American Experience: Civilian Conservation Corps

DVD features first-hand accounts by men who served in the CCC. The interviews are inter-twined with newsreel footage of life in the camps, the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, and the condition of the country in the early 1930s. We owe a debt of gratitude to the men of the CCC who left a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy. An excellent production by PBS, for The American Experience.

This is a wonderful tribute to the men of the CCC and the work they performed. Three million men served in the CCC, and yet most people today have never even heard of it. We need a revival of this organization and the work they performed. With so many todayaccepting welfare and thinking that it is beneath their dignity to work (yet not to accept handouts!) I guess it would not work And yetthere is plenty of work that needs to be done. Our parks are understaffed and falling apart. The CCC built and maintained them.And, when World War II came, there was a body of 3,000,000 physically fit men, used to military training and discipline (the campswere run by military officers) ready for service. Today, only one in four of our youth could pass a military physical.. All this is showcases in this wonderful tribute to the CCC. Highly recommended!

My father was in the CCCs just before World War II and spoke of it with great affection. He was one of those that the DVD mentions that lived on the road hopping on and off freight trains. I will always believe that the CCC saved him and allowed him to be successful later in life. This DVD tells the story beautifully of how it saved an entire generation of young men in this country and allowed them to be prepared to help save the world after Pearl Harbor. It was the perfect thing at the perfect time and something that would definitely be worth resurrecting again. This is just a great, great story.

We ordered this for our sons in whom we are wanting to instill a love of working with their hands. It is a wonderful look at the lives of several men who joined the CCC during the depression because of lack of work. We loved the inclusion of many film clips of enthusiastic young men learning carpentry, masonry and other skills. The interviews of the men years later, and one man's tears at some of his memories of the Depression was very meaningful for our family. The movie also brings out the importance of soil conservation and caring for the environment in general. Many good messages here - we highly recommend it.

This was a gift for someone but apparently the recipient is happy with the purchase. When reading about this particular film, it makes me wonder why in this modern day economic crisis this kind of program is not being implemented? The Great Depression was discussed in great detail in college history class and this takes me back to a research paper I wrote about FDR and the CCC. I don't want to get all political on my soapbox here because this review is about an actual item not a time in history. I will just close with the fact that we are living in a modern-day version of what the 1930s were like, it's just that we don't have that same sticking-together attitude more typical of a time that hadn't lost its core values, and we certainly don't have a President willing to maintain secure border patrol.

After watching this movie several times on DVD's from netflix, I bought it! If you have never seen this movie and are interested in the human spirit- how Americans survive, and especially now with the economy the way that it is- get this movie. I have watched it at least six times and get more out of it every time. My students love it. It is very inspirational on many levels- historically and a story of what people will do to make the best of a situation!

Glad I got it. A great piece of American history.

hello thank you so much for this dvd. I bought it for a wonderful man at the nursing home in his 90's who remembered when he was in one of these work camps when the country was going down in the past.I played it for him yesterday and it was worth the price of admission. I saw it on channel 11 PBS program.Thank you so much. This was an american experience that has been forgotten. It really shows the wisdom beyond his years (FDR).Thank you again.