This late 1940s black and white documentary “Operation Mercy” is from the Christian Rural Overseas Program (C.R.O.P.) on relief to Europe and Asia. The program was a collaboration between Catholic and Protestant churches. It includes carillon music by Ira Schroeder. It opens with churches in rural settings (:50-1:00). Tree tops are missing in war-scarred fields. Grain falls off a hand-pulled cart. Refuges push wagons and baby strollers through the snow. An Asian girl carries a baby on her back (1:49-2:20). A Catholic priest represents the National Catholic Welfare Conference. Another represents the Lutheran World Relief organization (2:222-2:28). Families sit on church benches (2:51). A man uses a 1930s wooden wall crank telephone (3:03). Two sheep farmers talk; one wears a 1940s hunting cap and wire-rim glasses. An elderly woman wearing a full apron (3:38-4:00). The Christian Rural Overseas Program (Crop) pledge form is shown for Polk County, Iowa (4:05-4:24). 1940s farm equipment is used to husk corn. Corn pours into the truck bed. The truck is weighed at “Fairbanks Scales.” Railroad cars are plastered with Polk County signs (4:25-5:29). A man talks into a KXEL microphone at a train car of Wilson Lard from Renville County, Minnesota. A car of milk is from Sibley County, Minnesota. Another sign reads “Floyd County Honey” (4:25-5:55). Large stacks of wrapped food is moved by forklifts in a warehouse. The wooden crate says “John Morrell & Co. Pure Lard” (6:09-6:28). Cranes load food products onto freight ships. Bags of flour are unloaded unto donkey carts. Flour is made into bread in a commercial kitchen (6:35-7:56). In Germany, a 1940s delivery truck is greeted by Catholic school children. They watch as bags of flour are unloaded into the building. Dressed in suit and tie, the children sit at long tables and eat (8:10-9:11). Food is delivered to a refugee family in a condemned building (9:12-9:55). Near the Dachau Concentration Camp, refugees line up for food (9:57-10:25) A nurse feeds a pregnant mother in the hospital. Bags of food are unloaded to feed the elderly in Bavaria. Survivors sit and eat at long tables (10:26-11:41). A family eats inside a bunker. Children in 1940s Bavarian clothing eat (11:47-12:24). A nun works in the kitchen at a War Relief Services center. Elderly are fed soup and rolls (12:25-13:15). Children play with a ball at a refugee camp. Workers prepare food inside a makeshift kitchen. Kindergarteners in Poland eat soup. Adults stand with a bowl to get their single meal. The community eats together (13:17-14:52). Orphans look outside a Lutheran Church window. The food on hand is powdered milk (14:53-15:43). A nurse feeds formula to a baby (15:44-15:54). Beans and flour are packed into food boxes for distribution in Austria. A Brethren Service Commission worker distributes food to a poor family (15:56-17:20). A woman makes bobbin lace (17:21-17:30). Men stack crumbled bricks for rebuilding (17:31-17:39). Asian families try to rebuild homes (17:40-18:12) A hungry toddler sits on a porch and holds a bowl (18:15-18:23).
