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>> This is a living history interview with Charles Bud Cummins class of nine hundred fifty one conducted by Marilyn summers on April fourteenth years twenty forty and we are at his home in Dorval Georgia the subject of the interview today his life in general his experience in that Georgia Tech.

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Charles and I may call you but because right but he does that's right how nice of you to let us come visit you this morning it's kind of a cloudy day that lead that's OK We had a beautiful weekend didn't we beautiful you who would be a long time for having I would like to be there with the way out everything just came to bloom it was wonderful wonderful wonderful weekend so we're going to start with your story right from the beginning so I want to know where were you born and when I was born and I did twenty four make it South Carolina it's a long town south of Charleston How do you spell that.

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Like make it Meghan M A J G eight eighty just the way it sounds like it OK and my mother and father had the company the country store and they're also postmaster postmistress they are and so that was their home place that they were where they both for their no I met they met and Jane you know college.

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Local scrub Georgia and the where were they from originally where was your dad from John was from. Charleston mother was from Williamson Georgia. I both I met at the college and my grandmother were matron of the large diameter they are and so it gave me no freedom free.

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When I want to say they don't have to pay for their education to the girls to see a mother have a sussed out the two of those of the mother were down there that was a good park for them but the girls got an education that was a time when not many women were going to college that's right so that was pretty nice so then your folks met there and then how did they happen to move to South Carolina after they get graduated and they were married they decided to go back to Charleston.

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Because that is what his you know his dad was there and that his father was working for the railroad and the mother was like most mother but then I took care of the family Yeah did you ever meet your dad's family. Her I did their grandmother OK you never met your grandfather you know he died was more your time what did you call your grandmother what memory do you have other.

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Not much not much just big time she is a she had a name but three in the boys there are my oldest two brothers and sisters the bitch was always saying my gosh her name was Jamie bullets Let's hold the allow T.C.H. and I called the bitch I thought she was.

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But you have no memory of her now now so then after the odd couple settled in Charleston for a while what were they doing there what was your dad doing there. Well I think when I moved back to Charleston they were went on down to make it over and bought a house down there and he opened up the food to the good company store country store country stuff and sold Klaus of the type of farm or whatever.

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And then by then chalet the postal people came out and they were hired as a postmaster post postmistress which they conducted ran out of the store you know yeah and no. I had forgotten what day they were friends went over there but well let's talk about their family your you had all you had two older brothers and an older sister Yeah OK let's talk about that what was your oldest brother's name John Kerry John OK John Kerry John Gray now he was quite a bit older than you and nine years nine years ago and then my sister was six years old or her name was.

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Jane and Harriet Genevieve and then my brother's three years all of his name was Terrell jury comments. So do you remember where they if they were born and where they also all born they all get they were born over all of us were born and ragged OK so we know your folks must have moved there before your brother John Gray was born then yeah so they moved in there and settled in so you kind of strung along at the end of the family there yeah.

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You could say that there's an afterthought they have let's think about your daddy let's talk about your daddy you know you never met you never met your grandfather but you did know your grandmother briefly not enough to have an image over the only thing in your hand so what do you think about your daddy how do you remember him.

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Well mother. Mother Day had had a low falling out and nineteen twenty five. I want to you were born you know right I was born and so she is. My grandmother her mother. The side to move her Atlanta. From Charleston Because get away from get away from there on my own so they and July nineteen twenty five she came to Atlanta so you were even raised on my own no I could have raided that ladder did your mama bring all the kids was there when she moved or yes and she brought you have mother four children and.

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And a man by hand a man which. He was I think he was a mute couldn't talk because he chief started what to do and he did all the work Yeah well. I have no idea if you don't remember you don't have any memories of living in South Carolina at all they know you well though except when I got a bit old I went over there for someone spent a month on the beach that was they had nothing to do with family no nothing to do with them so did your parents stay permanently separated so your dad was there and I had that I guess.

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After about two or three years he decided to come to Atlanta and see if they could get back together so he moved to Atlanta and so you did get to know him then a tad a tad because they were finally they took what I was five years old.

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And he got a job as a paymaster for that lie in school system and he drove to every school once about with cash and paid the teachers recently and all the line I was a job was when he was there and that he would to law school he became a lawyer well that's And he opened up was office and the kamma building up on the tenth floor I think it was either candidate and my.

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Brother they were serious all the way. In I would go down and ride the elevator up and I. Could remember that was a really grand looking hotel with that. And I thought well but Office Building Yeah yeah it was beautiful but we have been told that it was very long very pretty so you did go visit your dad.

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Well he was staying at the house as well as much as I remember called house for five years or I know that if I had to fall I got. Mother sued for alimony. And he knew that the details of the alimony book being a lawyer and he didn't want to pay all of Monet.

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So he moved back to Charleston and did nothing but alimony For goodness sake so he really left you know how right you know I was five years old so your debt your mom really had to support all of you on her she must been quite a woman she was I don't want so we want to talk so much about your dad we know he was successful but he moved back to South Carolina and you never you never really saw him much after that only had during the summer had Same for about about that's when he would go visit and he had built a little cat house on the beach for his mother and she stayed in Charleston and turn the house over to Mayo if my brother Ted which is three years old met him he and I would go and spend the summer in the beach the two boys who was watching you.

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Who took care of you when you were there were good to each other you're kidding me they let you two boys be there long. When did you did you could do your own cooking and stuff wow you were still young to be doing they are well you learn a lot of from him but there were different times that really it was a hard times Yeah well your image of your dad then is not real strong he was not a real supporter of yours OK Now tell me about your mother what was she like.

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She must of been up pretty independent woman right she was and she started working. For C.N.N. spike it's in street in Peachtree shoes tell Well that's the first job she got and I don't know how she got to be a teller but I think what she did she was I swear she had been a postmistress so and the house where we lived then was a ten twelve pre-bought just two story house and with five to four kids and a mother and I.

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And my mother and I was six of us. And she didn't know what to do with her. Thing out after a while she's decided to quit the bike and she became a. Own a boarding house which was a very common thing to happen in those days yeah yeah yeah big house that cherry on top of your to everybody and we lived there until I was about.

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Eight then we moved up the street to die in seventy one people on the other side of the street right around tenth Street or home and that's when I started school at ten street grammar school. And we stayed there until I guess about five or six years and then we had moved to eight zero five people on the street a little bit further up yeah toward getting toward town you have good memories of that would be your earliest memories is looking at that land of that yeah you have no memories of living or not you know none of my good let's talk a little bit more about your mom.

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She I don't I was we said she's obviously a formidable force for the record what she knew what she wanted she did what she wanted so it was hard for a woman to raise all those children alone Yes so she was pretty independent and I'm sure she hired help to come and look after the house sometime cook meals wash dishes make up rooms if she was working she would have to do you know what about your grandmother her mother that lived with you she died.

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We were living that. Nine seventy one people out so you were still just a little kid and she was seventy two or seventy three as well when she died. And did you remember her at all can you think of her level very early again or did you have a name for her what did you call her mammy mammy and so she would she I think she had.

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Memory problems dementia dementia I think she had so you didn't band with her she was just a presence your mom was taking care of or. Was it. So really your mom was the focus of everything and she was ahead of the House no doubt about that yes she run a tight ship a tight ship.

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You don't want to go with that girl and I think that she read it I said yeah OK All right let's talk about your earliest memory what do you remember first from Atlanta do you know I guess I was seven or eight years old and I would sell Saturday Evening Post You had a job with daddy you know and I don't adore know where I stand on the sidewalk or the road either or street car stops and people got on and off I just held up so I didn't push I joined by Fox and I sense was all the cars on and then then the after that I got a job at a grocery store as a package take the groceries out to the car for.

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The women bought Yeah and so you're mother raised you with a work ethic and we asked So why did you keep yourself busy right keep me out of trouble. Well what how old were you when you started school do you remember did you start if I get sold in a kindergarten you know you take them to have kids or garden at all you have street all day or have today.

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I do think about it I want to clock we go a night thirty to one OK and they serve lunch there so I got fed. Did you walk to school right around the corner right around the corner. And your three older siblings were that much no your brother you said Ted was the same Ted was three years older than me yeah that's not so much older and so he walked to school with.

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You know he was only in elementary school then I'm your sister may have not still been in that school she was six years older so she went and she went to middle school. Girls ha she went to girls all right. And then my oldest brother was a boy or my sister was a girl's eye.

