Honoring those who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

On Memorial Day, May 27, we honor and mourn the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Here we look back at how New York Life has supported our country’s heroes throughout our long history.

New York Life has a long and storied history of supporting the military, and of providing critical financial support to America’s war efforts. In the darkest hours, the company’s employees have pulled together to support our country. Many gave some; some gave all.

The Civil War: Patriotic obligation, honorable conduct

During the Civil War (1861-1865), New York Life remained true to its values throughout the ordeal.

For example, the company was within its rights to cancel all combatants’ contracts ‘without concession or compensation’, but didn’t. A death in combat was not supposed to be covered under policy but the company “felt that persons voluntarily exposing themselves to the deprivations and dangers of the camp and the battlefield were entitled to every facility to enable them to make provision for their families in the event of death.”¹ This typified the company’s policy of doing the right thing over making the most profit, of exhibiting honorable conduct, even in the most extraordinary circumstances.

World War I: Ready to serve

When the U.S. entered World War I in April 1917, New York Life responded, both as an institution and as individuals, to assist the mobilization of the U.S. military, economy and fighting spirit. Employees contributed to all aspects of the war effort, from fundraising to military service. The readiness of New York Life’s employees to volunteer and serve set the tone for the company’s philanthropic, humanitarian and social responsibility campaigns of the future.

Over the course of the conflict, the company purchased nearly $90 million in low-yield war bonds — more than $1.8 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars. In 1918, our expertise in insurance directly benefitted those in military service when chief actuary Arthur Hunter helped the government develop a special life insurance policy for soldiers - both in service, and after - which was one of the first modern veterans’ benefits.

World War II: Meeting our wartime responsibilities

In World War II, the company mobilized its reserves for the good of the country. We invested heavily in government bonds to help fund the war effort, increasing to nearly $2 billion by the war’s end.

Once again, New York Life employees pulled together to do all they could to help as civilians on the home front. So many home office employees volunteered for the New York City Patrol Corps that they had their own company. More than 2,000 New York Life employees served their country in uniform, including 45 of whom gave the last full measure of devotion. In the words of L. Seaton Lindsay, “All of us, in the Field and in the Home Office, can take real pride in the way the agents, agency men and employees are meeting their wartime responsibilities.”²

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