Frank Montella Interview

Memories of a CCC boy

July 9, 1971 Interview by Kim Stewart, Cal State Fullerton and Utah State Historical Society Oral History Project. Dr. Gary Shumway director.

Frank "Bo" Montella was a 1st Sgt. in the CCC camp in Blanding. (Frank Montella picture)

Montella: I was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 16, 1921. I left New York when I was 17 years old to come out to Utah. As a matter of fact, this is when we joined the CCC's, on October 4, 1938. We joined the CCC's and went to White Armory in New York. From New York we went to Fort Dix, New Jersey and from Fort Dix, New Jersey, we were assigned to different locations. My location was in Utah.

We traveled by troop train from Fort Dix through the states and we landed in Thompson, Utah, which was an isolated place. We thought it was out of this world. (Laughter) In Thompson we boarded some trucks with about thirty-three people to each truck. These trucks took us right to Blanding. The Blanding Camp was Company 3241. From there we got acquainted with the Commanding Officer and they introduced us to all the lieutenants, captains, foremen, and superintendents. That's where we started. I stayed in this camp from 1938 until 1942. I was an enrollee.

As you know, in the CCC's we only made $30 a month. We had $8 a month for spending money and $22 a month was sent home to our parents. So you could just imagine $8 a month to last us for the full thirty days. We really had to budget our money. We were to spend that $8 on our soap, shaving cream, and all the commodities that we really needed. We learned how to budget ourselves though on that $8 a month.

Scrapers were pulled by D-4 or D-6 Caterpillars on road projects the CCC's worked on. (Frank Montella photo)

After my leadership in the Grazing Service, I became First Sergeant in the Army Administration in the camp. As First Sergeant I took care of all the administration work in the camp. When the Grazing Service didn't have any work for the men, in the daytime, they would turn the men over to the Army. Now, our company strength was from 225 to 250 men and it was basically up to me to assign men to police the area and doing different projects around the camp area. Being First Sergeant in the camp, my responsibility was to keep the camp in tip-top shape with good living conditions in which the fellows cooperated well. If they didn't then we would assign them extra duties.

Georgan Burtenshaw and Willie Certonio riding a horse. Willie was also considered one of the best dancers in the CCC camp. (Georgan Burtenshaw photo)

In heavy equipment we used to have just the D-4 Cat and a D-6 Cat. That was some of the biggest equipment around the country, including these big heavy construction outfits. You'd be surprised how many fellows took an interest in trying to operate this heavy equipment. Today, two or three are in business for themselves in this heavy equipment. They are operating larger equipment now, but that gave them a start and a little knowledge in how to handle equipment and how to handle a business.

For instance, Willie Certonio has Certonio Construction Company now and he's operating heavy equipment: graders, cats, and loaders.

Three CCC friends: Pepe (whose uncle was Two-ton Tony Galento who fought Joe Lewis for the Championship), Bo Montella and James "Al Albertano.
(Frank Montella photo)

We also learned how to survey. James Albertano, as a boy, was a dropout, but he just took a notion that he wanted to be a surveyor. Old Chap Blake, our camp engineer, would take anybody in there and try to teach them to survey. Albertano wasn't a high school graduate but he got together with Old Chap Blake and learned surveying. And do you know what he turned out to be? He turned out to be one of the vice-presidents of James White Engineering in Denver. He took correspondence courses and he studied a little more. But that's what I say, every one of the boys that I know personally from the CCC's progressed. I think it was a great organization. To tell you the truth, if they had it today, I'd go in it today. That's the truth.

Bridge built at Recapture Wash south of Blanding by the CCC's. (Frank Montella photo)

A complete copy of the Montella Interview is available at San Juan County libraries.

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Last Updated July 31, 1997 by Janet Wilcox