According to the December 1917 issue of The City Builder, a publication of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, a Commission on Training Camp Activities was formed for World War I encampment Camp Gordon in Chamblee, Georgia, Fort McPherson, and the aviation program at Georgia Tech. The purpose of the committee was to “organize the social life of the communities…which will mean a healthy reaction upon the camps.” (The City Builder is available online as part of the Atlanta History Center archives)
Soldiers were offered reading and writing assistance as a result of the efforts of the committee. Soldiers heading to France soon received French lessons. Books and magazines were donated to camp libraries and singing lessons were offered. Athletic activities and entertainment were organized by the committee. In addition, the committee sought to offer religious services to the soldiers.
The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic based fraternal organization involved in charitable works, completed their building at Camp Gordon in December of 1917. A St. Patrick’s Day celebration was held in 1918. The first formal mass was held around the same time at the Knights of Columbus Hall. The words over the door of the building were “Everybody is Welcome,” which is part of the group’s slogan along with the phrase “Everything free.”
The YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) and YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association) also had a strong presence at WWI military camps. By November of 1917, there were 600 YMCA buildings at camps across the U. S.. The Knights of Columbus, YMCA, and YWCA all offered free stationery and other supplies for writing letters to home.
The area where Camp Gordon was located later became Naval Air Station and is today the home of DeKalb Peachtree Airport.
Thank you to Edward Shevenock for sharing the link below for the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives, where several photos can be viewed from the Peter Guilday Scrapbook, Catholic Observations at Camp Gordon, 1918.
Other sources cited include: Atlanta Constitution Newspaper, March 17, 1917; March 16, 1918.
Peter Guilday Scrapbook, Catholic Observations at Camp Gordon