"The Future of the CCC"

From the The Adjutant, the CCC newspaper coming out of the Headquarters Company at Fort Leavenworth, comes this editorial concerning one man's thoughts on the future of the CCC. Published January 18, 1936, in the midst of discussion about making the Civilian Conservation Corps a permanent entity, the editorial offers thoughts on the meaningful conservation accomplishments of the organization in under 3 years time. His concluding comments concerning the future remembrance of the CCC were of particular interest to me as I research the work of the CCC in Kansas. While there are in fact statues and monuments erected to the "C.C.C. lad", some in memorial to the fallen, others to commemorate their accomplishments, there are many more public works projects that continue to see use today that stand as silent testimony to their achievements. Indeed, all these years later, "the work accomplished speaks for itself".

THE FUTURE OF THE CCC

There is hardly a day that passes in which one does not hear the question "I wonder what is going to happen to the CCC in the years to come." It is the editor's opinion that the C.C.C. will be a permanent organization. It is possible that details pertaining to administration will change, but the aim to conserve natural and human resources will remain its primary objective.

An organization less than three years old, the C.C.C. has accomplished great things. A nation has had brought home to it in a vivid way the need for recreating our heritage of invaluable resources, particularly in regard to forest, field and stream.

Thousands of acres of denuded and scarred hillsides have been planted to trees where nothing but barren rock would be present in a few short years. A before and after photograph in the January issue of American Forests shows better than words can tell what magic can be wrought by building check dams, and planting young locust trees on a ravished hillside in the Tennessee Valley. In order to save the washing of the mountainsides in the Coastal Range of Southern California, mustard seed has been planted to perform wonders in preventing soil erosion.

Innumerable state parks have been made places of pleasure and healthful recreation for the large urban and rural populations. Dividends will be paid in health and mind, body and soul of those who visit these delightful refuges from a rushing world.

In a few short years the necessity for the prevention of soil erosion has been demonstrated to a large number of the rural population, thus forestalling the event of more sub-marginal land, lower farm incomes, and higher food prices. With the continuance of such notable work, the people of the great Mississippi Valley need not envision for the next century the horrible scene of a desert-like place as pictured in an article by a member of the new deal. He contemplated abandoned cities, a landscape void of vegetation and life, dry rivers and deserted cities.

Nimrods of the future will thank their lucky stars that the C.C.C. carried out grand schemes for conserving their favorite game, and anglers will not have "fisherman's luck" when they cast their lines into a shady pool.

Children of future generations will be grateful for the historic sites which have been restored by the activity of the C.C.C.

Statues of the soldier, the pioneer, the explorer, the ruler and others have been erected. Boys, it would not surprise me that as old men you will visit the public squares and there find a statue erected to the C.C.C. lad. You can swell with pride, perhaps brush away a tear in memory of "old times" and stand with head bared and say in your heart, "I am glad that I was on the Boys."

The C.C.C. has grown in favor with the general population; relations which at one time strained have been healed in large measure. Hundreds of thousands of boys have been saved from the demoralization of idleness. The work accomplished speaks for itself.

(emphasis mine)