Girl Scouts at Internment Camps

Girl Scouts at Internment Camps of World War II

A painful memory to World War II is the internment of Americans of Japanese, German and Italian descent in to relocation camps for the duration of the war. Girl Scouting was there, along with the Boy Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, Girl Reserves and other youth organizations - helping to keep life as normal as possible.

This Library of Congress image is listed as Sept 1943, Girl Scouts in full uniform, who were already interned, assisting new arrivals at a Wyoming. Internment camp.

Library of Congress image identified as Poston, Arizona, this Girl Scout stand is selling popcorn for 5 cents. Jan. 1943

This Gila River image shows the Boy Scouts following the Girl Scout Drum Corps.

This Library of Congress image is from Gila River Relocation Camp, AZ.

Girl Scouts on parade

Negative imagery was part of the war effort. This World War II "Fag Bag" was made by a Girl Scout, as noted below the US Forestry Service emblem. In a age before disposable lighters, wood matches were common. Apparently the idea was to use this bag to save used matches, rather than risk starting a fire by carelessly tossing matches to the ground.