Daily AncestorConscientious objector
A conscientious objector was a man who refused military service or combat on grounds of conscience or religion; under the 1940 law he claimed it before his draft board.
The 1940 draft law excused men whose religious training and belief opposed war in any form, if the local board sustained the claim. Such a man could be inducted for noncombatant service, coded I-A-O, or assigned to civilian work of national importance, coded IV-E.
Objectors in both world wars often faced harassment, and some who refused board orders were prosecuted and jailed. On a classification history these codes are the main clue; a man in IV-E did civilian work in place of induction.
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Daily Ancestor. "Conscientious objector." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/military/conscientious-objector. Last checked 2026-10-12.