CCC school
I was the first educational adviser assigned in the Fort Wright District (27 camps). With the aid of forestry personnel, local experienced men 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 (included) grade school, boxing, Spanish, barbering, cooking, typing, simple architecture, baking, journalism (camp paper), auto mechanics, carpentry, orchestra, principles of diesel, first aid, clerks, (and) supply.
At Santa, Idaho … 54 enrollees out of 200 could not write their names. They were from the coal mining area of Kentucky. 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 6-foot lad that “We all don’t dare write no letter home. If our mammie and pappie knowed we was gettin’ book larnin’ they wouldn’t like it.”
The carpentry class built the first schoolhouse in the district and became quite efficient in carpentry and maintenance.
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.”
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, firefighting, stone masonry, mapping, reports, carpentry, etc. Much of the job training was supplemented with class instruction.
The camp commander and his junior officers were reserve officers called to CCC duty. Most …. came from New York and New Jersey.
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!
The mess hall was kept very clean and orderly under the supervision of the army. At the beginning an allowance of 36 cents a day for food was provided, later increased to around 60 cents. A first cook, second cook, and a half-dozen KPs prepared the food, and a baker kept a good supply of goodies on hand. All kitchen personnel were enrollees.
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.”
The canteen was usually located in the recreation room. Candy, tobacco, shaving materials, soft drinks, and many other items were on sale.
Recreation was plentiful: Football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, boxing, track, skiing, ping-pong, pool, cards, and picture shows. On weekends, trucks transported enrollees to the nearest town, often 40 miles away. Ministers of various denominations visited camp nearly every week.
My experience was with men from Arkansas, Kentucky, New York, New Jersey, California and Idaho.