Thursday, December 17, 2009

Gradually Losing the Legacy

Day by day and week by week, our CCC legacy dwindles as the original "boys" head off on their next adventures. With them go the first-person memories of their varied experiences in the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Another CCC boy was lost last week. Willie Pixler of Fort Worth, Texas, had joined us for the CCC Legacy Gathering here in Littleton in October, with his brother Truman and son Mike. He died December 8th, and will be missed! We're glad we had the opportunity to meet Willie and some of his family, and send them our sympathy.

Americorps NCCC members joined a few of the CCC alumni for this photo Friday night. Alums here are, left to right, Truman Pixler (seated), Ed Hohmann (standing), Philip Gouzie (standing), Willie Pixler (seated), and Richard Chrisinger.

CCC Gathering Participants October 9, 2009
Members of Americorps NCCC, with CCC Alums


Five Americorps NCCC members joined us each day of the gathering, and the young people really enjoyed meeting the men who were part of the depression relief effort that, decades later, inspired the program they belong to today. Five NCCC members were paired with alums, and on Saturday morning we had a panel in which they compared their experiences in national service and shared what they had learned in getting to know each other.

As a result of the conference, our local Americorps NCCC program plans to launch an oral history project in January to help capture more of the stories that are, so quickly, being lost to us.


Getting acquainted: NCCC Team Leader Scott Bruckner, 23, chats with Hank Sulima, 89, a CCC alum who served with Company 1608 in Tomahawk, Wisconsin in 1938-40.

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