Clair Hanawalt was interned during WW II in CPS Camp 134, Belden, CA.
"I had two older brothers who chose to be Conscientious Objectors. I had an uncle who, in the First World War, was sent to prison because he was a Conscientious Objector. I belong to the Church of the Brethren and one of their basic beliefs is non-violence and opposition to war, although they do not demand that all members adhere to that.
"It's a matter of conscience. No matter what, it's always a matter of conscience.... Your final judge is what you decide is right for you....
"Then I went to college and that was when I was registered [for the draft] and when I received my classification I had to make a decision. At the college there was a climate that was conducive to taking that stand [to be a CO]. That stand, contrary to what some people may think--you know, they call COs yellowbellies and things like that. But actually, it's much harder to take a stand like that than to go with the flow.... It would have been much easier for me to join the army or be drafted."
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