Travel in Time with Dan: Fictional Interview with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the Civilian Conservation Corps (1933–1942)
Dan: Hello everyone! Today, I’m in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, at the CCC Museum, standing among the historic barracks where young men once lived and worked during the Great Depression. I’m honored to “sit down” with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who created the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of his New Deal. Welcome, Mr. President.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Thank you, Dan. It’s gratifying to see these camps preserved. They represent not just buildings, but the spirit of a nation that refused to surrender to despair.
Dan: Let’s start with the context. The Great Depression had devastated the country when you took office.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Indeed. One out of every four Americans was out of work. Families were starving. Young men had no jobs, no purpose, and no hope. Idle hands, as they say, can lead to mischief—especially among energetic young men with nothing constructive to do. The nation needed action, and it needed it immediately.
Dan: That’s when you launched the New Deal and created the CCC.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Yes. The Civilian Conservation Corps was one of my proudest initiatives. My philosophy was simple: above all, try something. We couldn’t sit idle while the country suffered. The CCC put young men back to work—gave them purpose, discipline, and dignity. They lived in camps like these barracks behind you, worked in forests and quarries, built infrastructure, and sent money home to their struggling families.
Dan: There were some interesting requirements to join, weren’t there?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Yes, and those requirements tell you everything about how dire the situation was. Young men had to be at least five feet tall—malnutrition had stunted growth for many. They needed three good teeth in a row—dental health was abysmal due to poverty. These weren’t arbitrary standards; they were reflections of how badly the Depression had ravaged our people.
Dan: What was daily life like in these camps?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: We ran them with military efficiency. Army personnel managed the camps. There was early morning wake-up, roll call, hard work throughout the day in the forests or quarries, meals together, and lights out at night. Saturdays had recreation—baseball games, trips to nearby towns for dances and movies. Sundays were for church services. It provided structure, community, and purpose.
Dan: And these young men earned about a dollar a day, with most sent home to their families.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Exactly. That money kept families afloat during the darkest economic period in our history. From 1933 to 1942, the CCC not only employed these young men but supported entire households. It was investment in both individuals and the nation’s future.
Dan: The program ended when World War II began, but the camps found new purpose housing German prisoners of war.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Yes. When Prime Minister Churchill approached me, explaining that Britain couldn’t house or feed all the German POWs, I realized our underutilized CCC camps could serve this need. We brought German prisoners here, and something remarkable happened. These men had been taught that Americans were evil, that we would kill them at first opportunity. Instead, they found themselves in communities across America, interacting with decent people. After the war, some actually returned to live here permanently. They discovered we weren’t monsters—we were human beings, just like them.
Dan: One of the most famous legacies of the CCC camps is Camp David, where presidents still conduct diplomacy today.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Ah, yes. The rustic simplicity of those camps creates something special. The surrounding wilderness, the quietness, the serenity—it puts people on equal footing. World leaders can meet not in ornate palaces but in simple barracks surrounded by nature. Some of our nation’s most important negotiations have happened in that environment. President Carter’s Camp David Accords, creating pathways to peace—that’s the magic of those simple camps continuing to serve the nation.
Dan: You faced heavy criticism for the New Deal and the CCC. How did you handle that?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Leadership isn’t about avoiding criticism, Dan. It’s about doing what’s necessary even when others doubt you. I said it then, and I believe it still: above all, try something. When the nation is suffering, doing nothing is not an option. Will you make mistakes? Probably. Will some initiatives fail? Perhaps. But trying something—taking action—that’s what leadership demands.
Dan: What lessons do you hope people take from the CCC legacy?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Several things. First, that government can be a force for good when it acts decisively to help its citizens. Second, that investing in young people—giving them work, purpose, and dignity—strengthens the entire nation. Third, that the infrastructure we build, both physical and social, can serve purposes we never imagined. These camps helped during the Depression, housed prisoners during the war, and still inspire leadership today. Finally, remember: courage is not the absence of fear, but action in the face of it. And above all, try something.
Dan: The former CCC boys donated money to preserve these museums. What does that tell you?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: It tells me we gave them something worth remembering. They didn’t just work in these camps—they found purpose, community, and pride. That they want future generations to understand what happened here shows that the CCC succeeded beyond employment numbers. We touched their lives deeply, and they want that legacy preserved.
Dan: Thank you so much, Mr. President. Your vision truly changed America.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The young men who lived in these camps changed America, Dan. I simply gave them the opportunity. May we always remember that when people are struggling, our duty is clear: above all, try something.
