Many years ago I received a small journal which had been in my family for years. The original owner and author was my grandfather Robert Fitzgerald. It was written when he was 20 and on tour with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in Glacier National Park.
As with many things that were my grandfather's, the journal has always been interesting to me. Although he passed away when I was nine, I have some great memories of him and things like this remain special to me. It's actually been awhile since I've read through it, but as I do now I think others may be interested in the content as well.
The CCC program began in 1933 to help struggling families in times of the Great Depression. Robert spent two tours in the CCC and traveled far from the small town he grew up in. The journal entries take place from July to October in 1936 while he was in Montana. Reading through it gives you a sense of what it was like to be in the CCC program and how life was in 1936. Getting the feel of the time and having him describe the area are really what pushed me to go ahead and publish it.
This 4th of July, Robert would have been 99. Back in 1936 the journal was sent to him as a birthday present. The first entry is from July 3rd on the day he received it. That day I will post the first entry and from there on out I will post entries on the corresponding days they were entered.
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