL) classes.

When America went to war with itself in 1861, the YMCAs in both the North and the South sprang into action. Both sides used Y-facilities as distribution centers or to house soldiers. Northern YMCA members ministered to Southern prisoners of war in places like Johnson’s Island Prison in Ohio, prompting forty-eight Rebel prisoners there to write Richmond asking that the workers be treated with respect by other Confederates.

After the war, the North and South YMCAs reunited, continuing their mission of ministering to mind, body and spirit. When the Spanish-American War got underway in 1898, the Y again mobilized to support American troops, sending 500 volunteers to the Caribbean and the Philippines. Large tents were erected among deployed brigades to help the soldiers feel as at-home as possible. Despite the war lasting only a few months, the YMCA’s efforts impressed the U.S. government enough that it formed a committee dedicated to helping the Y support the troops at all times.