Natale J. Sabatino, CCCman, Company 3274, Camp Hilgard P-215, La Grande, Oregon & Camp DG-93, Keating, Oregon

Biography of Natale J. Sabatino

CCCman, Company 3274, Camp Hilgard P-215, La Grande, Oregon & Camp DG-93, Keating, Oregon

I joined the CCC on July 13, 1938. The reason I joined the C.C.C. was that there was no work to be had. Coming from New York City we were sent to Camp Dix, New Jersey. We were there a week. Boy was it warm! There we were physically examined and then assigned to Company 3274, Camp DG-93. The D.G. on our camp number stands for Department of Grazing. I thought we were going to Washington. Our Commanding Officer was 1st Lieutenant Harry J.Murphy, Inf-Res of the 390th Infantry, US Army. My foreman on the job was Mr. Banister, a great guy.

After two weeks we were on our way to Keating, Oregon. When we got to Oregon we had no place to stay, there was no camp. They broke us up in four groups of 50. They picked out 50 of the Big Guys to build the camp.

My group was sent to the town of La Grande, which had an old established camp. We had a rec hall and a canteen. Our Rec Hall had only a pool table and boxing gloves. We were able to buy candy and cigarettes at the canteen. We had mail call every day.

We had dogs in camp. I think they belonged to the master sergeant.

We would have lunch on the job. It would be either baloney or salami sandwiches. The food was lousy at the beginning. On Lieutenant Murphy's first day on watch, when he saw what we had for breakfast he went through that kitchen in a rage. He saw big slabs of bacon going to waste getting green mold. We washed the mold off and we had breakfast one more time. They got rid of the mess sergeant. It had something to do with the food money.

In about two months we got regular dishes to eat on. We didn't have to use our mess kits. The best vegetable soup I ever ate was in camp.

I don't remember what I did but I got K.P. for 3 days. I was serving dinner and cleaning up the potato peeling.

We were there for three months. While at La Grande we went on 15 forest fires. Me and my two buddies got lost on our 1^st fire.

We fought the fires by digging a buffer zone about 4 feet wide and about two inches deep to contain the fire and let it burn itself out. We also had some of the boys carry a 5 gallon tank of water on their back with a hose connection in case any sparks jumped the line.

While at Keating we did experimental plots. Keating had a population of 50 people. The next town which was Baker was 20 miles from Keating. There is where we went on weekends.

We would go to town by truck. The trucks would leave Friday night or Saturday morning. If we stayed over for the weekend we would get a room at one of the hotels. There was three hotels in town. Cost was $2.50 a night. Sex was also available in the hotels, cost $2.00.

I had a farmer's wife who did my laundry, just my dress clothes. The camp did my work clothes.

I had three buddies, Wally Ager from New York City, Steve Martinez also from New York City, and Mike Rizzo from Brooklyn. They only stayed for one hitch. I signed over. I had a girl friend on my second hitch. So I had it made.

I was honorably discharged on April 3, 1939 as I had obtained employment outside the CCCs.

I got home by railroad, two days in a sleeper and one day in coach. It took three days to get home.

All I can say is my life in the CCC was one of the greatest things that happened to me. I'm sorry I did not stay longer. It took a skinny kid from the Bronx (128 lb) and turned him into 148 lb of muscle. It also made me rich. My Dad would save half of the money going home for me, so I had about 100 bucks when I got out. I also learned a lot from my barrack leader on how to treat people under your command. A great leader. The CCC would not work out today with booze, drugs, broads and fast cars and plenty of jobs. Who would want to sign up? In our time we were fighting for survival. God Bless F.D.R.

----- Natale Sabatino

Photographs from Mr. Sabatino