Ruben Died at 19 years 6 months 15 days old
Ruben's life was cut short, way too soon. But, he did pack a lot of living into his brief time. He loved his mother and lost her too early, when he was 15. He loved his sisters and brothers; he was particularly close to Isabelle. He respected his father, but found Pedro sometimes too difficult to live with after his mom's death. At times, Ruben lived instead with an aunt and uncle in Arizona and later with his oldest sister, Alice, and her husband in San Diego.
Work in the 1930s and 1940s
The 1930s economic depression had taken a toll on the Tellez family as it had to just about everyone in Jerome, San Diego, California, Arizona, across the USA, Mexico, and even in Europe. The Tellez family was no different. Money was scarce during those years and every able-bodied family member contributed what he/she could. Until at least the early 1930s, Ruben's father, Pedro, had been economically helping his brothers and sisters still in Mexico, in addition to supporting his own growing family, now in the USA. He continued to help them as he could.
Pedro is listed on both the US and Mexican 1930s census records. The Mexican census shows him as head of household, the only married person; his sisters and brothers were in their teens and twenties. The economic pressure on him was tremendous.
He expected his sons, Peter and Ruben, to work--he thought they were old enough to contribute to the family finances as they grew into their teens. His emphasis was on providing economically, not on completing formal education.
Ruben worked at various jobs in San Diego for short periods of time. He began working with a newspaper route before he was a high school student. He left high school at the end of his junior year to work full-time to help his family. Neither Peter nor Ruben graduated from high school. His military records show his previous jobs to include: "Packing, filling, labeling, marking, bottling, and related occupations, n.e.c." (Enlistment record)
Sending money home was one of the reasons Ruben and Peter worked for the CCC in 1941 and 1942 and then volunteered for the Army. Ruben went a step further and volunteered for the paratroops--they were paid an extra $50/month at that time, which is roughly equal to $730 in 2012, that extra 1943 $600 in a year=$8,760 in 2012. That would make a substantial difference for a family. Ruben would frequently send money back to the family, sometimes with notes in it telling his wishes that the younger kids get some candy treats from the money.
Pedro is listed on both the US and Mexican 1930s census records. The Mexican census shows him as head of household, the only married person; his sisters and brothers were in their teens and twenties. The economic pressure on him was tremendous.
He expected his sons, Peter and Ruben, to work--he thought they were old enough to contribute to the family finances as they grew into their teens. His emphasis was on providing economically, not on completing formal education.
Ruben worked at various jobs in San Diego for short periods of time. He began working with a newspaper route before he was a high school student. He left high school at the end of his junior year to work full-time to help his family. Neither Peter nor Ruben graduated from high school. His military records show his previous jobs to include: "Packing, filling, labeling, marking, bottling, and related occupations, n.e.c." (Enlistment record)
Sending money home was one of the reasons Ruben and Peter worked for the CCC in 1941 and 1942 and then volunteered for the Army. Ruben went a step further and volunteered for the paratroops--they were paid an extra $50/month at that time, which is roughly equal to $730 in 2012, that extra 1943 $600 in a year=$8,760 in 2012. That would make a substantial difference for a family. Ruben would frequently send money back to the family, sometimes with notes in it telling his wishes that the younger kids get some candy treats from the money.
Civilian Conservation Corps
Pedro Tellez got both of his older boys signed up to work with the CCC. Peter and Ruben went for about a year and a half. They worked in northern California at the end of the CCC New Deal program. Afterward, Ruben lived with his married eldest sister, Alice, and her husband for a while before deciding to enlist in the Army.
CCC
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a federal public work relief program from 1933 to 1942.
It was part of FDR's New Deal; it provided unskilled manual labor jobs related to the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands owned by federal, state and local governments.
The CCC was designed to provide employment for young men who had difficulty finding jobs during the Great Depression. At the same time, it was creating a general natural resource conservation program in every state and territory. Maximum CCC enrollment at any one time was 300,000; in nine years 2.5 million young men participated.
