Civilian Conservation Corps This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter. All persons donating to this site retain the rights to their own work. Civilian Conservation Corps 1938 996th Company Camp Big Bar F-27 Big Bar, CA (taken from a 1938 yearbook owned by Hazel Gendron) Some members have pictures, contact me and I'll check for a picture Janie Edwards mailto:corajanee@shasta.com HISTORY Company 966 was first organized at Fort Lewis, Washington, May 21, 1933. At this time Capt. Long, three Regular Army sergeants, and forty enrollees entrained at 2: 15 p.m. en route to Lapine, Oregon, for Camp Cliff Springs F-48, Silver Lake, Oregon, which is about sixty miles from Lapine, Oregon. The company strength increased to 209 men by the 10th of June. On October 2, an advance cadre of 16 men was sent to Camp Carberry Creek to start camp construction. October 23 the whole company moved from Camp Cliff Springs to Camp Carberry Creek. The camp was not completed yet and the men made their beds under the stars. On December 4, First Lieut. B. C. King, CA-Res., was assigned to Camp Carberry Creek and took command December 15, 1933. March 23, 25 men were sent out as an advance cadre to Dog Lake, with First Lieut. King in command. The camp was situated on the edge of a lake about 32 miles west and south of Lakeview, Oregon. April 25, the main camp moved to Dog Lake. It was only a summer camp and was of a temporary nature. The men lived in tents. The mess-hall, bath-house, latrine, cooler, bakery and electric light shed were of wood construction. The rest of the buildings were tents with wooden floors. May 23 and 24, there were 108 men on fires. On .July 10, 1934, there were 37 men discharged of the original group who first joined the company. This left but three of the "old soldiers." During July the men experienced a great deal of fire-fighting. Ninety men were sent to the Sugar Loaf Mountain fire in California. The entire company was sent to Rosey Creek fire which broke out shortly after the men returned from the Sugar Loaf Mountain fire. They were then sent to the Summit Prairie fire. They returned to camp on August 3rd, tired and dirty, with almost fifteen days continuous fire-fighting experience. During the next four or five months the men were engaged in road construction and bridge building at Camp Carberry Creek. On May 7, 1935, 31 men were sent to Dog Lake from Camp Carberry Creek as an advance cadre and on the 10th of the month a change of station from Carberry to Dog Lake took place. July 17, there were 70 men sent out to the Bonanza fire and 45 men were sent to the Fish Lake fire. Another change of station was to take place and on October 22, 1935, 7 men were sent in advance to Bly, followed by 9 men on the 24th, ten men on the 25th, and 25 men on the 26th, which made a total of 52 men stationed at Bly and by the 10th of the month Camp Dog Lake was evacuated and the whole company had moved to Camp Bly F-119, Bly Oregon. On October 30, Capt. Preston E. Rohner, Inf-Res., relieved Capt. Buford E. Boyd, Inf-Res., as Commanding Officer. During the first twelve months at Bly the company was engaged in road construction and improvement, camp ground development, bridge building, building construction, and fighting spot fires. On July 30, the entire company, with the exception of a fire guard, turned out to look for a woman who was supposedly lost on Quartz Mountain. However, it was later learned that she had hitch-hiked to her home in Portland, Oregon. The company strength at the end of August was 59. October 10, 80 men were