Dad attended Braddock
(PA) High School until 1939. With the extremely high unemployment
rate in Western Pennsylvania at the time and the need to help
out his family, he decided to enroll in the Civilian Conservation
Corps (CCC) in late 1939 or early 1940.
Dad joined the CCC as so many other 16 and 17 year olds did at
the time. Dad was in CCC camps in both New Mexico and Pennsylvania.
In New Mexico, he was assigned to the Public Domain - Grazing
Program near Hot Springs and worked there until July or August
of 1940.
The picture on the right is of his high school teacher Ms. Rita
Mae O'Connell.
