Civilian Organizations

The Blood Bank of Hawaii

On December 7, 1941, an urgent appeal for plasma went out from the hospitals treating the wounded from the attacks. Of the 203 flasks of plasma that were on hand, 80 were immediately sent to The Queen's Hospital for civilian use; Tripler General Hospital received 75, and 45 were dispatched to the Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital. Within six hours the total supply was exhausted. Once the war started, the Blood Bank functioned as a wartime agency under the Office of Civilian Defense. When the OCD no longer felt it was feasible for them to sponsor the Blood Bank, a 'peacetime' blood bank was chartered by the Territorial Treasurer as an eleemosynary institution October 26, 1943. Throughout the four years of war, the Blood Bank continued to develop and serve both the armed forces and the civilian populations of Hawaii. Forrest J. Pinkerton, "Honolulu Blood and Plasma Bank," Hawaii Medical Journal 1  (January 1942): 204-206.

Hawaii Chapter, American Red Cross

During World War II, the Hawaii Chapter was the only American Red Cross chapter in a combat zone. The Volunteer Special Services was a large and well-organized segment of the Hawaii Chapter. The fifteen different corps operated throughout the war years, serving the civilian population and armed forces of Hawaii.

Following is a list of the different corps that provided services and aid during the war: General Production Corps Surgical Dressing Corp Knitting Corps Sewing Corps Ditty Bag Committee Layette Committee Motor Corps Canteen Corp Staff Assistance Corps Nurse's Aide Corps Hospital and Recreational Corps Air Force Cottage Gift-wrapping Service at Fort Shafter Home Service Corp Dietitian's Aide Corps

American Red Cross, Hawaii Chapter, War Record of Volunteer Special Services ([Honolulu]: American Red Cross, Hawaii Chapter, 1947), 4, 7-8.

Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association

On the morning of December 7, 1941, every plantation mobilized to aid the military forces in whatever way or manner assistance might be given. The war record of the sugar industry covers more than civilian preparedness, including direct assistance to the armed forces by supplying machinery, equipment and manpower to the military facilities.

In the war record of Hawaii's sugar plantations was a degree of organized assistance that was achieved only after careful consideration and planning on the part of the plantations. Their role was a natural phase of the close coordination and cooperation with the military forces that the management of the sugar industry and the officials of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association had developed as a matter of established policy long prior to the war.

Following is a record of the total number of hours plantation labor was used to aid in the civilian and military defense of Oahu:

The War record of civilian and industrial Hawaii: a documentary history of the assistance extended to the armed forces by the civilian community and the sugar plantations ([Hawaii: s.n., 1945?]), 23-25.

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