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And I remember him having a uniform where abortion I would leg and said. I want to see you know for. The leg it just and they had parties they call them so they had to wrap them you know so you can you have an image in your mind about that and we're just yeah well that was it like to go to school did you like school yeah yeah yeah I had a lot of friends.

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There things to do the teachers were good do you remember any any of your teachers maybe your first grade teacher cost a there's a cost that was the growth of the kindergarten teacher. As a C.E.O. S.T.A. that's got you can remember her as one of the Spencer was the sixth grade teacher and Mrs Turke would turf or not turf and talk of was another I think she about the third grade teacher and they were all very very good teachers because they were devoted That's right students right arrogant Titian's so and were you a good student.

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Fair to Midland you know. I got my share you don't do that again you know. So you were a lively child or a city boy that's great that's just wonderful when I think about that well what was that lead to like what do you remember growing up in that neighborhood you were always on Piedmont there my brother now on Sunday mornings would get up early and now walk from there out the book and really we walked just as two I was walking along and having fun just lookin.

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Stuff Going by that's a pretty good want for their little boys somewhere else that you did this when you were still in elementary school where else yeah how much change have you see. How I even now go downtown I don't know that thing what their last years. Now were you allowed to ride the street cars yes and no but it took money.

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Out of money I think it was like I think it's a nickel arrive it was easier to walk but what was there to see it didn't matter you just went along the way to see the way it was developing right right down the street cars where we lived that you know five feet on was from Tenth Street goes up the realize.

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That levels out on the fifth Street fifth and sixth grade levels up then go back down a little bit Postell down I didn't know that you know the real tracks and sometimes we get out there and put stuff on the rail tracks of the trip there you should car could spend we'll do it go home you guys you are the dickens it's for doing that I've heard about people getting out and moving the electric you know the fact you don't do that kind of stuff to know I want to own enough how far down a street car right if you were going towards a bucket when I was on pretty street yeah but how far down did it go it went to downtown but how far did it go to the north to the north and all the way out to Buckhead it did when you were a kid it was all way out there and all Peabody would go true you mean there was a track that Piedmont to yeah I don't want to go all the way through.

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So shopping somewhere down and I'll. What's in the eyes. And slim all over are such a simple big straight this is so no and please and people aren't Piedmont Monroe art and I would go to Munroe it would go up tomorrow so you could take the car there but it was still like you said it cost a nickel or something to get on it self was people on a one way street then like you who's now normal so you're travelling on both ways if you didn't have cars and yeah it was this one narrow street you know and you had a street car running down both ways there and then it was running just right over there I'm not Peachtree also you know.

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I see I'm trying to put all that in my mind what would it look like now were you more apt to go to Buckhead than to go downtown or did you and your brother go downtown to always go downtown but not about walking on Sunday morning Sunday morning your tradition was to walk to round the park but if you wanted to go to a movie or something like that which I'm sure you'd turn straight through there I was up the tenth of Peachtree That's right and I saw theater and I remember arrived to Fox opened up I walked up to the fox and bought a few other dime you take it to going to movie and I was sitting there and I looked down I was Cohen on the ground I think it was a quarter that was big box high or yeah.

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A little one from a quarter under the seat of lucky movie quarter could do a lot of damage you could buy a lot of stuff with a quarter. You know only a dime to get in the movie imagine. How I became very close to one of the fellows who worked at the Chester etc and I could get him from the thing well he let you in it just not his head and you go right ahead where did you go off into the movie about once or twice a month in America I found from interviewing people in small towns and I think that one of the two Saturdays a lot of kids were given their dime or wherever and said to the movies to watch cowboys all day I should write just what you did to well I didn't have to pay but he went to one so yeah and there was a one little girl out of there it was her name I forgot my Remember her got my first name but she and I had said on the back row or make out you're kidding me how old were you.

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Fourteen thirteen no that's after you were a teenager OK So you say that test or it's cool for how many grades. How many grades was that through sixth grade then middle school you know what would be the middle school you would have gone to OK if all we were talking.

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That was pretty good walk no one too far it seems fired me yeah but when I was at O'Keefe. I took woodshop which just fascinated me. And a lot like to work with my hands and make stuff but. Photo by name of. Who or I have slipped my mind.

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But he was teacher in the workshop. And the first thing he let me make was a table a ping pong table my gosh that's a big project wow and some of the fellows were making you see this just my word in middle school you're going to have that's just amazing to me I no one's ever told me that did you know somebody named Ed Negri beggar I know yeah yeah he did or own that place downtown yeah he also went to O'Keefe as a middle school so he was older than you I thought and not much older a few years he might have been your brother's age maybe.

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I bet we know a lot of people yes it's called just a few degrees of separation right now saying that added reunions. From Boys' High Yeah because that's where you went to school right so you went to O'Keefe and that was was that your first exposure to Georgia Tech was over it OK you know.

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OK tell me what your focus first exposure to Georgia Tech when my oldest brother Gray took me to motivate him so just he was going he was going to Georgia Tech the time he graduated from boys high and then went right into Georgia Tech Yeah OK And while he was a Georgia Tech you is now oratory segued and he went off to camp in Alabama during the summer for two weeks and.

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When he got out of tech you took a job with some I don't know who took a job where. He left it last hour you took it with us robot company was he in textiles to where he did go and have sales All right so your brother who is nine years older than you would take you to a game once and once at a football games you know yeah yeah.

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And I think what year would that have been that you would have gone to a football game. John Gray musta been there in the thirty's right OK so if you were six or seven years old. Well when you were fourteen and he was there for thirty six well and I was fourteen he was nine years old he was twenty three he was already through school so you were you had been you had to be just still in elementary school when you know he was.

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When he was a techie was a president of a Don for eternity group. And I remember one time they had a big big down fraternity group that was I don't know what that is Don they did that they it weren't for trying to bomb us not not turn a blind eye and no after the ballgames they would have these parades of take one they'd get in the tail parades Yeah up then yeah right where the varsity hit us and start going down town parading in the streets and.

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Getting to everybody to form just get the parade started the policeman TOF policeman came up got him by the belt and is back here where you are signing I really believe. Scared the hell out of me I said and yeah that's it your brother was the organizer for one of those or tell right so you're telling me that all the kids that didn't belong to the turkey sort of had a get together call themselves the non-phonetic group I never heard that before so you're teaching me things so you got to go to did you ever go to a short tell parade with them you know I guess you just talk about them now and one time when I was a check they had a shirt tail parade to my freshman year.

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And I was standing in a. Fox Theater and they came parading through the hall so you saw me the action that yeah the only time I ever saw them were making a fool of themselves did you did your brother have to say about George attempted. Coming up for tell you heard or a solid He graduated with a three point seven five average well which was really good really well could I Georgia Tech and so miracle now it is but I think but do you study quite a bit so he was devoted to his own to school and built role activity on our T.C. and.

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So you have those memories of him did he live at home mother was in school yeah so he was coming back and forth all the time or you saw in the good and I you know about him studying up we had on. The third floor of the house we were staying in their living room and he would have the lights on up that laid it by studying.

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So it's not an accident that he got good grades and I worked for you know he worked for so what was life like around when you were just a kid let's say from ten to fifteen did you go to Piedmont Park Yeah that's where I learned to swim and I got a guard down here where I fell out of a swing and bitterly My goodness so you you you created some excitement for your mother for him to do it but she and I would go down there during the summer time and evening and set on one of the Greens through I think was the fifth hole green which is next to Piedmont I mean tenth Street and set up they had enjoyed the evening talking lots of people did that you know yeah did they have a vents there in those days of the day and I like that got and I know now it's big time i know but that sometimes ever the orchestra come and play or anything like that nothing ever cause it was just it was just a park and you know but he could go to did it cost money to go swim.

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I don't think so the kids could get him they had also had to pay but the kids were you know any time you wanted to go you could go ahead to the lockers then like I was in the women's locker yeah and did you learn to swim by yourself or did somebody teach you they had classes there during the summer they did and that you could learn from that that's where I guess I had lifeguards working with you my oldest brother was a lifeguard the one some are.

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Good now back home your kids were all grown up. Your sister was six years. Older than you so she went off to Girls' High and your brother was that voice high you said and then that George attack and then you and your next brother Ted you call him right Ted you were in Ted.

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You said you were good buddies even though you know you always go to school together all you never went to school together all but you were good friends and you know it for your walk and do you remember any things happening in Atlanta that you could tell me about that would be something that's doesn't exist anymore I did did the circus come and did you ever go to the circus the circus would come it would be over they are.