enrolled from Vancouver Barracks. October 13, 13 men arrived from Klamath Falls. October 14, Capt. Bayard C. Taylor, Air-Res., was transferred from Camp South Umpqua Falls to Camp Bly. October 15, 20 men were transferred from Camp Gunter to Camp Bly. October 16, 13 men were received from northern and central California. While yet a member of the old Eureka District, Company 996 won the district championship handily. Challenging the champions of the Redding District, the Big Bar boys traveled to the town of that name and were victorious in a hotly contested game. Satisfied that their season was a success, the local boys were checking in their equipment when a challenge was received from the Sacramento District champions. History repeated itself. The Big Bar team travelled to Sacramento and trounced the valley favorites. With three district championships under their belts, the Big Bar boys gained undisputed superiority in northern and central California. Originally conducted in one small room, the camp educational program has progressed to the stage wherein the main camp classroom, darkroom, library, Forestry and Army quarters and mess hall are utilized as places of instruction. A well stocked and comfortable library and reading room are at present available to the camp members. Commanded by Capt. Don B. Kates, CA-Res., 519th CA, the present Army administration consists of Contract Surgeon Thomas G. Mitchell; and Educational Adviser Dayton T. Coffey. Other commanding officers of this company were: Lieut. E. H. Wilson, 30th Inf.; Lieut. Phillip B. Foote, Air-Res.; Capt. John E. Eilbertson, Engr.-Res.; Lieut. James P. Abbott, Cav-Res.; Capt. William A. Sedden, Inf.-Res.; Lieut. Roy E. Dahlin, Eng.-Res.; Capt. Harold H. Hearneld, Inf.-Res.; Capt. Donald W. Dye, Inf.-Res., and Lieut. Mathew Santino, CA-Res. Officers Capt. Don B. Kates, Ca-Res. - Commanding Officer Lieut. Theooore H. Ebbert, Inf-Res. - Junior Officer Dr. Thomas G. Mitchell - Camp Surgeon Dayton, T. Coffee - CEA Technical Personnel E. J. Wyllie - Project Superintendent Robert P. Haughey Cornelius W. Gibbons Frank Wallen Members Aldrich, V.  Gonsalves, F.  Mitchell, J.  Anderson, R  Gonzales, D.  Mora, J.  Bandy, R.  Gonzales, G.  Moreno, W.  Basquez, E.  Gonzales, M.  Morningstar, L.  Bell, D.  Goodall, M.  Moskel, W.  Bell, L.  Graham, R.  Mueller, J.  Bell, M.  Grey, A.  Niccassio, N.  Benavidez, I.  Gutch, R.  Olson, E.  Bendick, J. Jr.  Hamilton, C.  Ortega, A.  Bennage, W.  Hansen, C.  Owens, M.  Berardino, E.  Harris, J.  Pearson, K.  Bianco, T.  Harris, M.  Peterson, R.  Bias, M.  Harrison, R.  Prichard, J.  Billingsley, R.  Hawkins, L.  Raphael, E.  Black, J.  Haygood, N.  Riley, R.  Bolton, R.  Heinrich, R.  Rule, W.  Bonnel, G.  Hemenover, G.  Scanlan, P.  Briscoe, J.  Herbert, N.  Seigfried, M.  Brown, F.  Hernandez, J.  Senff,T.  Broxon, B.  Houx, C.  Siegel, S.  Cantu, R.  Howson, C.  Sliger, H.  Cardenas, A.  Hunt, H.  Smith, J.  Caudillo, M.  Hunt, J.  Spencer, S.  Corral, M.  Jaeger, F.  Spitzer, R.  Cowles, J.  James, E.  Spohr, L.  Coyne, M.  Kammerer, T.  Stahlschmidt, B.  Cundiff, C.  Kolby, H.  Stolze, G.  Dankoff, W.  Lainfiesta, M.  Stone, E.  Dege, O.  Larsen, R.  Swope, R.  Espinoza, M.  Lynch, H.  Thrapp, N.  Everson, K.  Lynch, J.  Thurston, R.  Farmer, R.  Magaldi, R.  Turman, A.  Fields, H.  Mardel, E.  Vasquez, R.  Fleming, J.  May, R.  Vierra, F.  Forster, A.  McCoy, B.  Villanova, J.  Freeman, H.  McCulloch, J.  Vinzant, D.  Fuqua, C.  McPhail, N.  Webster, W.  Gardner, G.  Middleton, H.  Wentworth, R.  Gerhow, F.  Mills, R  White, E.