num_pages: 329
description: This creative nonfiction story begins in Virden, Illinois and follows the factual events of the author's father, Mike Kerkes, before joining the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The narrative continues with Mike's friendships and his work in the hewing yard at Giant City Park in rural southern Illinois. After a reorganization of CCC manpower Mike is transferred to Company D-692 as a lead carpenter to help develop Copper Falls State Park in northern Wisconsin, where the men endured one of the coldest winters on record. A desperate cry for help from the U.S. Forest Service on Isle Royale, Michigan during the drought of 1936 sent Company D-692 to help contain the inferno that threatened the entire island from destruction. Conditions on the island soon forced ordinary men into circumstances in which heroes find themselves. The book concludes with a tribute to these men by their grandchildren and an update on the two state parks they developed that are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
language: English
title: The Soldiers of Poverty
titlecomplete: The Soldiers of Poverty
ratings_count: 3
publisher: Rustic Books LLC