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Back of Georgia Baptist Hospital there go down that road and I forgot the name. And set the tense up out of it but I've seen things used to set the terms of off of Highland Drive with the overpass because the train there would come on the train right but they would park at the boulevard Boulevard and turn straight OK where was it where the golf course I have used when I was still way I'm not there anymore but anyway there were Park on that Saturday Riverside and then take the elephants and ride the elephants over to where they were but with the straight up all the hard to put up the tent Yeah did you ever go one time just one time to the circus Well that's enough you see one circus you see them on.

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You think you're just a young man then young lad. You know you go with your brother no other one time the other way out I remember that you went with your mother so you had a family outing and what about those do did you ever go to the Atlanta Zoo is it was called back then I think I was and junior high the first time I went to the zoo.

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And was that it was over there by the other program part Rampart So that was too far to walk away So you would've gotten there how trolley car somebody I think you don't remember I'm going to have but. The one I gotta love the old one. I see where it is.

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It was downtown and near where. Grady Hospital is a big room. There's a big building there has been torn down now but they had zero in that building you're kidding right downtown I never heard that before either wow right close to Grady Hospital where I was actually is there I think it became part of Georgia state when Georgia State brought all that property down here that became part of Georgia state but it started out being a building that housed animals you know well no not house like animal but that they used it for that but it was yeah it was an auditorium that went all over Tori Muslim like yeah there was another twenty in down there but I didn't know they'd ever moved any animals and so it was like a little tourist thing to people to come in and see it then did you ever take the trolley downtown to go to riches or have some Davis or so on or anything like that they was impaction she was a pax and.

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Just get out now in time you did when I was in a sweat when I was in high school the girls from girls I would get on the trolley out there where the girls highest and they would come out and they would stop right across the street from where Girls' High Yes I mean our riches that all get out nice where the boys would be to girlfriends and you can remember that there are let out a very kind then we were living out in dirt hills at the time and I would walk from there all the way home when the girls while we lived up the street from us that's a hike and a half is you know yeah but not a lot of fun if you remember her name yeah what Frances Telford That's so great that you can remember that did you go a Christmas time to ride the Pink Pig it reduce or not over my brother who was just six years I mean three years older than me he was a dog doing.

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It was involved with bringing the Pink Pig to. Riches really he designed it your brother Drew to your brother Ted helped to design or did design the pink paint and I want to see that an exhibit at the museum and I was surprised you know that they still have the original pig's head when he he went to take full act out went to Emperor and from time then they decided to change that they have where you want to go to school I went to Chicago to the audacity to do in Chicago and he became a designer interior designer and things like that they came back to Atlanta and applied for a job at Rich's where say harder and so he got involved with think Peg Isn't that interesting so that's quite a claim to fame is that then from what from where.

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He got this had happened back to me I was in the hospital and while he was in the hospital the management from they were supply ships came time and hired him out from. That so he was like he jumped ship and went to the house and I stayed there for a long long time did he design things for the store or you know and Terry of interior you know they were both beautiful stores or yeah and they celebrate Christmas big time didn't they yeah yeah you could go down there and just see the windows and things like that I was enjoy talking now about those things did you ever go to riches Magno your room plan to go to a case like you know it with your mom when you were real little did you go no you know the bulk of that go down town too much really.

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I've heard of people from all over the state coming up on the train to go shop and at Christmas time you know your mother had her hands full Yes she didn't have time for all that stuff. How long did your mother live she was sixty two She was young once or.

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So did she work herself to death I think so. Did you have a chance to see all her children be successful. Yeah your brother Roger where you're from Georgia Tech and just another sister sister want to draw. Secretarial screw she got her own so I. Said. You know about him yeah and I'm.

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You know about me well we're going to know about you we're still working on that. So before your mom passed all of you had gotten I was so you're all right we're all well that's quite an accomplishment for all of her children have gone you know gone off to college and done well and all had jobs so she got a reward for the chance to be successful.

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How did your father live but somehow I mean I don't know you don't even know if he was in Charleston he had remarried and had a son so you have a separate other you know I've met when he was five years old last time I saw him so you're not close that I know he lives over in Alabama someplace and so you're you don't know I'm just wondering how long your father lived because both your mother and your grandmothers and grandfathers all passed away very early on I think my grandmother was seventy two and my weight was that year long genes from you know I got but it was.

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Your brother or your older brother John Gray did he have a long life. No he retired and moved here and his wife moved down to Florida and was livid now my house basically when he died but well we went out for the funeral. We'd go down there Kayser and visit with he and his wife so you did stay could touch with him and what about your sister Genevieve where she was eighty two I think so she lived much longer than she she and she has been a husband was a major and that and I'm fortunate he was part of a outfit to retrieve tanks from the battlefield and repair the my and when he came back to Georgia when they.

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When a war is over your. They call it back to duty and then they said you know one of our major here Sergeant Terrible. It's a demotion you know and so anyway he. Stayed in the Army and your slant and I felt that I was in Japan at the time.

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And on his way well he was there and Lana for a while six or seven months when I when he was recalled to duty again. And they had he had just lost and their child and hold on well all the way to Portland Oregon to get on board ship to he was going to Paris out to start in the car that one morning drop dead of a heart of heart no.

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So your sister was left a widow with a little time you know well did she come back to Atlanta then yeah she came back to Atlanta but she did say she enjoyed it all I thought always and so she. Would have. Written out of his will written out everything that they were all left or if they got our.

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Marriage so she came back and. She said I don't know what to she was living on she had money but she didn't get insurance anyway and I haven't had a house yet but she had her part expression a real bitch she was she was so taken after that grandmother own must.

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She and I never got along you know I was sorry to hear that story and your third your nice brother was Ted and you and Ted always got along well you were always good for and did he marry and have children no you never married never had never was a question mark.

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You just never had children so so did he have a long life not really know he died in his seventies. So that leaves just you yeah all right let's go back to you you went to high school at Boys High When did you go away and what year.

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Or so yeah you start in one nine hundred forty maybe forty thirty eight thirty nine thirty nine I think thirty nine one and thirty nine he would classify forty three. Boys High. Sheriff Grady High Yeah but if so why did I say at that time it was almost like a cult school in that everybody seemed to bond with everybody you knew were all really close friends because they had reunions for years and yeah when I went to Alaska they got one coming up and I decided not to go to the show.

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So your take on boys how are of the same building. Main main building then check I went down a street and. You know like. Boys I went down to ten straight buildings. You were so close that to walk into high school that was no big deal right down a street yeah right down the street you went Tell me this when did you get interested in any kind of athletic activities when you were in high school that not really using what did you what was the most interesting thing about going to Boys' High lack of girls.

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How far away was Girls' High where was all that I want or so outside just drown there I guess outside of you have over near Grant Park Is that where it was I went to sure where it was there was another school called. Commercial commercial high I was downtown that was right downtown OK And then there was the Catholic schools there was.

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A school downtown again downtown. Arash there weren't that many high schools and most and they got to be almost Collegiate in the way they competed for football and things of that sort and they still did yeah so you were a fan. And you went to football games for Boys High Now do you remember something Shorty Doyle who was coach yeah he was on it was you were there yeah you had really good teachers.

[00:40:16]
Actually. Did you know click Castleberry of our class together I said from his second from every class and he would like a math class and he said it or say ask them before. And I tell him he'd get a B. on it I do you know so you have very little.

[00:40:38]
Are you saying he was teacher's favorite. Now you say that you see a nice guy now you're nice Well he became He's become a legend at Georgia Tech even though when he played football one year but he was all American or near him and he was an extraordinary athlete apparently write books about him people are always asking us questions about Clint Castleberry Jimmy which his brother Jimmy Castleberry and generate didn't do it well as Clinton did yeah but he went to Georgia Tech to which I just found out not long ago no one had ever mentioned it before that was over when he had to be a lawyer before you and Clinton is well known and nobody ever heard of Jimmy is and I think the life goes it's the fickle finger of fate and.

[00:41:22]
So did you did you all realize when you were in high school with him that he was a really good athlete Well we lacked in that we thought he was you know to help Did he help boys I win games Yeah yeah so he was and did he play all the sports or just football football football for you somebody told me he played baseball really well I don't remember in our mom had planned baseball.

