CCC Life
When the CCC started up, mostly young men joined with the exception of a few older men. Men would enlist in a military fashion and be subject to military discipline during their stay at the camp. An enlistment was six months in length and could be renewed three times for a total service limit of two years. Many men chose to stay all four terms while others just stayed a couple. Some men would leave earlier due to the army discipline or because of a bad officer or personal situation. Life at that CCC camp was good for most of the men. The men's living quarters were open barracks with the central feature being the large pot bellied stove which kept the men warm in the winter months. When men weren't in the housing quarters they were most likely in the recreation hall. Men could play games with each other or just sit around and talk. Some CCC camps also featured a mess hall, library, headquarters, infirmary, and motor pool.
Campsites also educated the young men with academic classes. Each camp would have a education superintendent who would oversee the education of the CCC men. Typing, reading, writing, social courtesy, first aid, citizenship, motor-mechanics, radio, printing, woodworking, cabinet making, metalworking and leathercraft were all some of the areas taught at the camps.
The single most important aspect of the CCC life, was the work. Men were expected to work a 40-hour week, but most men would work more than that. Each camp was assigned to a Federal Department, such as Interior, War, Labor or Agriculture. Then once it was put in a department, in was put within one of 25 agencies such as Forestry or Grazing. Their work was based upon the desires of that department and their location. Most of the men were devoted to Soil Conservation or Forestry. Many different jobs were done by the CCC men such as clearing brush, cutting firebreaks, planting trees, draining swamps, preventing erosion, building roads, repairing bridges, and building dams. The CCC life was a great program for many young men. They were earning money for themselves, their family, getting educated, and working to rebuild our nation.
