CCC Company 556 (Indiana) at ages 4, 29, 49, and 88. "It was the first time in my life I had enough to eat."

CCC Company 556, Camp SP-7, Pokagon State Park, Indiana...

At age 4 (1938):

Above: From the Steuben Republican (Angola, Indiana), April 6, 1938, p. 2. Note that the advertisement is about the 5th anniversary of the CCC. However, Company 556 was formed in July 1934, and thus one year younger. Image from newspapers.com, used here for educational and non-commercial purposes.

At age 29 (1963):

Above: A 1963 CCC reunion at Pokagon State Park. Photo by Field Enterprises, Inc., scanned from personal copy, and used here for educational and non-commercial purposes.

At Age 49 (1983):

Above: Part of an Associated Press article about the 1983 reunion of Company 556, in The South Bend Tribune (South Bend, Indiana), July 21, 1983, p. 29. In the article, a veteran of the company, James Sendo, says he "had nowhere to go. No family, home, job... The CCC was my answer... It was the first time in my life I had enough to eat... The CCC enabled me to begin my dream of an education." After the CCC, Sendo served in the Army during World War II, earned a Ph.D. at Michigan State University, and taught at Western Michigan University. Image above from newspapers.com, used here for educational and non-commercial purposes.

At age 88 (2022):

Above: A screen grab from the website of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, advertising the 69th annual reunion of CCC Company 556 on July 31, 2022.

The CCC in Indiana

The work of the CCC in Indiana included: 596 bridges (vehicle bridges, foot bridges); 416,000 check dams for soil erosion control: and reforestation of over 23,000 acres. They also, of course, fought wildfires. In 1933, for example, the CCC helped save Clark State Forest, near Henryville: "Without the help of the civilian conservation corps the state forest would have suffered heavy damage" ("CCC Workers Stop Fire Near Forest Reserve," The Indianapolis Star, December 3, 1933, p. 7).