Date of Interview: June 20, 2003 in Nashville Tennessee

Interviewer Ryan MacIvor
Transcriber: Case Mond

Ryan MacIvor:
Les, why don’t you tell me your name.

Lester Snyder:
Lester Snyder.

Ryan MacIvor:
And could you spell your last name for me?

Lester Snyder:
S.N.Y.D.E.R.

Ryan MacIvor:
And what was your rank?

Lester Snyder:
Private First Class

Ryan MacIvor:
And do you know how much money you made a day?

Lester Snyder:
I think it was 18... You mean a day or a month?

Ryan MacIvor:
A month.

Lester Snyder:
$18 I believe.

Ryan MacIvor:
Now, you were with the regiment from the very beginning to build the highway. Do you remember, how long did it take for you to travel to Dawson Creek? Do you remember the trip?

Lester Snyder:
I think, we left from California, I know, and I think it took us about... what was it... about three days I believe. Because from Edmonton to Dawson Creek, that takes you a day. That took you a whole day.

Ryan MacIvor:
What section of the highway did you work on?

Lester Snyder:
From Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, and then up to the Liard River.

Ryan MacIvor:
So what was your most... or what is your most memorable experience when you worked on the highway? Do you have one?

Lester Snyder:
Oh, I suppose driving a team of horses would be my most... and taking care of the horses, taking them back down to Dawson Creek.

Ryan MacIvor:
So tell me about your team of horses.

Lester Snyder:
I really forget what to call it now...

Ryan MacIvor:
And what did you do with your horse team?

Lester Snyder:
We pulled logs out off the woods for the sawmill that we were running. And then I pulled a few telephone poles for a company to set up.

Ryan MacIvor:
What did you do when you were not working? Do you remember?

Lester Snyder:
Not much of anything, I guess. I don’t remember what I did do... wrote a few letters, I guess.

Ryan MacIvor:
So you wrote some letters home, then?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, home, yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
So you wrote those letters home to your wife at the time?

Lester Snyder:
No, this was my folks, at home.

Ryan MacIvor:
Your folks? parents...

Lester Snyder:
Parents, brother and sisters.

Ryan MacIvor:
What do you remember most about the land. When you were up there, what do you remember about the land up there?

Lester Snyder:
In the raining time, it was pretty wet. We had to put some big logs down to build the highway.

Ryan MacIvor:
What do you remember most about the people you met, whether it be in Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, or some of the First Nations along the highway.

Lester Snyder:
I don’t remember too much about meeting any people up there, really. Just the once in the army is what I remember too much about.

Ryan MacIvor:
So what about the weather? What do you remember most about the weather?

Lester Snyder:
Pretty cold. It was mighty cold in the wintertime. We came back down to Dawson Creek and it was cold down there. We build these huts, made... I can’t just say what they was...

Ryan MacIvor:
Quonset? Quonset huts?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah. And it was pretty cold putting those metal things up.

Ryan MacIvor:
I’m gonna just back up a little bit. When were you born? What year were you born?

Lester Snyder:
April 26, 1919.

Ryan MacIvor:
And when did you join the Army Corps of Engineers? Do you remember?

Lester Snyder:
No. I just don’t remember. I know I went through my training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, and then after that I didn’t join that till we... the 341st Engineers, until we headed up to Dawson Creek.

Ryan MacIvor:
Why did you join the army?

Lester Snyder:
I did not join the army. I was drafted.

Ryan MacIvor:
Why the engineering corps?

Lester Snyder:
That’s just what I got into.

Ryan MacIvor:
And where did you do your basic training?

Lester Snyder:
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri

Ryan MacIvor:
Do you remember when you were shipped north to Canada? Do you remember that?

Lester Snyder:
You mean what date?

Ryan MacIvor:
No, not so much the date. Do you remember... Were you expecting to go to Canada?

Lester Snyder:
No, we did not know where we was going when we started out. But then we soon found out we were going up to Dawson Creek and start building the highway.

Ryan MacIvor:
And what did you think about that?

Lester Snyder:
Not much, because nothing you could do about it. (laughs).

Ryan MacIvor:
And how were you transported from the States up to Canada?

Lester Snyder:
By train.

Ryan MacIvor:
And train the whole way?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
And do you remember crossing into Canada at all?

Lester Snyder:
Not too much.