[00:41:47]
He could have been I don't know did you start dating when you were in high school you must have because you were over there so much older a girl of course I wish someone told me they used to have. I don't know what you called it you called it a promenade maybe where you would get dressed up and go for walks with girls do you know that I don't remember that no dances though that's just where were the dances you didn't have dancer arty had started to turn to have dances so there were sorority and fraternity is there that's why I have to go you know high school yeah did you belong now don't you want to for turned down but did you go to the dances you know how do you know how to dance.

[00:42:28]
Took it helped me just back back when I was in high school and this is during World War two. And the corner of fifteenth Street and pastry that had the. Columbus shop where there's a slice of Columbus man of. There is a Knights of Columbus and ice of Columbus building yeah.

[00:42:54]
They had dances on Saturday night for. People in service. And my uniform when I was in our J.C. and Pascoe reverse some of those holes and so I dress up in my telephone and go up to Knights of Columbus building and walk you know the White House. I belong there and dance they let you come in even though you were just looking at you know what I was dressed like and what I was like one of the military did you ever know somebody named Johnny Johnny No no he used to do that too that's why I'm asking you that you don't we used to produce our O.T.C. uniform on and asked for the military.

[00:43:36]
So you could find us girl you know a lot of women who are home to those are dances to be good to the troops right. So when you graduated from high school in one thousand nine hundred forty three were you worried about going I didn't graduate or you didn't graduate didn't graduate I took made in the service before the graduation ceremony You finished school thank you hadn't got your degree you got drafted I got drafted because that was the one nine hundred forty three and they were.

[00:44:10]
I was nineteen. You were nineteen years old. Yikes they were desperate for mandatory never losing so many men and in Europe you know what when I went to have it was in. June June. Forty three. And I said Major for clubland over Alabama basic training for sixteen weeks.

[00:44:35]
Did you get sworn in that for Fort McPherson first or everybody went to MacPherson first right and you went through your physical now had either of your brothers gone in the service at that time. Both of going. My oldest brother was a major By that time he was OK That's cause he when he was a techie when authorities say probably he was terrorists and yeah I know I send him to camp every summer for a couple weeks.

[00:45:03]
But he has risen then right the other brother is listed and the Navy. After Pearl Harbor thank you very much and he was a seaman. Very class for thought that was right was when he was a medical. Doctor X. rays OK so yeah. Stateside jogger with the reason that I was off and he was on the U.S.S. San just system aircraft carrier so here you are in high school your mother's already got two star flag right there the third one she got and then she has to have you get a drafted think she must have been there think that's really hard to have all three of your sons in the mill or she said I'll just stand by the sink in the afternoon and tears come out so I just cry less hard less or hard but I was only one that got a Purple Heart and.

[00:46:06]
The rest of one's skin escaped unscathed tell me where were you when Pearl Harbor occurred do you remember that Sunday I do I remember well tell me about that we were living at. North Ridge hills by the nine seventy two. And I'm seventy nine seventy warmer. You know I'm right on ST OK.

[00:46:31]
When we. Are going to listen numbers but no way we were living life and mother had just purchased a house out in her health OK and we were to move then. On Pearl Harbor Day We didn't know Pearl Harbor Day But anyway we had packed up their hours unpacking out and jersey out of the new home on failure road.

[00:46:56]
I had the radio on and the news came across the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor I remember that very vividly it was a Sunday afternoon did you have any idea how that was going to impact your life now and no I do know I. It was kind of a loss of innocence when the realization came did you expect it to be drafted did you know other people who were being drafted you know yeah that I had I have been I want to I had to report to a pub.

[00:47:25]
And auction song on the cab ave. And I had to go out and sign him so I was you know there's quite a few of your you hear of friends were being drafted to you weren't the only one right you know so it was kind of really scary you were just a little kid Well you know you go in there and I had.

[00:47:47]
Our math and you were full of yourself as if I'm going to win the war all by yourself was that your lot right my goodness not so much maybe but let's say when I was a boy I was allowed to say all four years Yeah everybody was an offer to so you already knew how to drill you know how to dress down a rifle problem and I don't you know you certainly know how to wear uniform anywhere anti ready fight.

[00:48:16]
So you didn't dread it you want to scared of it or and you know and did it ever occur to you that to to enlisted in the Navy so that you didn't have to go in the draft I want to go home and I was doing army man gung ho.

[00:48:28]
At that time as you were getting ready to go to graduate your senior year of high school were you thinking about going to college at all or did you just know you were going in the Army knew how to go in there army and while I was you come out was nothing so you was no reason to be planning right so consciously as a young man you actually knew that process in your head I'm trying to think of the enormity of what that must have been like you know because when you're a senior high school everybody is making plans and and y'all couldn't make plans young man you knew more than likely you were going to go in the very very likely you were going to service period and some people went ahead and listed in Navy that others just wait.

[00:49:10]
And you re going the army that was did you know that when you went in you were going to go in and as if a tree yeah that was also when you go through. Out of Fort McPherson when you went out to have it said what division you want to go in on a the Air Force.

[00:49:26]
Range what. I said there. You could hear yourself say that. You were only nineteen but you were big for your boots right up for yourself as they say when I go back to your teenage years to your young times I know you had a job when you were here nine years old telling the post.

[00:50:01]
Did your mom let you keep the money that you know no let's spend it mostly spend it was for you I mean yeah you have to turn it into her that you know she let you know on your own money so you learn the lesson that if you wanted something you save all that right like like a bicycle so the first thing you had was the job with the post and then you went to work you said as a delivery boy you know yeah store which one would store erogenous right just the liver stuff on people on Tenth Street at Piedmont right at Piedmont there was it was the grocery store you know rush hour and that I'd take the package out the car or well who have a who if they didn't neighborhood a lot of those who could deliver right to their house that they were going to what we went through that kind of stuff you know you don't really need that they did what was your next job you had because I know you always had a job didn't you when did you start delivering the papers I must have been about twelve years old and my route was a lot West Peachtree from Crawford Long Hospital all the way down to the belt more apartments now they pop once we're on the side on fifth street side of the Biltmore and that was on on they still are those that built or yeah yeah no that was my route all right having a paper on Sunday they would drop off fifty packages of packages of fifty along the route so either you could pick them up as you go you know and it's not interesting that you could just they would just drop and they'd be there when you think nobody stolen nothing.

[00:51:34]
They package did you have to collect and to because it was your route. You know collect from the get paid Yeah and if a for pay for but we I had a I had a lawyer so you learned how to keep track of money. And one of the places I was over on West pastry they had a slot machine not a slot machine but a candy machine and a drink machine in the lobby of the US apartment house and that's a lot of stuff.

[00:52:05]
You couldn't pass up a good man treat you how you can fester a good tree without So I saved my money out and bought a bicycle and drove it to school and I was when I was it. OK for tif OK How did you happen to buy the bicycle What was the story behind that my brother and I had wanted to bicycle and he said I don't know I don't.

[00:52:28]
Know what am I going to the boss of I said OK I'll buy so I bought it I had no trouble just going to. Put part of it in the back of the O'Keefe when I didn't get it or to go on so my soul in. Your hard earned money you know how long did you have it just for a little bit out of my mouth maybe it was something anything like that for you.

[00:52:54]
That's terrible I flipped him of crying and I was thinking it was really safe around there in those times but not quite some student did it I don't think she has sure we'll never see it again no never saw it again because if you ever get another one you know that was the only but you are ahead you only get it for a month or that's a sad story there really is what other jobs did you have growing up in High School What jobs did you have.

[00:53:25]
Worked in a grocery store bucket What was the name of that grocery store. I want to say Piggly Wiggly there was a peculiar thing about I know there was one a little five point. Zero I don't remember the name of the store but I worked there during the summer during the summer and no on weekends.

[00:53:50]
All the time you were in high school you were doing that you know so and you had to save up your money and you wanted to buy something you say for right so you can go asking your mom for things by the time you were in high school or you were the only one left at home you know your mother and her flash with the two stars and you you know spend their money on my girlfriends did you have lots of girlfriends or.

[00:54:15]
Yes. Sure knows about your checkered past. All right now we're going to go to Fort make fears that you get that warning when you declare army and they ship you off to where do they ship you to most camp for McClellan Alabama Bama and I was there for sixteen weeks of hard work was that all the camp that I was book camp right.

[00:54:40]
Summer time yeah because you were there from July August September when it's three months a year. And I know because I had already to say I was. Told you that you're in charge of that group you're in charge and I have compared to the others you were seasoned military men and in the barracks that I was I would charge be sure that medically bad you know put yourself in responsibility right away.

