|
|
 |
Title: Y.M.C.A. War Schools
Description: The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) began its first foray into wartime service during the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865.) After the war, the YMCA expanded dramatically, erecting YMCA buildings across the U.S. and eventually, providing vocational training. Prior to World War I, many men and women attended YMCA run schools to learn skills that would prepare them for a variety of jobs, including secretarial work, accounting, and building. When the U.S. formally entered the war in 1917, the YMCA quickly shifted its focus to preparing citizens to help soldiers in a variety of ways. Thousands of YMCA workers in America and Europe served the many needs of the military through hospital work, entertainment, education, counseling, and transportation. The YMCA “war schools,” the first of which opened in New York City in 1918, trained many men and women to build aircraft, operate and maintain tractors, tanks, automobiles and radio equipment. |
|
During the early years of WWI, aircraft were often underpowered, unable to carry anything more than a pilot, let alone a machine gun or radio. By the time the U.S. had entered the war, airplanes like the stylized Curtiss JN-4 in the poster, were regularly being outfitted with radios. Presumably, the YMCA-trained radio operator has just relayed information which the binocular-wearing YMCA observer has just reported to the pilot in the airplane, a Curtiss JN-4, or “Jenny.” The JN-4 was primarily used as a trainer. The work of the Y.M.C.A. for the war was invaluable. It would have been a rare occurrence to find an Allied serviceman who did not receive some benefit or assistance from Y.M.C.A. (or Y.W.C.A.) worker, whether in America or Europe. From embarkation to demobilization, the “Y” was ever present. The training advertised in this poster would not only serve a military purpose, but would also equip those who received it with valuable skills that would be put to good use in civilian life once the war ended in 1918. |
|
  |
|