It was 1939 and dad and Uncle George were on a train, bound for the CCCs in Wyoming.

Growing up in Illinois during the Great Depression was a tough life. Their family was poor before the Depression, and things just got worse. Grandpa worked in the coal mines of Southern Illinois, but that work dried up. The family moved north to Ottawa, Illinois. Dad’s oldest brother Dave was there, working on construction of the Starved Rock Dam, and the hope was that Grandpa could get a job at the dam as well. Unfortunately, Grandpa was an alcoholic and couldn’t hold a job for very long. What money he did make never made it home, and was instead spent on booze and nights on the town.

The ’30s dragged on and the Halls continued to struggle. In the spring of 1939, Uncle George heard about new opportunities with The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCCs), one of FDR’s New Deal programs to get the country working again. The CCCs had recently lowered its age requirements to “young men” from the ages of 17-25. Uncle George was 17 at the time, but dad was only 15 (he turned 16 in October of ’39). In the CCCs, they would each make about $30/month, but were required to send $25 home. They would keep the remaining $5 and also would be provided with food, lodging, and medical care. They decided to sign up. Dad lied about his age (no one seemed to check very closely), and he and Uncle George both joined.

Although there were over 50 CCC camps in Illinois, they, along with other Midwestern youth, were put on a train heading west for Wyoming. Once there, they transferred to trucks for the last miles of the journey. Finally, they arrived at their destination – Big Piney, Wyoming, one of 30 CCC camps in the state. It turns out that Big Piney was known as “The ice box of the nation”, due to the harsh winters there.

A foreman at another CCC camp referred to their new arrivals this way – “It was the sorriest assemblage of humans since Indian treaty days.” I’m guessing the crew that Dad and Uncle George were in wasn’t much different, as the depression had continued for so long.

At Big Piney, they rotated in with members of the CCCs that were already there. Their work focused on the National Forest where they built roads, fences, fire towers and other facilities. They slept in Army style group barracks and had three full meals a day. Both dad and Uncle George put on weight. It was the best life either had known at that point. Plus, they were pocketing $5 per month in real money, something neither had really seen. The other $25 each ($50 total) was sent home. It was a huge amount for Grandma.

After their six month tour, they signed up for one more six month stint. Finally, after the year was up, they returned to Illinois. Life hadn’t changed any in Ottawa, but they were different. Bigger, and stronger, they had both seen a bit of the world.

For dad, I think it made him restless, especially since conditions hadn’t changed in Ottawa. A few months later, still only 16, my Aunt Ellen lied about his age for him, and he joined the Army. It was August of 1940 when he boarded the train for North Carolina, where he would make $21 a month as a Private in the Army. He would continue to send money home to Grandma. Over the next five years, he would see more of the world, including Morocco, Tunisia and Sicily. His accommodations in those countries weren’t quite as nice as the good ol’ days at Big Piney, Wyoming.