[00:55:12]
And then where did you go next. Sixteen weeks is up four short months you're ready for what overseas really you know you didn't get another school or anything they just sent you right overseas ship by ship by ship out of which port. Right outside of Boston wow OK out.

[00:55:37]
So from Alabama you went directly up to the northeast Well stop often and know what though if you think I train you know if you guys move better OK My oldest brother was in Philadelphia at the time he was stationed up there and they wish all major buying.

[00:55:59]
Communication equipment for the moment this that he and his wife. You know for a day off think that's nice stuff but you don't want to go ma Standish when all the way to my house Standish and you got on board ship there just before. Christmas. Started across it took us two weeks to go it was a dangerous time to go cross there was so much torpedo told so many was really a dangerous time anyway.

[00:56:32]
I was on board ship Christmas time. And it was a dismal Christmas didn't seem like much time. And landed it so I took him to England went to England and joined I was appointed to assign to. Better an outfit and I thought the vision who had been through North Africa and their Sicily and they were pulled out of sent up to England for the invasion of France so they were a bunch of experience always held your all up all of how many of your group were incorporated into them how many of their were you I was there what I know no they got into this one come pretty yeah I want to know how to track back.

[00:57:21]
You don't know how you got so lucky no England London you went into London or you went into England and it was being ravaged by the bad bombs at that yeah right so you had that experience the blip did they come blitzes are well mostly what when I first got there they sent to this outfit I was with over got assigned to was a.

[00:57:48]
South West London OK when Shuster OK you heard Winchester Cathedral right right that this was a time it was the time you were here when Shuster and there took our home a recess she area you know where there were March April May June six months. Just six months and all sorts of.

[00:58:18]
Work out they have there and hiking every day when we hardly ever it's raining you know they're tough and he was right just when you didn't think you could get any tougher. But. Did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion no no one told you and I thought that you know just training training the whole group of us where they would know what the hell was going on just that we were there I don't know.

[00:58:45]
We had to get to go into town if you want to do and I don't know what I think I want to do when just one top and just five or six months I was it were just in those in the camp and I. But did you make friends you got did you make a lot of friends yeah the boys in the company it was guys were all in it together so that you were younger than the rest of them or you you know I celebrated my twentieth twenty birthday or was there you know just turned twenty most of them were older than I had already been in battles one hundred five purple hearts are ready All right guys my God they didn't send him home I know it was you know it is still there isn't that something how many times Wow So were you scared.

[00:59:32]
I didn't know to be scared still fully yourself isn't that silly that's how it is though I mean that's kind of a defense mechanism when you are you're probably eager to get into a battle right. Yes or no. You know you get to get that there's something to something you felt like you were treading water one so when you guys get word that you were going to be part of the invasion.

[00:59:58]
When it happened on the on the sixth of Chile. Which when they loaded you. Up in just now that you went on the boats across time had I not know you know on the almost six of German and early animal warning they told us some time about two o'clock in the morning you load up would get everything ready we're going to be going leave them and we.

[01:00:23]
Trooped up to the train tracks which was a bomb off which is right outside of. Winchester. Almost. You know had they had to go down to. Southampton to get on board ship but they took us by rail down there. An hour drive but. When I got on board ship they said Do this do this do this and this was on June the sex for.

[01:00:56]
The seventeenth the twenty five you know all the sky was almost black with them so you it was you realize something BIG Yeah did they have a name for it did they say you're part of Operation And you know no I did that time that time just to get in the boat and be prepared for landing so and I know from there we went straight across and I could ride out Saddam.

[01:01:23]
Used to all Beach. And this was the simplest way and I have to get over so I was like we landed on the tenth. When I don't know Utah Beach and they were still shelling back the boat that's just got hit with a shell. How many of you were and spoke about there's about.

[01:01:46]
Fifty that's what I was going to think forty to forty fifty. And they pulled in enough if you know how about. Walk through the water to get on to the land well you want to know our left they've already got all that out the wiring is gone yeah.

[01:02:04]
They hear Seabees are going to have cut all that out forward I have it. But they pull a boat up and if you had a sand bar and you jumped off you might be up to here water. But where we get I got you know up to I mean it was war that was it.

[01:02:25]
And what were your orders to storm the beach you know you know everything was quiet as far as OK So about an individual far but the shells or anything they were coming in that's what hit that boat next to us so Germany was the Germans were still shelling like crazy yeah yeah they realized that we were you know the the original beach landing and then what three days before two days before you try to have three days before.

[01:02:54]
You had to be scared. Is a newbie there I don't know what's your security. When did you get scared that's a first time so you you boarded What were your orders to do what you're going to land you were to form a form of a group stay with your group move out and they start moving and this is a group right I want to cross the beach you know and no.

[01:03:23]
Moon came and I said OK fellows take a break we're going to eat now and another fellow with and I know who can remove the washer we've got out there's a bunch of trees down about six or seven stories we've got and I got out of the trees to the Army And there were three bodies down there Americans.

[01:03:43]
That was nice nice meal time but it was a sobering thought you know what on earth are they still hadn't picked up all of the dance right you were still very much in a battle and the next day or bowed out again I'm about again and finally they say we're going to combat and.

[01:04:00]
So that the men all spread out and start falling and all of a sudden a shell started hitting us. And I fell on the ground and about third shell hit that's when I got hit in the hip places right now. So when you say shells these are big explosions well and you know there was there were a lot throughout artillery shells Yeah and a lot of fragments from when exploded so you were hit Yeah and what did you could do anything at the time I laid there for this for to cinematic a mind he said to get out of yeah it's come on let's go so you have no my feet and we went over to a road dirt road and I got in a ditch over there he says I'm a pick up and while.

[01:04:50]
That was it yeah so you are by yourself and you did in a strange country and the trees a bunch of trees in the distance I guess about one hundred two hundred yards away and I always said Bang bang bang somebody was shooting at me from trees on the trees yeah I was and I just outside hunkered down in the ditch a little bit more and finally a jeep came along picked me up and took me back to first aid station which was on the beach.

[01:05:17]
And. All this time was there aerial stuff going on too. Not it's not I don't like she's not as much as you saw today OK across most of the movie Emma Yeah but so what did they say when you got to the medic tent they said Take it is a soldier and the first thing I did is that you had a sort of technician you know you had a sausage.

[01:05:43]
Here of a title shot and about five minutes later him I came by say his hands eyes were given such a shock. To see that he had about three of you and you probably got one when you went for me first and anyway. What did they look at that won't address that you know they looked at it but it was.

[01:06:04]
It didn't come out it just stayed there when I had the piece of shrapnel writing yeah I still have my old mind so. They put me on Westy and they're going to take the whole boat back to Iran which they did and took me to a hospital where you know Leeds I think was a little time on.

[01:06:25]
And I. They looked at it. And they operated. Sort of me up. Let me stay there for a couple weeks recuperating but they don't take it out still in me well for he couldn't find it he couldn't find it that's what they said they could by this rattle I said I know it's there.

[01:06:50]
But then when I went back up the front line and that I was up there for about two months so they turned you turned around you said you by boat back. You went back the same to you told beach or to Normandy you're right on yeah enjoy rejoined your group and the night went back to the same company and everything and the captain said I come as we want your take all the secretary I said Captain I'm responsible for me I don't be responsible for anybody else so he want to make me a sergeant right and I said no way.

[01:07:24]
I didn't know you were allowed to say no in the in the I don't know what you said no and so you're back in combat what was going on is the same stuff walking you know. Riding you know walking you know and are always advancing and we went all the way from St low.

[01:07:50]
Right outside it was west of St low all the way up through Leeds up and Belgium and then to France went through the March on a path where you think active combat periodic we all way through that you know we are there shooting and being shot at that time.

[01:08:08]
I bet you won't feel like such a tough guy by then no I'll ring you a lot I mean that was a trauma what it was hurting it was hurting and I one time. We were walking along and I said Captain Can I get on a truck he will for I said I lost it I got some shrapnel in me yeah you.

[01:08:27]
On Friday. I saw for about five five Miles Austin miles I rode on the back end of a truck. That I got off and walk some more. And we went through did they keep you informed of where your goal was all knowing all know everything will be behind you know everything you just know you are going forward you are going back to run for over and you were part of the patent loop NO NO NO Was it isin our who was in charge of your night.