Ryan MacIvor:
And did you stop along the way? Did you stop in Edmonton?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
And how long did you stay in Edmonton for?

Lester Snyder:
I don’t just know how long we was in Edmonton. Cause it takes you a whole day from Edmonton to Dawson Creek.

Ryan MacIvor:
When you first came to Dawson Creek, do you remember if it was in fall, winter, spring, summer?

Ryan MacIvor:
It was in the spring. Because I celebrated my birthday up there

Ryan MacIvor:
Oh, did you?

Lester Snyder:
yeah, April 26.

Ryan MacIvor:
And what did you do for your birthday?

Lester Snyder:
I don’t know, the cook baked me a cake, I remember that.

Ryan MacIvor:
Good, I’m just going to fix your mike... (fixing mike, Allison enters, introduction:) Les, this is Allison. Allison, Les.

Ryan MacIvor:
So the cake that the cook baked for you, what type of cake was it?

Lester Snyder:
Just a white cake.

Ryan MacIvor:
And was it good?

Lester Snyder:
It was good.

Ryan MacIvor:
Did you share your cake with...

Lester Snyder:
...the other boys, yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
And did you get any presents?

Lester Snyder:
No. (laughs)

Ryan MacIvor:
So what was your impression of Dawson Creek when you first arrived?

Lester Snyder:
I just don’t remember what it was.

Ryan MacIvor:
Do you remember it being a big town, a small town?

Lester Snyder:
It was a small town. And they had a fire up while we was there.

Ryan MacIvor:
Tell me about the fire.

Lester Snyder:
It burned down the motel that was there. And one of our boys, army boys got killed in it.

Ryan MacIvor:
Do you remember his name?

Lester Snyder:
(thinks) Walsley.

Ryan MacIvor:
Walsley?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, something like that. I can’t talk to plains sometimes (laughs).

Ryan MacIvor:
And so, do you remember, were you there, did you see the fire?

Lester Snyder:
I didn’t go to the fire, but you could see it from the camp.

Ryan MacIvor:
When you were at camp, what do you remember about your camp life, living in the tents. You lived in tents?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
So what was that like?

Lester Snyder:
We lived in some pup tents. You know what those are.

Ryan MacIvor:
How long did you live in Dawson Creek?

Lester Snyder:
I don’t know how long. We started to build the highway right away.

Ryan MacIvor:
So you got off the train and you went to camp. The cam was already built for you?

Lester Snyder:
I don’t really remember that. I know we had to sleep in pup tents for a while, along the highway as we was building it.

Ryan MacIvor:
How were the people? When you were in Dawson Creek, did you meet any of the people?

Lester Snyder:
I haven’t met too many people in Dawson Creek.

Ryan MacIvor:
Were they surprised to see you?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, I guess they was, yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
The camp life. You lived in tents. Did you have cots to sleep on?

Lester Snyder:
No.

Ryan MacIvor:
You slept on the ground?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
And what about in the winter? You didn’t sleep on the ground in the winter?

Lester Snyder:
No, we came back down to Dawson Creek and we stayed in tents and built those huts and then we slept in the huts.

Ryan MacIvor:
And what was you specific line of work during the construction. What did you do?

Lester Snyder:
We helped put up the things. We had to have gloves on because it was cold.

Ryan MacIvor:
Did you drive one of the bulldozers.

Lester Snyder:
No, I never drove a bulldozer.

Ryan MacIvor:
But you did run a horse team?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, I drove a team of horses, yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
So were you skilled before you went on the highway, dealing with horses and horse logging and that sort of thing?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, because I worked on the farm with my folks, on the other side of [four story gall ], so I knew how to handle horses. I went home on a vacation, from furlough, and then when I got back, they’d say: We got a team of horses for you to drive. So I said: Okay.

Ryan MacIvor:
Did you enjoy your work?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, I enjoyed it.

Ryan MacIvor:
Why did you enjoy it, though?

Lester Snyder:
Something I understood, it was driving horses.

Ryan MacIvor:
Did you personally have any accidents? Did you hurt yourself while you were building the highway?

Lester Snyder:
No, I didn’t.

Ryan MacIvor:
Did you know of anyone that had any accidents or hurt themselves along the highway?

Lester Snyder:
Well, I’ve seen one guy cut his foot pretty bad from the ax. That was a sergeant. He was showing the men how to cut wood and he cut his ankle, the sergeant did.

