Biography of Devon J. Ratliff
CCC Man, Camp Black Canyon, Idaho
I was in the Three C's in a Camp in Idaho. There is so much I can't remember, and I was there for a short time. I cannot recall what our company number was, it would have been like (183) but I’m sure that was not it. The camp was called Black Canyon; about a mile above the Black Canyon dam. It was near Plymouth and Emmett Idaho. We also had a line camp up in the mountains at Banks Idaho.
Each day after reveille and call for breakfast, we made our beds and cleaned out our Barracks, put our shoes and clothes in order. Then we got on trucks with our lunch which was one sandwich, a piece of cake and a fruit and each had a canteen of water.
We would then ride mules to a ranch site. Build fences, stop erosion, clean out springs for livestock. It was sometimes in the hundreds, so hot you could hardly breathe and wonder why you joined as a farm boy in the hills of Arkansas. I had never been very far from home. I talked to a boy from Walnut Ridge, a town not far from my hometown, he had been to camp and told me about a lot that went on. I thought it would be fun. We got to Camp Black Canyon by bus and train. That was something for a boy who had never been anywhere. We had Barrack to live in. We had a pool table, ping pong table, and a checkerboard, played or picked horseshoes. Discipline was very strict. Cleanness was very important. Inspection was once a week, Camp inspection also. Thru the week lunch was nearly always in the field. Flag raising two times a day. Retreat ceremonies at evening.
We also fought forest fires. They were usually started by storm lightning strikes. The headquarters would call us out any time after work or at night. We would take shovels, picks, axes and saws and we were off to the mountains.
Dress uniform was khaki. We all had a large wide belt that was part of our uniform. We only had to dress at Saturday inspection, or pass or to town.
I think the three C's would be good for teenage boys today.
About a year after I came home, I went into the army. I went to cooks school and Mess Sergeant school when I first went in the army.
----- Devon J. Ratliff
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