[01:08:57]
Who was the Big Goo Goo I got what I said no with a big no no I'm not in charge of everything that's on that yeah he was in charge of everything I don't even remember. The captain. It was a general and charge of the knife division but they say the three three regiments are not in a division had the forty seventh.

[01:09:20]
The night of the sixtieth and thirty night those are three residence in the life of vision. Which regiment were you with out of the sixty sixty OK and the sixty eighth you got three. Different units. A B. and C.. And the one I was on. The company here F.

[01:09:50]
and G. were three companies and that and that regiment and your job was just to do what they told you to do plow ahead Yeah for sure you kill him that's exactly what the rules were. And how we were and her and their work in forest when I got hit the second time you could hit a second time that it was just this time it was faces right before the German altering So you were just in the wrong place at the right time and it blew up and you caught some you know so what did they do with you this time leave you lay there again well I was able to get up myself and go back to first aid station and told us that I got it was just you know.

[01:10:36]
He looked at it he says were saying your bike so they sent me back and I back to where and when you meet your second trip OK. So on the boat again and back to Leeds just flew back to stop from partially from Paris we flew back and I think took you into Paris you know from from where I was this close up the December but already back to.

[01:11:02]
The beach so they sent me back to Paris but you know playing and for me but I can hang on and off you go back to the same hospital you had you know or different when this natural I don't. I want time I remember the site now a sergeant because it was a colonel.

[01:11:23]
And he looked at me and he said. I don't know. I sent her back to the barracks who want to go back to bed and talk to me and talk to me had. The time I had I still have tennis in my ear my right ear and. He said has a tennis I said still there.

[01:11:55]
And I said Doc I still got That's right I. He's always I got out so they took it out they were signed me. And whether they sent me their force. And I said What am I supposed to do that they'll tell you what to do and so you've had you had the shrapnel taken out of your chest you know you still had it in your hip.

[01:12:19]
OK but they took alarm that you're having trouble with your hearing I went OK that's just us Joe Well from all the explosions and everything was buzzing I was still buzzing anyway. This was called the Army Air Corps it wasn't you know our force yet so OK so that you're changing your whole you're not going to be an infantry combat anymore you know I found out how thankfully.

[01:12:48]
Anyway Kingsland I took put me on Air Force and I went out for Captain he said well we don't know what we're doing here but you're going to have load up somebody bombs us OK so that's what I did for the next three months just upload bombs and be twenty play channelings be twenty four hours and then if that the flight was canceled.

[01:13:13]
Young or if you had done loads and what you did has switched our down the ground he's pretty I don't know strode on. I've got no then take all that all those back to the bombed up and put it back into storage. And then load him again for the next layer.

[01:13:33]
And that's a tedious job and it's hard work physically isn't it well no if you just put hooks cable hooks on an ocean but then there's always not a man or OK OK so they thought that you know I don't you know have to live to the OK I was called light duty that probably for you was the heavy duty way.

[01:13:53]
But. While I was there they gave us thirty day another thirty ten they leave. And I went right down to Bournemouth and Basco where our station before was happened. And. You know for I was saying. And I went to the movie house there was smoke and cigarettes and jihadists every.

[01:14:16]
A lot of fun. And then what did they do with you. On the day the piece was declared we were wound up going off the train and go to a port which we did they put us on board ship you go back out that was that was in one nine hundred forty five you got back home so they landed I was there forty five forty six or forty forty six was Pacific these are from but don't you have your you know that was forty five OK And when you go down the boat you enough points because you've been an active duty right now so you got sent home with the first round of people going home and that was interesting because on this board ship they said how you do are so just OK OK you're on K.P..

[01:15:11]
Duty Everything you're so anybody that assigned me to the kitchen and I washed I don't wash but I steamed. Trays your chance was whatever through this through that area and stacked them up again I saw That's all I did for two weeks my goodness sakes you know everyone came up to see where you were.

[01:15:37]
Wow two weeks assignment at K.P. Wow that's terrible but there was one of the good part about it during the time that I wasn't real busy I could go out and look and see some of the people I met previously and when I was at the table was a cell phone I want to high school with and he had been a P.O.W. What was this thing I don't normally but anyway I said How do you know I like the food terrible No but I don't I think I saw him for he's above it so I got about five pounds of potence.

[01:16:11]
Enjoy it I'd go in with a real pro real strict about P.O.W.'s getting certain things and not getting them but it was one of the things I didn't want to have why I don't. You know what their diet maybe might give them. Some intestinal problem you know because of the great sense of well you didn't follow all that well I don't have fun.

[01:16:35]
But in all the time you were gone and this is to mulch just time you did you write letters home at all right to anybody yeah but most of us and when I was a hospital. The Red Cross had people come around to write a letter for you if you could if you could write them so you know your mom was up to date with where you were what you were doing what you could tell her.

[01:16:58]
So you did keep in touch and she get now. I don't remember a moment you know she wrote you back or not. She was she told me that when she got love us for a baby that the Red Cross had written she'd sit at the kitchen sink cry cry.

[01:17:18]
And we should hear from you two brothers two zero one zero zero zero or so you know them and that all danger No well I want to own a bow on our aircraft carriers but he did they have a he was fine. There were no danger but he was lucky you know but three of the oldest one was still until it out here by Grady a quick one for the search for the army so mom didn't have to worry so much about him as she did the others as you to others so what boat we wanted to remember what ship that you back you know you came in to which harbor Boston you are Boston back into Boston OK And then what was your son to do.

[01:17:59]
They got on our train in Boston and they shipped a straight home to Atlanta yeah did you come back to Fort McPherson to muster No not at this time but I got on on the train and when I got to Atlanta I got a call Mother I said I'm home and got to go have a did you get to go see your yeah yeah so they give you a little bit time off yeah a month a month I'm OK I'm not at all a lot of your buddies were coming back or you know people you knew somewhat were coming back to you and some weren't and that was the thing it was a difficult time I read in the newspaper that there were more you know services going on almost continually.

[01:18:41]
For people who didn't make it back so then after I spent thirty days home got. Orders to report to our national. That was of an army base and then I felt air force by Air Force Base because you were there how you know so I got a play on I said You would need somebody to do this and guess what that was talking airplanes with a jeep with a big follow me sign on the back you pull in front of the three blathered if I manage to take off right now because well that was easy duty was yeah yeah how much longer they could be doing that but too much not very long.

[01:19:24]
And then one then I there we had our group of twenty one so we're just going to India and I was in charge of. So I went up to get routers that morning and this old girl behind the counter private you're not going to do you get out I said you got to be kidding.

[01:19:46]
So I thought I found out I was getting out so a clerk told you that you'd had enough points and that's what that's that was the system was that I keep hearing that that was the system point so about point so you had enough and then they muster you right out so you didn't go to India you were that close.

[01:20:04]
That morning they were on cocaine. Has such a story my goodness so instead you would pack your stuff up and went back to Atlanta that night. That night the squadron gave those who are be going to endear. Not for gave us a big bear party. And went to some of those Spring Park or something like out right outside of Nashville and I got I started.

[01:20:38]
Remember. Walking around the barge after I after the left the party I was on board I was long ago truck back and I was from the base the Shang. Happy happy man you didn't know but you had something to celebrate All right time yeah you know it. So so you.

[01:21:01]
How did they get you back to Atlanta try to get train train again where would you come in to Union Station town downtown Union Station in station OK so in you come in did you have any plans you know what you're going to do and no nothing just I was getting out yeah getting out and so a little bit of our not time and then you got to make plans what do you get how do you know you told me you were you were wounded twice so you had to her whole heart.

[01:21:29]
And what did you get the all the other stars and stuff for because you got sober Star Bronze Star. I don't know you don't even know wrote up to Kansas City you have someplace out west to send me a record of what I had her say because I needed to get it on my driver's license so she suspects I just checked everything off that I was your receiver no way she got it I have no idea.

[01:21:58]
What don't you remember something back as on the back of that thing then but you got the medals you got the actually I don't know why but you don't even remember receiving them or how they came to you were you know that was kind of a tough time I remember when we were in our going far east and thereby been one of the cases where I got it one of us early in the morning about five o'clock all this for our power came over here us and I thought What the heck it all about and I started backing out from the front I was right in front of me.