Ryan MacIvor:
What circumstances were those. Was it winter or summer?

Lester Snyder:
That was mostly in the summer that we was using... cutting wood and stuff, cause we got up in April.

Ryan MacIvor:
You started in Dawson Creek and you finished up at Liard Hot Springs. Did you drive that or walk it or ride your horses?

Lester Snyder:
Now I don’t remember... Give me that question again, I didn’t quite under...

Ryan MacIvor:
How did you travel the highway?

Lester Snyder:
Well, in trucks... mostly... and walked.

Ryan MacIvor:
Can you tell me about the type of clothing you were issued. Was it warm enough in winter?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, it was warm enough in the winter, yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
And in the summer, were your clothes good enough, and the boots?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, it got pretty wet up there. we had to wear pretty good boots, yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
And what about the bugs? What do you remember about the bugs?

Lester Snyder:
I don’t remember too much about the bugs, really. But there was some mosquitos up there and they would bite you pretty good, as far as that.

Ryan MacIvor:
What was the food like?

Lester Snyder:
The food was pretty good. We had some pretty good cooks. I can’t complain too much about the food.

Ryan MacIvor:
How tough do you remember it, to plow through the forest? Do you remember going through the forest? Was it quite difficult.

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, it was pretty... yeah. Cause I didn’t drive any of the tractors and stuff, so...

Ryan MacIvor:
And how about the other... You were just trained on the horses?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
Okay. That’s all you did, bringing the lumber out to the saw mills.

Lester Snyder:
Yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
What can you tell me about the saw mills? Do you remember the saw mills?

Lester Snyder:
I don’t remember too much about it, no.

Ryan MacIvor:
What about your equipment, your horses. You were given a team of horses at the beginning and you used those horses all the way to the end?

Lester Snyder:
I don’t remember how long we did have them. We didn’t have them too long. We had two teams, and then we took them back down to Dawson Creek when we got done.

Ryan MacIvor:
And what were their names? Did you name your horses.

Lester Snyder:
No, I don’t remember the names, no.

Ryan MacIvor:
I know that some members in the regiment, or in your company, had some pets, some animals as pets. Did you have any pets, while you were up there? Did you find a squirrel or a bear cub?

Lester Snyder:
No, I don’t remember this, but they got pictures of me playing with a little colt. Ray Catilla, he took a picture of it and then when we had my reunion, they’d show me it, there it was, playing with a little colt, but I don’t remember that anymore. But the picture showed that it was me.

Ryan MacIvor:
Who is Ray Catilla?

Lester Snyder:
He was the sergeant.

Ryan MacIvor:
Of your company?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
I just have to change tapes.

Ryan MacIvor:
So did you hear any other stories, form the other regiments, while you worked on the highway?

Lester Snyder:
No, not that I can think of, no.

Ryan MacIvor:
What are some of the other stories you remember from your regiment. Do you remember any other stories from your regiment?

Lester Snyder:
Not that I can think of right now.

Ryan MacIvor:
Did you meet any of the black soldiers?

Lester Snyder:
No, that’s something I never did. I never met any of the black soldiers. I heard that there was some up there, but I did not until I watched a film and they said there was some up there.

Ryan MacIvor:
What were some of the dangers that you faced when you were up on the highway?

Lester Snyder:
Mostly cold. And you always had a chance to get hurt up there, when you’re cutting with an ax.

Ryan MacIvor:
Now, you just brought the wood to the sawmills. You didn’t run the sawmills?

Lester Snyder:
No... no.

Ryan MacIvor:
What about some of the other men that was in your company. Were they all working with horses and stuff, or...?

Lester Snyder:
We only had two teams, and there’s two of us.

Ryan MacIvor:
And who is the other gentleman that ran the other horse team?

Lester Snyder:
He lived in Washington, the State of Washington, but I can’t even remember his name.

Ryan MacIvor:
What did you do for fun when you had some time to spare. Did you play chess, or...?

Lester Snyder:
We played softball up there. We had a good softball team, but I wasn’t on the good team (laughs).

Ryan MacIvor:
You always lost?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, watched, and played a little softball, but I wasn’t on the team. The team was good.

Ryan MacIvor:
Did you have any music or books that you read?

Lester Snyder:
No, not that I can remember of.

Ryan MacIvor:
Did you build any bridges?

