5. A Train Load of 3-C Boys

Royal G. Jackson: How did you feel about leaving Ohio?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Well, I didn't know what the heck I was going to run into. And -- how should I say this -- we weren't ever away from home.

Royal G. Jackson: Never had been away from home before?

Edward Sekermestrovich: No, until I went to the first camp.

Royal G. Jackson: And that's in Ohio.

Edward Sekermestrovich: That's in Ohio, and that wasn't too bad. We got to come home every Saturday; that was pretty good. But we got here and were a little homesick, you know, at that time. Even as old as I was, it didn't matter.

Royal G. Jackson: What were you, about twenty when you got here?

5. A Train Load of 3-C Boys

Edward Sekermestrovich: I'd say about twenty-one, twenty-two, yes.

Royal G. Jackson: Did you come in by train?

Edward Sekermestrovich: We came in by train, yes, and got off at the depot in Albany.

Royal G. Jackson: Was there someone there to meet you?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Oh, yes. They had those trucks you've seen in the picture with the canvas on them. And like I say, it was raining like the devil; we came over the bridge from Albany, coming over north and it says, "Welcome to Friendly City of Albany." We were leaving it, coming to Camp Adair -- well, Camp Arboretum. Camp Adair and Camp Arboretum are getting mixed up now.

Royal G. Jackson: What month was that? Must have been winter if it was raining?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Well, you can't never tell here in Oregon. This is my discharge; it'll give you the date; it's right on there. We'll get something right.

Royal G. Jackson: Enrolled January 6, 1938. That's when you were enrolled, so you probably came out here in January.

Edward Sekermestrovich: It took a week to come out here.

Royal G. Jackson: Did you and all the other 3-C boys travel together, or were you by yourself?

Edward Sekermestrovich: We made a train load as we came to town. We left Akron, Ohio, and we stopped along the way, like Chicago or Indiana.

Royal G. Jackson: Now, was this a train of just the 3-C boys? Or was it a train that other people rode?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Oh, other people were on it, but we were like -- like three cars, or two cars, and then a diner, and everything else, because we eat the same way they did, the other people.

Royal G. Jackson: What do you remember about that trip? Did you get to know some people on that trip?

Edward Sekermestrovich: No, I didn't know anybody. We just worried about where we were going at that time.

Royal G. Jackson: A lot of speculation going on?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Yes, and what we ate on the train, and stuff like that; that's all we talked about. And we never even knew we were coming to Oregon, to tell you the truth, until I stopped here.

Royal G. Jackson: Oh, you didn't know your destination?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Oh, no, they don't tell you nothing.

Royal G. Jackson: You just knew you were coming west?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Yes, we were coming west someplace. We didn't know, until we hit Albany, then we thought: "Yep, we're in Albany. That's our home." It wasn't. Corvallis was.

Royal G. Jackson: About how many boys were on that train, do you remember?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Well, fifteen to twenty or twenty-three fellows would be in the back end of a truck, right? That was a stake bed truck, and I'd say there was five of them, so that would be half a company, let's say it that way.

Royal G. Jackson: That would have been about how many?

Edward Sekermestrovich: That would be . . . let's see, five of them would be 120 guys or something like that.

Royal G. Jackson: It took you about a week to come out here with 120 guys?

Edward Sekermestrovich: With 120 fellows, yes.

Royal G. Jackson: You got to Albany and got out and there were trucks there to meet you.

Edward Sekermestrovich: To meet us, yes. And then we got in them -- well, they had roll call first, in front of the train, you know.

Royal G. Jackson: Was the military in charge at that point, or was it still civilian?

Edward Sekermestrovich: There was a commander. He came from this camp, I believe. I'll say it that way because he was there after we parked at Camp Arboretum.

Royal G. Jackson: Do you remember his name? The commander?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Yes, A.B. Woodley. He was a lieutenant for a while; then he became captain before I left. He was an infantry officer of some kind, 22nd or . . .

Royal G. Jackson: Did he address the group then?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Yes, and tell you welcome you're here.

Royal G. Jackson: This fellow with the mustache?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Right here [pointing to Woodley in 1938 CCC Camp Arboretum Group Photo].

Royal G. Jackson: Was he in uniform when he met you?

Edward Sekermestrovich: That's right, had a little stick, and he's got a dog, he took with him all over.

Royal G. Jackson: Looks like a Doberman Pinscher.

Edward Sekermestrovich: It was.

Royal G. Jackson: Vern McDaniel used to complain about that dog getting over into the nursery.

Edward Sekermestrovich: Yes, I know.

Royal G. Jackson: So he gave you an address and said, "Welcome to Camp Arboretum," and loaded you into trucks.

Edward Sekermestrovich: Yes, that's right.

Royal G. Jackson: And then in the rain drove you to the Arboretum.

Edward Sekermestrovich: Peavy Arboretum, yes.

Royal G. Jackson: And when you first got there, there were buildings there?

Edward Sekermestrovich: The buildings were there, yes.

Royal G. Jackson: Barracks?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Barracks. And then we drove up in front, five trucks. One would go the way over there and the other would follow it up, and then we'd all start getting out.

Royal G. Jackson: Did you have duffel bags, or what did you have your possessions in?

Edward Sekermestrovich: We had duffel bags.

Royal G. Jackson: But not military uniform?

Edward Sekermestrovich: No, just civilian clothes.

Royal G. Jackson: You got there and unloaded and got assigned a bunk?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Yes. Bedding. You had to go check out your bedding, and everything, put your beds up. And like I said, we went to eat after we had everything all fixed up, and then we loafed for the rest of the day, or slept, either way you want to do it. A lot