Leaving Home

The Civilian Conservation Corps represented many things to Minnesota's young men. Some were eager to seize the offer of work and income during hard times; some saw an opportunity to learn career skills, while others sought adventure.

Leaving home was a big first step, particularly for those who had never been away from home. Once adjusted to the daily routine of camp life, however, most men enjoyed their time with the Corps.

Raphael John Buskowiak welcomed the CCC experience, while Michael T. Sanchelli, reluctant at first, enrolled from a sense of duty to his family. Alfred E. Nelson, who joined the CCC at age 17, recalled his fear at leaving home. James Clark, a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwa, found the change easier due to time spent at Indian boarding schools.

Citations:

• Buskowiak, R. John, My Days in the C.C.C.'s. Minnesota Historical Society Manuscripts Collection, 1993.
• Sanchelli, Michael T., Michael T. Sanchelli Reminiscences. Minnesota Historical Society Manuscripts Collection, 1991.
• Nelson, Alfred, E. (Irv), Stanley Johnson, Interviewer, Oral History Interview. Minnesota Historical Society Oral History Collection, 1976.
• Clark, James; Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Interviewer, Oral History Interviews of the Mille Lacs Ojibwe Social History Project. Minnesota Historical Society Oral History Collection, 1992.
• Child, Brenda, Boarding School Seasons. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1998.