Wanted: Tales of Red Cross Service

Back on the eve of World War I, Marion Kaylor knitted socks for the American Red Cross in the small town of Elizabeth, La. As an 11-year-old girl, her work helped the Doughboys keep warm during the long fight in Europe.

“It made my mother feel good,” Nona Gibbs said of her mom, who at 90 lives in Leisure World in Laguna Hills.

“As a child, I was always interested in her stories about the Red Cross,” recalled Gibbs, who volunteers for the Orange County Red Cross and is spearheading an effort to compile oral histories of past volunteers as the Orange County chapter celebrates its 100th anniversary.

The idea, Gibbs said, is to eventually publish the oral histories of Orange County residents who may have volunteered or received assistance from the Red Cross regardless of where they were at the time. “We hope to get as many personal stories as possible,” Gibbs said. “We want to hear or read about how the Red Cross touched their lives.”

The organization wants to place that information in its archives at the Anaheim House, 418 N. West St., and possibly add Red Cross memorabilia and mementos.

The county’s first official Red Cross effort began in 1898 when a group of women gathered in Santa Ana to roll bandages for needs during the Spanish American War. In 1917, Newport Beach became the home of the first official Red Cross chapter in the county.

Since then, the organization, both at the county and national levels, has grown. Today, besides gathering blood, the county agency provides disaster relief services, mental health counseling, AIDS education, refugee resettlement and a host of other services.

“We have come a long way since simply collecting blood,” said Judy Iannaccone, public affairs director. “And the oral history project is a way to collect some of the heartwarming stories this organization has been a part of.”

Those interested in telling their Red Cross experiences can call (714) 835-5381, Ext. 233.