Early Days in the Forest Service Volume 4

CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS IN OPERATION
By Carl A. Weholt

Educational Department

The educational adviser was selected from applications. Experience, schooling, references were considered. It helped to have political backing. With the recommendations of Senator Borah, the governor, the local political boss, and the county superintendent, I was the first educational adviser assigued in the Fort Wright District (27 camps).

The first company commander I encountered was a retired Naval Commander. He had 3 junior officers. He usually started his week-ends on Thursday, and returned on Tuesday.

Since the educational program was voluntary, the commander advised me that I shouldn't expect too much. He said he had tried the same deal in the navy. The first evening he had a room full. He had to end the program in a week. No students.

I worked out a program based on the needs of the enrollees and the job. With the aid of forestry personnel, local experienced men (LEMs), and experienced or skilled enrollees as instructors, I had a program in operation involving around 80 percent of the men.

A Partial List of Subjects

On the Job Training (See Forestry)

At Santa, Idaho, there were 54 enrollees out of 200 who could not write their names. They were from the coal mining area of Kentucky where the company store took care of everything. We brought them up to 4th grade level in math and reading. For their final exam I requested that they write a letter home. I was informed by a big six foot lad that "We all don't dare write no letter home. If our mammy and pappy knowed we was gettin' book larnin' they would't like it."

In a LEM camp where ages ranged to 72, there was great interest in the program. A 60-year-old enrollee was an architect. He became an instructor in house and cabin plans. Older men became so involved they often missed meals. We used an old 1-1/2 ton truck to teach driving. To qualify, the enrollee had to enroll in the auto mechanics course.

Education

The carpentry class built the first school house in the district and became quite efficient in carpentry and maintenance. I soon found that I needed a class in teaching. The instructor in auto mechanics came to me after 3 classes and said, "What do I do now? I've covered everything." We had a table for Spanish students, at which only Spanish was spoken. If one forgot the name of a food, he did without.

At Renfro Creek tent camp, the only place for inside classes was a big abandoned barn. The sign over the door read: "Renfro College. The only college in a barn in the world." A picture of the set up and the story got in most of the larger papers in the United States.

My assistant was from Brooklyn. His father was a drunkard. The boy was the oldest of 11 children. To feed the family, he had to steal food from stores and fruit stands, and then steal coal to cook it. He was a good boy. I heard dozens of similar stories.

Need for and Results of the Program

Under Hoover and the gold standard, one of the worst depressions in our history hit all at once. Hoover maintained that it was a local problem and would be of short duration. Men with families would get $9 per month for working on roads. They could not buy tobacco or other nonfood items. Factories and businesses closed down. There was no money to be had. Bankers would not lend to their own mothers. Banks were going broke by the thousands. Foreclosures were on every hand. Wheat sold at 16¢ a bushel. I sold a registered mature hog for $4. I was offered a job as superintendent of a high school at $100 per month. Since the district had no money they paid in script, which was discounted 15 percent at the bank, if they would cash it at all.

The training the boys received fit them for military duty in World War II with little additional training. It kept the home folks from starvation and gave the kids a feeling of responsibility.

Forestry Department

The forestry department was independent of the military. Usually, however, they cooperated very well. If they did not, a transfer was in order.

The camp superintendent in this district of 27 camps was always a local experienced woods worker, chosen for his ability to lead men, and for his knowledge of the forest and the operations required. The foremen were chosen much the same way. Some enrollees were promoted to foremen.

Work in the forest camps consisted of tree planting, thinning roadside beautification, and development of camp areas, blister rust control and road building. One camp built 57 miles of mountain road in one summer.

Marble Creek camp on the St. Joe was quite typical. The enrollees were trained in jack hammer, axe and saw, powder, surveying, heavy equipment, heavy equipment repair, truck driving, auto mechanics, pick and shovel, fire fighting, stone masonry, mapping, reports, carpentry, etc. Much of the job training was supplemented with class instruction.

The Military

The camp commander and his junior officers were reserve officers called to CCC duty. Most of them came from New York and New Jersey. The army personnel usually consisted of a captain.

The cooks could not read, so it was an extra chore to tell them what to cook, and set the cans out because "them there cans ain't got no pitchers on 'em."

Most officers were quite efficient, although some did dumb things. After the flood, the Lieutenant, the sergeant, and I went on an inspection tour. Water filled the sheet iron stoves to the top. The lieutenant always prided himself on making a decision. "Sergeant, take a pick and knock a hole in the bottom of these stoves and let the water out." "Yes, SIR." Bam!

Sometimes the officers carried the army image to extremes. When I arrived at the camp, the officers had a small room boarded off for their mess, and a white-jacketed orderly waited on them. I refused to eat in the walled off area, and moved out with the men. In a few days the walls came down and the enrollees could see that the officers ate the same kind of food as they.

The mess hall was kept very clean and orderly under the supervision of the army. At the beginning an allowance of 36¢ a day for food was provided, later increased to around 60¢. A first cook, second cook, and a half dozen K.P.'s prepared the food, and a baker kept a good supply of goodies on hand. All kitchen personnel were enrollees.

The Canteen was usually located in the recreation room. Candy, tobacco, shaving materials, soft drinks, and many other items were on sale. The canteen bill was deducted from the enrollee's $5 allowance on payday. The other $25 was sent to his parents. Leaders got $45 and assistant leaders $36. Sergeants got $45.

Clothing was issued free. Replacements were issued at intervals. At supper one evening I cautioned the boys to don their long johns. I had a mixture of Kentucky boys who were as honest as they come, and New Jersey kids who, if the truth were the best story, would prefer to lie. "I ain't got no long johns," a Kentucky boy announced. "Where are they? They were issued to you." "I don't rightly know." I had a showdown inspection. A New Jersey boy had 22 pair in his locker.

Recreation was plentiful. Football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, boxing, track, skiing, ping pong, pool, cards, and picture shows. On week ends, trucks transported enrollees to the nearest town, often 40 miles away.

Ministers of various denominations visited camp nearly every week.

Payday was once a month, in cash. The commanding officer was very impressive, dressed in his best uniform and toting his moneybox and revolver.

Minority groups were not well represented. In the 8 years that I was with the CCC, I can recall but 6 Negroes and 30 Mexicans. Negroes were assigned to the kitchen, and the Mexicans worked on the job.

Enrollees ranged in age from 16 to 24, except in the LEM camps where several were in their 70's. Enrollment was for a 6-month period. At the end of that time they could reenlist or go home. A majority stayed - some for 2 years.

My experience was with men from Arkansas, Kentucky, New York, New Jersey, California, and Idaho.

Enrollees slept in barracks of 50 men each. A leader or assistant leader was assigned to each barracks.