Lester Snyder:
Well, I helped. I don’t remember what I’d done on them, but I was there when they was being built.

Ryan MacIvor:
Was there anything unusual about building the bridges, that happened, opposed to building the road?

Lester Snyder:
No, I can’t.

Ryan MacIvor:
What about the weather? What do you remember about the weather? Do you remember the northern lights?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, that was... it didn’t get dark until after midnight, I believe, if I remember. It was light most of the time in the summer time. And then in the winter time it was the other way around.

Ryan MacIvor:
You didn’t go any farther than Liard Hot Springs, at Fort Liard there?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, that’s about as far as it went, yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
Do you remember going into the hot springs?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, I think I was there a couple of times, yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
And what do you remember about them?

Lester Snyder:
Pretty nice.

Ryan MacIvor:
Yeah? Did you have a good time?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
So what about your bathing conditions? Did you bathe and shower quite often?

Lester Snyder:
Not this too often.

Ryan MacIvor:
And what about your laundry? Did you get to do laundry quite a bit?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, we had to wash our stuff out. Our uniforms, overalls what ever we would be wearing.

Ryan MacIvor:
Have you ever been back to the highway?

Lester Snyder:
No, I didn’t go back on the highway.

Ryan MacIvor:
Would you like to go back? If you had the chance, would you go back?

Lester Snyder:
I probably would, yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
So, looking back on your whole experience in the North, what did you think of it? Was it a great experience that you had?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, it was a great experience, yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
And you learned lots?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, I learned lots.

Ryan MacIvor:
So, what would you say is your most memorable experience from up there, if you had one? Your fondest memory?

Lester Snyder:
I can’t just remember what it would be. It stayed light most of the time in the summer time, I know that.

Ryan MacIvor:
The people that you were up in that area with, with your regiment, or with your company, have you stayed in touch with them ever since you left?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, most of them, yeah, I did.

Ryan MacIvor:
And you went on to Europe as well?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, we came back to Camp Sutton and then we went over to England.

Ryan MacIvor:
Would you do it all again?

Lester Snyder:
Well, if I was called on the [duty], I would. (laughs)

Ryan MacIvor:
Now, Les, do you have any photographs, journals, poetry, old newspapers, or other information that you would be willing to share with us?

Lester Snyder:
I’ve got some pictures at home, I guess.

Ryan MacIvor:
And would you be willing to share that with us, if you could?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, I suppose I could, yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
And we could scan them or photocopy them and mail them back to you?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, I’ve got some pictures that somebody else took. But... about... I don’t know... seven, seven pictures. It shows the ice tearing down one of the bridges.

Ryan MacIvor:
And were you there, when you saw that?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
And what was that like?

Lester Snyder:
Well, it’s just... you could see when the ice broke up, it just took the bridge right out. We had to put it back in.

Ryan MacIvor:
So, you built several bridges over again.

Lester Snyder:
Yeah, at one, is all I really remember about. On the Upper Liard, is where it was at.

Ryan MacIvor:
The Upper Liard?

Lester Snyder:
Yeah.

Ryan MacIvor:
How did you break up the ice? Do you remember how that happened?

Lester Snyder:
I don’t remember how it broke... Just took the bridge out and then it went downstream, I guess.

Ryan MacIvor:
Do you have any other memories, or experiences that you have of the highway, or your camp life, that you would like to share with us, that you can remember?

Lester Snyder:
No, I can’t remember. I can remember some of the people that slept in the pup tents with me (laughs).

Ryan MacIvor:
And what were their names?

Lester Snyder:
Well, one of them was Bob Wider, from Rochester, New York, I know that.

Ryan MacIvor:
And what did he do on the highway?

Lester Snyder:
Well, he looked like the rest of us, but then he did get a job to work in the office. And then I got another... people to sleep with me.

Ryan MacIvor:
And what was their names?

Lester Snyder:
Stan Skankowsky, Polish from Chicago.

Ryan MacIvor:
Well, Les, if there’s nothing else. I’ve asked the questions that I need. So... just... If you could tell the camera again your name.

Lester Snyder:
Lester Snyder.

Ryan MacIvor:
And your address?

Lester Snyder:
307 West 4th Street, Fostoi, Ohio.

Ryan MacIvor:
Perfect. And it’s June 20th, 2003, Nashville,Tennessee, at 10:40.

Lester Snyder:
Yeah.

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