Ralph Di Gia: leading war resister, dead at 93

Ralph Di Gia and Tobias DaloisioRalph Di Gia, a conscientious objector imprisoned during World War II who worked with the War Resisters League (WRL) for more than 60 years, died on Friday, February 1st. He was 93. Matt Daloisio, a member of WRL's advisory board (with whose son Ralph is pictured here), writes:

"When Ralph DiGia got his notice to report to the Army for induction after Pearl Harbor, he went to the U.S. Attorney's office to say he wasn't reporting because he was a conscientious objector. The U.S. Attorney sent him to a WRL lawyer for advice, but in those benighted days, the armed services did not recognize conscientious objection that was not religiously based. Ralph therefore spent the war years in Federal prison, going on hunger strikes to integrate the prison dining hall (an effort that succeeded). When he got out of prison, he headed straight for WRL, and has been there ever since."

Accolades and memories about Ralph are pouring in from around the world and being collected by WRL leaders, especially Daloisio and long-time FOR friend and former Socialist presidential candidate David McReynolds. FOR leader George Houser reflected briefly:

I had many experiences with him. One of the interesting ones a couple of years ago was an "oral history" project under the auspices of Columbia University at a Chinese school in Chinatown. We held forth on our pacifist positions before 8th graders. The students were fascinated with Ralph. They put this in a pamphlet at Columbia which I have somewhere in my files.

Another FOR member, Joseph Gerson, who runs AFSC's New England office, wrote from Seoul, Korea:

I was so saddened this morning to open my e-mail and to read of
Ralph's death. It hit me harder than I had anticipated. Over the years he touched so many people, and as you (or someone) wrote, he was in so many ways the "heart" of the WRL. More than anything else I will always remember his warm kindness to Lani and me, and the generosity of spirit which he seemed to share with all who came his way. What a sweet and remarkable man! What a rich life he lived.

Ralph Di Gia (photo: Ed Hedemann)FOR will share information on Ralph Di Gia's memorial service when it is announced. In the meanwhile, please feel welcome to post your own memories or reflections as Comments on this web site, and we will be sure to share them with WRL.