Michigan radio amateur Dirk Esterline, KG8JK, is promoting participation in a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Special Event this summer to honor the contributions of the Depression-era government-sponsored work program, and he hopes to make it an annual event. The CCC came into being in the spring of 1933, during the first term of President Franklin Roosevelt, as one of several economic relief programs during the Great Depression of the 1930s. CCC camps often were established in woodland areas, because the CCC was specifically tasked with environmental conservation.

“We want to honor the contribution that ‘The Boys’ of the Corps made to our country and to our natural environment,” said Esterline. “As radio played a big part in how the camps communicated with each other, we would encourage you to activate the actual location of one of the camps.” The special event will take place the weekend of August 9-10.

If an actual CCC site is not available, he pointed out, many state and local parks have buildings constructed by the CCC that would make suitable sites.

“Our goal is to make contacts between as many of the camps as possible and to contact as many Amateur Radio operators as possible,” Esterline said. He encourages anyone interested in participating to contact him.