Where are we now? By 1939 the Great Depression was taking a breather ! The PWA and the WPA had been busy building schools, libraries, city halls, hospitals, county and state institutions for years. While two and a half million brave adventurous young lads from farm and city across this nation became the heart and strength of the CCC movement. They criss-crossed our country clearing lakes and rivers, planting 17 million trees, surveying hills and mountains, building roads, dams and bridges. At the same time saving their families from the impact of poverty by earning a monthly stipend of $30 from the program, $22 of which was sent directly home leaving them each eight dollars for their own use! This was the brainchild of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the right man at the right time! They swarmed across our land with hope and sacrifice, only a few years later to be called upon to fight our attackers in WWII. These were our “greatest generation” and when the time came, they streamed across the deserts of Africa, the sands of Iwo Jima, the beaches of Normandy and the surf of the Solomon’s ! Next time you stroll among those familiar structures in your neighborhood, check out the year on those brick and concrete lintels and cornerstones, if the dates fall within 1933 to 1943 time frame, chances are they were built by the men and boys who labored long and hard to save their homeland ! Learn to be aware and appreciate the contribution of these “the meanest tools that we may chance to use”. Familiar,huh?
Sincerely,
Claire B.
Claire V. Bogdanos 