[01:22:35]
And there was a little lean to it out reached. You know a bunch of walks. Right up there so I saw pulled in there. And it was a telephone and I left to run I said well this was a yeah whatever I said one of us will be doing here I don't know I said What do you is he was director of the firepower from our artillery so I said I can tell you what to do if you do it OK so I said All right let's just start putting the firepower and so I directed the artillery for about I guess and hour and I heard and by happenstance don't you know who was the guy that was supposed to be there doing that took off.

[01:23:26]
Really you know and you feel the the need there you know that's pretty a brave thing to do. They told me afterwards. That the decks day its troops our troops went forward through the night or section and said bodies were all over the place where this or Terry had gotten them killed and said Somebody director after that was only so I might have been one of those levels up but I don't know.

[01:23:56]
By the time you got back to let you think Kerry what I don't know so you made a plan your plan was to go back to school night not college yet you didn't feel like you were ready well. I figured out the problems you needed certain. Education I have.

[01:24:17]
Especially trig trig algebra and trigonometry and I was I knew algebra trigonometry or something or so I thought I went back to. More shy talk to press a ball over there and talk about needed some more education and math and he said what he needs more so I took you know public speaking would want to go and so they let you read and roll as a student you know and you did you go to the regular day school classes that it was still so young it didn't much matter I guess.

[01:24:51]
And so you were you already had a diploma from there well yes Taria but. You were going to you know I graduated I did graduate so that was the reason doesn't go through the ceremony I bet you never did did you did you ever go through that ceremony not of course I'm always on was there anybody else doing that or were you one usually I think about three of us who were there have been of service.

[01:25:18]
Do you remember where they were you know I think that must have been kind of my usual you know were doing that so you were doing that to prep yourself to go to college Yeah and of course the G.I. Bill was in effect so that meant you could go to college or you don't have to worry about the money of it did you save money while you were in town bad all that there was no place to spend it so then but I just had most of the sent home I went down you know you know so you have a little bit of a nest egg to see you through for those how long would you say you went to Boys High six months a year.

[01:25:51]
Three bunch just three months it was just brushing up you know OK then where were you going to go you did go to Georgia Tech but did you consider in the other schools you know do you think it's because your brother had been there and you were I was close to home and I didn't have to bend all the time on.

[01:26:10]
Campos looking for places to stay and you know you could you could easily commute to there was you know I didn't have a car. Well mother let me have a car commercial OK But did you know hard it was going to be no but he said My goodness all right so this would have been probably nineteen.

[01:26:34]
Forty seven forty six forty seven that you went over to register and you went in person or did you have a letter or in person OK Carmichael was the registrar you remember Bill Carmichael Now remember when I don't remember the name where you went you would have had to go to the registrar's office sign yourself out was that in the fall did you start in September you got out.

[01:27:00]
Over the summer didn't you you know the side in September OK We were on a quarter system's quarter system of schooling so you probably signed up for the fall quarter. Did you get I mean you were going to sign up for core classes but did you declare textiles right off the bat on how well you take the basics about the first two years you take the basic.

[01:27:26]
Thirty are you going to do what you want them to so they didn't ask you right off the bat when you thought you wanted to do did you know what you wanted to do you know. There was a textiles so you really didn't change your mind OK so you get registered and you must have known it was really a crowded campus wasn't it yeah went out let's go back a little bit the first Cheerios.

[01:27:55]
You know take the drama and change class classes that come up and I was doing very poorly and some of them so I flunked out no the first year you flunked out the first or second year so I had to go to night school three points Dr and in my school.

[01:28:15]
I took some classes that or textiles that were registered as and. The and they screw the people who were teaching it were actual people. One was if they want to present a one of those medals. And some of the other stuff they were called and just professors if they really worked in the business and they knew the right that was a good thing for you then was to make good and I made good grades of them then when I got them up got my point average up I went back to school OK How long do you think you were doing the night school thing couple some cup of water cup of course not bad did you get a job at all during that time or were you able not to have to work because you know I was I was I had some jobs one job worse.

[01:29:08]
Guarding. The football players at the games that's a cool job how do you get that. History if you're doing that as I said OK I guess because I was that soldier but there were a lot of it so to sit around and you know hey I had to walk along the path before between the stands and the football players on the bench and walking around with a big thing.

[01:29:35]
Here and a guard I forgot what I did that for every football game so I didn't get to go to all the folks like you got here when I still thought the government still bought the ticket for me and I would give it to somebody or sell it somebody I forgot yeah and I was one of the stay or my jobs I had the other job was.

[01:29:59]
What was it. Like yeah I think I want to you know come back to later so did we have good football teams then we had planned Castle burgers on the same that he was gone by then but I'm not looking back he had been Yeah but he'd been killed in the Air Force I think right now Army Air Corps Yeah I don't know Mediterranean cities where you felt so when you came it was nine hundred forty seven and.

[01:30:29]
Bobby dad was there is the backfield coach Alexander was the head coach. You had some pretty good sized players that were coming back from the war we had a pretty good team didn't you know things were but we're OK We haven't come yet right into the golden years of Bobby died yet that was yet to come actually wait a minute but we dot about me Dad was made head coach in one nine hundred forty five so he was the head and on center was the athletic director yeah did you ever meet either one of them no no you were the guard that you didn't get to meet as it were pretty easy so when you got back into the day school program did you find that a lot of your classes were full of other veterans No No Well I have a few of you have had I don't know whether they were taken textiles or not but then textiles if they were there they would say anything about being a member of what textiles might not have been one of the big Veterans'.

[01:31:30]
Disciplines I don't know but I know we were jam packed with people coming back from the war the G.I. Bill you know you know jam packed I mean I seen pictures the campus was so crowded. You know and you did not join a fraternity you know I was rushed for a CIO and I had I had to cut the grass at home trying to back yard do you know you know a lot of responsibility they didn't they don't like to have to say one thing I remember.

[01:32:03]
During the time that I was in the rush area. We had a big party out of Stone Mountain. Fraternity Jim. And I had. Packages of beer. And I picked up two fellows that I was a school with neither one of had been in service. And so one of them got a box of beer put in my car.

[01:32:30]
And one of one of the. Parties. Anyway somebody found out about it found them and took it out and so I had to go before the boy who was running the Jets paternity and I said we have against you that is that you tried to steal beer us.

[01:32:49]
But isn't your car aside one day somebody else put it in you but they didn't believe me so so they're like me and the guy that really did it didn't come up you know that's up. Well that was a bad experience you just let it roll over your back all right I got a man who's been shot it doesn't care about stuff like that that's a did you find out the professors were pretty receptive to you when you you know we know you're older than most of the other kids just a little bit of what I wonder what Professor the textural feel there's a worse.

[01:33:25]
Film a film pot. Here's I.O.P. O T T I think he was structure ever text on my abs he came a one day said come and how do you like teachers that was Lab I said. Are right he said OK and I think I knew I was on the schedule teach the teacher that I think you have a to do this is a three for three hours every Wednesday afternoon or something like a good experience you know enjoyed it that you know so that was a plus but I never used it did they pay you for you know what they paid you what difference it made on it because you're great.

[01:34:03]
Tortuous all being paid for probably also so you didn't have really any big expenses for living you know only you're not only doing twenty dollars a month. For about wounds. They fade you for your Won't you know is that what they call it or they call that. To get money you know we're even though you weren't retired then they said they were it's a disability thing probably should mention.

[01:34:30]
Have those ones ever bothered you did they bother you then when you were in school. One of the help bothers me now but when you were in school you were young and healthy and you just dismissed it right your tough guy turns out you really were a tough guy.

[01:34:48]
So here you are back and you're going to school now and you're Let's see if this is nineteen forty seven forty eight you're how old you're twenty three twenty three twenty four twenty three twenty four most of the kids coming in this Cory eight hundred nineteen so you're just a little bit older you're a little more focused on getting through this thing or you're ready to get a job and get out of there right getting out of there is no way home yeah there are some people that were on the campus at that time that were really really legendary people Bobby died you said you never had a chance to meet him How about George Griffin.

[01:35:27]
He was the. Next top for most people who didn't need him but I knew you knew him yeah he was quite a guy. We had a president then called band leader I'm sorry I don't hear I was invited to his house but I never made it go he turned down an invitation from the president what were you doing that was so important to have a date So that brings me to your social life did you have a social life when you were at Georgia Tech or nah.

[01:36:03]
There are no women around where you get your girlfriends were a lot of women around his intestine or your understanding about where did you need to go. What would you go to find women I understand there were a lot of hospital nurses that were available was she when she was last promised me she didn't go to those parties of tech who is she my wife.

