The Civilian Conservation Corps In Arizona'S Rim Country: Working In The Woods

Chapter 10 Farewell to the CCC

121 Farewell to the CCC At the end of the first enlistment period, an enrollee had two choices: he could sign up for another six-month tour of duty, or he could go home. For those going home, there was no fanfare, no awards dinner, no special ceremony. A few friends might get together and share some memories, but the nature of the CCC program did not fit with ceremonial farewells. The men who enrolled later in the program had different discharge dates from those of earlier enrollees, of course, and were usually placed in companies to fill vacant slots. These men trickled out of the companies as their enlistments expired. Ranks were also depleted by discharges for health reasons and by desertions. Over several enlistment periods, the entire camp roster could turn over, leaving only enrollees who were not present when the company was originally formed.1 The camp newspapers tried to keep up with the comings and goings . Often the paper would include a paragraph congratulating those who were moving on—some of them back home, others to jobs outside the CCC. The names of the few remaining original enrollees still left in camp might be proudly printed in the paper too. The camp commanders took notice of the turnover and sometimes used the paper to wish them good luck. Ernest Massad of Blue camp wrote this editorial printed on page one of the March 1940 Blue Buffalo: I know that there are many things including trades and professions that most of you men have learned since you first joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. . . . You are leaving and going into you communities to become part of that community . . . and will take the places of the leading citizens of that commuChapter 10 122 j the ccc in arizona’s rim country nity. . . . What you have learned in the Civilian Conservation Corps will inevitably make you fit into that community. . . . We will from time to time hear from you or about you, and will point with pride to your success. . . . The best of luck to you and if I can ever be of service to you, just call on me. The CCC was a hugely popular relief program that would almost certainly have continued in some form had it not been for America’s entry into World War II. Yet even before the war there were signs that the program was beginning to weaken. Economic conditions in the country were improving. Applications for the CCC dropped. Desertions from the camps increased as more men gravitated to jobs in the civilian sector . By the summer of 1941 the program counted fewer that 200,000 men in about 900 camps, versus a 1935 level of 500,000 enrollees serving in 2,600 camps. Some who had previously stood behind the CCC now questioned whether the program was necessary in light of the need for a stronger national defense.2 When the war finally came to America, Congress nevertheless engaged inaspirited debateover whether tocontinue funding for theCCC. In the end, after several close votes, Congress admitted the inevitable and ordered the camps closed and their property disposed of. In fact, the camp disposal process had been a part of the CCC plan since the program ’searlyyears.MostofthecampsontheRimandintheWhiteMountains had completed their work and closed long before war came. In the few camps that were still up and running, change was in the air. The war in Europe had been going on since 1939, and rumors about U.S. involvement were an inevitable part of camp conversations. By 1941, many CCC reenlistments were being disallowed as the peacetime draft in America reached down into the camps to claim enrollees. The camp superintendent at East Verde was put on terminal leave in mid-1941, mostly because so many companies had been disbanded. The army commanders at Blue, Chevalon Canyon, and East Verde camps began offering classes in military drill, officially called “national defense training.” The military lifestyle of the CCC did make for an easier transition into the wartime army. Enrollees were used to discipline and following orders. They were used to uniforms and barracks inspection and army food. At basic training the army leadership sought them out—sometimes with comic results. Richard Thim remembered being asked by the drill instructor if anyone in the ranks had been in the CCC: farewell to the ccc j 123 Another fellow and I raised our hands...