Biography of Kenneth Carlson
CCCMan, Company 4710, SCS Camp, Blair, Nebraska
I was in the CCC during l937-39, Company 4710 at Blair Nebraska. We were a soil conservation camp.
I was in the CCC the first time in l938. I did not have quite enough credits to graduate so I went into the CCC. Up every morning and loaded in to the stake truck by 8. We then proceeded to our work place whether it was hoeing trees, planting trees or building fences. It was a good life and I was only 35 miles from home. I stole rides on the passenger train in order to get home when my mother received the $25. I generally got part of that. I was only in about 4 months and then got leave to finish High School. I discovered that if you were not a high schjool graduate you did not stand a chance. I was discharged when the commader found that I should not have been granted leave except to go to college. After I graduated in l1939. I bummed around, road freight trains and one day went to the CCC's as an alternate. When the kid passed the psyshical and was put to work sanding floors he decided to go home, so I got to take his place. I was in from I think October in l939 to March of l940. I was a cook for a short time. Then I found out the head cook ground his teeth in his sleep and we had to sleep in the same barracks. I quit and went into the field cutting trees. Working on a survey crew. I cannot find my discharge papers, we have moved so many times I don't know where tjhey are, but as soon as I find them I will be back in touch. I do recalll we went to Omaha for a while because we were sawing up the barracks of Carter Lake CCC camp and shipping it to Columbus, Nebraska. I had lots of good times in Blair and the guys that I was with were all a great bunch, mostly all local youths. When we got a bunch in from Omaha, things were heing stole and it was not such a happy camp. Some where I have a picture of me holding a 8 foot icecycle that I picked of the roof of out barracks where I was the fire tender.
I remember lots of the names. If any of the old timers remember the stove tender. Write to my Email address.
----- Kenneth Carlson
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