if you want an autobiographic a take read Rocket Boys: by Homer Hickam. These days those kids would probably have gone to uni but in 1950's company towns they

if you want an autobiographic a take read Rocket Boys: by Homer Hickam. These days those kids would probably have gone to uni but in 1950's company towns they where destined for the mine or blue collar jobs Homer got drafted and went to Vietnam only later joing NASSA