“Courage Is Not Something You Have Alone”: Social Supports and Persistent Peace Activism among World War II Conscientious Objectors in the Minnesota Twin Cities

Abstract

In the shadow of a persistent metanarrative that places service in “the good war” as the defining moment of “the Greatest Generation,” the story of conscientious objectors during World War II and their contribution to the peace movement of the twentieth century remains a largely untold story. This article examines the life stories of a group of World War II conscientious objectors in the Minnesota Twin Cities and the sources of social support that helped them maintain a dissident political identity over a 40‐ to 50‐year adult life span.