Volunteer work
Sticker for envelope to show support for Denmark. Published by the National America Denmark Association. Author's collection.
Members of over 500 Danish-American organizations, churches, institutions and clubs supported Denmark through volunteer work and donations during the German occupation of Denmark. The nationwide organization National America Denmark Association was created as an umbrella organization for all the organizations and activities, including fundraising for Danish refugees in Sweden, shipments of care packages to Danish sailors, showing public support for Denmark, and collection of clothes to send to Denmark after the war.
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The National America
Denmark Association The National America Denmark Association was created as an umbrella organization for Danish-American organizations during WWII to initiate and coordinate aid and assistance to people in Denmark and the United States and preserve the freedom and independence of Denmark. Just days after the occupation, leading figures in the Danish-American communities concluded that it would be useful for Denmark’s future as a free country to gather all Danish-American organizations into one movement to support Danmark in the most efficient way and to make sure that no acts were carried out against the wishes of the American government. From the initiative of the board of the Danish Brotherhood in America, the largest Danish-American organization at the time, the National America Denmark Association (NADA) was founded on May 4, 1940. Before the war was over, over 500 Danish-American organizations as well as many individual members had joined NADA. In total, the number of Danish-Americans active in NADA organizations has been estimated to 75,000-100,000. In April 1944, NADA was accepted as a member of the National War Fund, a nationwide organization for charity activities in war-time United States, and it changed its name to America Denmark Relief. After the liberation of Denmark in May 1945, upon obtaining detailed information about the conditions in post-war Denmark, America Denmark Relief withdrew from The National War Fund to allow the collected funds to go to countries which were in graver need of assistance. America Denmark Relief was dissolved on December 3, 1945. |
Membership certificate documenting Luther Memorial Church's donation to National America Denmark Assocation.
Image provided by the Museum of Danish America, Elk Horn, Iowa.
Examples of NADA/America Denmark Relief activities:
From June, 1943, the National America Denmark Association
was led by Jean Hersholt, a famous Danish-American actor who was the star of the long-running (1937-1954) CBS radio show Dr. Christian (listen to Dr. Christian radio shows here). |
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Clothes collections
Starting in 1943 and headquartered in Chicago, over 125 Danish War Relief clubs were created to collect and/or create clothes to be shipped to Denmark which was perceived to be in dire need of clothes. A few months after the war, 220 tons of collected clothing with an estimated value of $300,000-500,000 was shipped to Denmark. Many Danish-American women were also active in the American Red Cross, some in special Danish-American Red Cross chapters. |
Letter from Alex Andersen, organizer of the Danish War Relief, thanking Mrs. Henri Fugl in Verona, North Dakota, for the box of clothes that she has sent to the organization to be sent to Denmark. Dated June 8, 1944. Image provided by the Museum of Danish America, Elk Horn, Iowa.
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War Bond drives
In the spring of 1942, the Danish American War Bond Committee was created and the first public war bond drive took place at a ball to celebrate the birthday of the Danish King on May 14, 1942. While there are no statistics for the outcome of the Danish-American war bond drives, in California, they were so successful that a Liberty Ship was named for the famous Danish California pioneer Peter Lassen. Danish-American efforts in New York State raised $22 million. Specific Danish-American events were held to sell war bonds, e.g., Denmark Day at Victory Square in Seattle in the summer of 1943 and Denmark Week in Worchester, MA, in November 1944.
In the spring of 1942, the Danish American War Bond Committee was created and the first public war bond drive took place at a ball to celebrate the birthday of the Danish King on May 14, 1942. While there are no statistics for the outcome of the Danish-American war bond drives, in California, they were so successful that a Liberty Ship was named for the famous Danish California pioneer Peter Lassen. Danish-American efforts in New York State raised $22 million. Specific Danish-American events were held to sell war bonds, e.g., Denmark Day at Victory Square in Seattle in the summer of 1943 and Denmark Week in Worchester, MA, in November 1944.
Sources:
Axel Sporon-Fiedler, Den danske bevægelse i de forenede stater i besættelsesårene: en kort redegørelse af Axel Sporon-Fiedler [The Danish movement in the United States during the years of the occupation: A brief account of Axel Sponron-Fiedler] ([Publisher unknown], 1947).
Caspar H. W. Hasselriis, Danmark i USA under Besættelsen [Denmark in the USA during the Occupation] (Copenhagen, DK: Forlaget Sixtus, 1978).
Jean Hersholt, National America Denmark Association and America Denmark Relief, Inc: A Report Covering the Period from June 18, 1943 to December 3, 1945. (California, 1948).
Axel Sporon-Fiedler, Den danske bevægelse i de forenede stater i besættelsesårene: en kort redegørelse af Axel Sporon-Fiedler [The Danish movement in the United States during the years of the occupation: A brief account of Axel Sponron-Fiedler] ([Publisher unknown], 1947).
Caspar H. W. Hasselriis, Danmark i USA under Besættelsen [Denmark in the USA during the Occupation] (Copenhagen, DK: Forlaget Sixtus, 1978).
Jean Hersholt, National America Denmark Association and America Denmark Relief, Inc: A Report Covering the Period from June 18, 1943 to December 3, 1945. (California, 1948).