The typical CCC enrollee was a U.S. citizen, unmarried, unemployed male, 18 to 25 years of age. This fit Pedro but Ruben was a bit too young. Somehow, he became part of the CCC--I don't know what his father, Pedro, did, but both Tellez boys went. Ruben's sisters and brother are adamant that he participated after leaving high school.
Each enrollee volunteered, and upon passing a physical exam and/or a period of conditioning, was required to serve a minimum six month period with the option to serve as many as four periods, or up to two years if employment outside the Corps was not possible.
Enrollees worked 40 hours a week over five days, sometimes including Saturdays. In return, they received $30 a month with $22 to 25 sent to a family dependent, as well as food, clothing, and medical care.
This money would be the reason Pedro enrolled both his boys. They each worked the initial six months and then an additional two more periods of six months each. Most of their money earned was sent directly to Pedro.
The CCC camp was a temporary community in itself, structured to have barracks for 50 enrollees each, officer/technical staff quarters, medical dispensary, mess hall, recreation hall, educational building, lavatory and showers, technical/administrative offices, tool room/blacksmith shop and motor pool garages.
During the time of the CCC, volunteers planted nearly 3 billion trees to help reforest America, constructed more than 800 parks nationwide and upgraded most state parks, updated forest fire fighting methods, and built a network of service buildings and public roadways in remote areas. The CCC operated separate programs for veterans and Native Americans.
Although the CCC was probably the most popular New Deal program, it never became a permanent agency. The program reduced in operations as the Depression waned and employment opportunities improved. Fewer eligible young men were available after conscription commenced in 1940. Ruben and Pete would have been in during 1941 and 1942. Ruben turned 18 in November 1942.
Most CCC work, except for wildland firefighting, was shifted onto U.S. military bases to help with construction when the program ended in 1942. Shortly thereafter, both Peter and Ruben enlisted in the military--both in the Army, Ruben in the Paratroopers.
It was part of FDR's New Deal; it provided unskilled manual labor jobs related to the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands owned by federal, state and local governments.
The CCC was designed to provide employment for young men who had difficulty finding jobs during the Great Depression. At the same time, it was creating a general natural resource conservation program in every state and territory. Maximum CCC enrollment at any one time was 300,000; in nine years 2.5 million young men participated.
The typical CCC enrollee was a U.S. citizen, unmarried, unemployed male, 18 to 25 years of age. This fit Pedro but Ruben was a bit too young. Somehow, he became part of the CCC--I don't know what his father, Pedro, did, but both Tellez boys went. Ruben's sisters and brother are adamant that he participated after leaving high school.
Each enrollee volunteered, and upon passing a physical exam and/or a period of conditioning, was required to serve a minimum six month period with the option to serve as many as four periods, or up to two years if employment outside the Corps was not possible.
Enrollees worked 40 hours a week over five days, sometimes including Saturdays. In return, they received $30 a month with $22 to 25 sent to a family dependent, as well as food, clothing, and medical care.
This money would be the reason Pedro enrolled both his boys. They each worked the initial six months and then an additional two more periods of six months each. Most of their money earned was sent directly to Pedro.
The CCC camp was a temporary community in itself, structured to have barracks for 50 enrollees each, officer/technical staff quarters, medical dispensary, mess hall, recreation hall, educational building, lavatory and showers, technical/administrative offices, tool room/blacksmith shop and motor pool garages.
During the time of the CCC, volunteers planted nearly 3 billion trees to help reforest America, constructed more than 800 parks nationwide and upgraded most state parks, updated forest fire fighting methods, and built a network of service buildings and public roadways in remote areas. The CCC operated separate programs for veterans and Native Americans.
Although the CCC was probably the most popular New Deal program, it never became a permanent agency. The program reduced in operations as the Depression waned and employment opportunities improved. Fewer eligible young men were available after conscription commenced in 1940. Ruben and Pete would have been in during 1941 and 1942. Ruben turned 18 in November 1942.
Most CCC work, except for wildland firefighting, was shifted onto U.S. military bases to help with construction when the program ended in 1942. Shortly thereafter, both Peter and Ruben enlisted in the military--both in the Army, Ruben in the Paratroopers.