War and training for war are draining physical, psychological, and emotional experiences. During both world wars and throughout the Cold War, the Salvation Army provided Canadian military personnel overseas and in Canada with comforts such as hot drinks and snacks and helped maintain morale by establishing leave centres for rest and recreation.

The Salvation Army tried to establish a degree of civility amidst the loneliness and dehumanizing conditions of war. To a remarkable degree, the SA formed an integral part of Canadians’ military experiences for most of this century.