[01:36:25]
Let's go there vi or nay when did you meet Claire. And Emory University she was nursing my sister. My sister was there. For. She had problems with our eyes and Claire was nurse and I'd go over there to save myself to see her. I was going to go say you didn't get along that well with your sister but you know you met Clare there and I asked her and you start making moves out are right off the bat of course your mate moved on but I don't think.

[01:37:00]
So you started dating Claire that you know never mind your sister right right where you where would you take a typical date at that time period I understand Atlanta was super crowded there was so much going on and off she would get off it you know have a at night she were going from three to eleven the afternoon shift I would.

[01:37:22]
Do my study in between six of them and then I don't pick her up there we go over to the harshly and have a hot dog or a hamburger and bear because it was open all night long they serve beer in there you know. Like you know they had you know they serve beer all the time For goodness sake something else you're telling me I didn't know smaller was today that is today yeah there's the drive itself you know yeah so you just use it did you go in or did you just set a car set in a car so use it and then you must have been there when the famous car hops were around Flossie Flossie make Yeah did you know.

[01:38:03]
He may know yeah it will we dig him sometimes and Rochester will get some but there was a guy named Nipsey Russell that was well known to. The Member him Mr Gordy he would never come on car hops you had gone into so I knew him but socially What was this was that open twenty four hours a day so you could go there any ten how so that was your big date you pick her up at night then take her home to short day or take her up the hospital taken some forestry and take home so what do you two are still alive if you were the worst thing of all.

[01:38:46]
That was not the days when it was healthy food yeah yeah so how long did you court her. You can't remember. Did you get married before you graduated now no I've been working in Memphis for two years you wouldn't date dated her for quite a long time now and I.

[01:39:13]
Travel between member said Why do you turn your back to Memphis Memphis is far from forty mile drive in. That's a long haul even today to go to Memphis Well we're going to have our story here so when you were in that at Georgia Tech your last couple years when you were in your textile classes you were already dating Claire then OK so you didn't get distracted by all those other women that were everywhere she captured your heart.

[01:39:43]
You lucky dog. You were a lucky dog how did it what once I got into college and. Started dating Clara all Russia Well yeah you settled right down home. But you didn't lose track of your goal you kept up with your studies you were getting good grades especially in your major when she got into your major Do you remember there was a professor there by the name of Taylor Dr Taylor.

[01:40:12]
Do you remember having him in classes. You know yeah I think that was his name he was famous even then because he developed the process for or law. I mean was familiar and I think so but you don't remember know were there any professors that you do remember other than Mr Phil Pat you want to before actually go ever struck.

[01:40:39]
Any professors to anybody care that you were. Doing well for one more year remember it was a math professor Yeah right now you remember Dr former OK. We had one for our When I was in my screw. Who had wife would come. And take the roll call because he could read.

[01:41:05]
And when he wrote on my board about the far right or his right so he was blind partially blind No I don't wish to remember his name no I don't I don't want one corner Wow that was determination to stay in the program when you going textiles that's removed from the rest of the campus somewhat is it and you really have been building Yeah you had your own building you know your classes were there sort of like architecture it was just sort of removed you know.

[01:41:35]
By that time they were in the French you weren't going to French building at all hours later for poor old one quarter one quarter in the French building No that's one of them voted for the new building and so you were there for when the new building was built Yeah the French building was one of the older buildings on the campus a French yeah a French thing yeah so that no one would think it was the language building and it was right on top of the whistle so when you were in there yeah it's hard to ignore the West so hot shot building was there then and that's before we tore it down so you had the old shop building did you ever go into the tower itself the academic building or you are going to write one class do you remember the staircase that went up.

[01:42:23]
Up on top of the second floor but all of us. God they had but if you came into the lobby of it and looked up there was that a lip tickle scare case you don't remember any of that do you remember the robbery well. If I had my oldest brother worked at the robbery for a while he worked at the bookstore for a while when he was a student there OK That was back in the early days.

[01:42:48]
So you would go in there for lunch or where. Sometimes I bring my lunch. Remember robbery. One of the things to remember about that time period. For instance when it was time and after you got through your final two years of school you actually did it in four years by going to night school and everything right so at the end of that time period most students put a resume together and go to the career center to interview for jobs did you do that.

[01:43:27]
Now I'm not sure but I was in class one day and this isn't sexual but only. The new or not there or not they French the one we end eventually called the high tower building I don't know what they called it when you opened it I want to tell but anyway.

[01:43:43]
Somebody said come and you're wanted. To this classroom How I want my classroom or I walk and I have one fella sitting at a desk. And he said Have a seat he said you're sure you come as I said Right you start talking to me its name was Bert Johnson he said I'm with the National Cotton Council and I have an hearing potential employees there we all hire to come work we'll have actual time Housefull or you exercises she matches and he and I talk about how.

[01:44:19]
And I saying I know I got a lot at home on hard and I see him even have to go look for a job Wow that was pretty cool one to know yeah he came looking for me and he came looking for it didn't get any better last you know I come looking for you so you didn't have to go through the whole thing everybody else was going through which was you know interviewing and doing all that kind of stuff.

[01:44:44]
We were not there yet I'm still talking to you that's OK you know wait a minute. I want to know your friends that you made when you were in school there they were all looking for jobs so you had to jump on them well yes. Yeah you had to jump that was a good deal so all right we'll take a break.

[01:45:11]
And I thought we were going to hurry off to Memphis to start your career but there's a few things I want to go back and talk about with the night before we leave the war completely. As you were progressing you were in the front moving moving moving eventually you liberated Belgium and when you got into the town what was the name of the town that you that the troops moved into later liaised OK So when you got in there.

[01:45:39]
Pull out to welcome you or what was going on and they were not welcoming us they were they out there looking at the wounded in the town center they were being worked on so they were helping you know they were helping a maybe they were just looking I don't know what.

[01:45:54]
But you mentioned that there were there was still sniper fire going on here or maybe some of the Germans hadn't gotten the message that that you'd taken a Belgium now where they seem to like the. Church tower bell tower so that's going to let's climb up on that they really are and they have you know they hear the whole you know was last you know white on I wonder what.

[01:46:18]
They are going to actually see them and they can fire through them that's right well that's Nicky isn't it and they've picked up people that way Harwood with them. So you were lucky not to get shot again there you know. And then you the front moved and it moved and when you came back from England when you went back into combat after after the first time you were telling you you go to a placement camp you know rather than rejoin your unit immediately right it's like a central location for the wounded is coming back you know OK so what was that like as a tense is that the kind of all your good propped up text you know OK And you had an interesting experience one night.

[01:47:02]
Tell me the story. Two Frenchmen were coming up the road coming up the road staggering saying in a mosque. What do you want to call it and where you start as of where do you get appointed to a bar and about half a mile away. So the three of us went over to the bar with our canteens and there was a huge huge rat just full of apple cider cognac or whatever I have and we fill it up went back to the brace so the pattern was they were just storing You know I think that's where brewed they proved it right in that area that it was aging in their case casks I guess they call those so you liberated a little bit it.

[01:47:50]
Had to free that. It was that kind of state quest for some deviation from the monotony of battle right yes but God knows there was very little of that So finally the thought moved across the running for the Liberals and there's a little story I could tell it we were advancing.

[01:48:12]
And I forgot there's outside of St whoa and we're taking a break from marching along. I was just and ditches already the southern road would plop into that. And it comes down the road a cute little girl has been fifteen sixteen years old on possible. But coming to being him just dies and she stops and I said Bessie want Shelley she looked around I said we I kissed her right to do you really again girl she's probably telling that to her grandchildren about this pushy army guy.

[01:48:55]
Dear so moving right along towards the Rhine River which are called right then what happened when you guys were got the Rhine River. And. On the other side was the town and I don't remember the name of it but they said we're going across this river tonight at midnight.

[01:49:21]
And I looked I said you got to be kidding the moans out forget it but that was the way they wanted it so we waited around until midnight was got and I load boats and start across and the Germans on the other side just opened up with everything they had everything they had and I'm pretty certain the boat came back.

[01:49:44]
So. Let me return you return to the river. And finally said we're going to move down about a thousand yards across from Move Down thousand yards and saw the cross and they let us plan this time. I got over there and then they came in from this AM and from this their own car that was almost vertical hill I had to climb to give the top and I was they were firing down that you know you and I was about half way up and all of a sudden they just.

[01:50:21]
Plastic hand grenade started all our own so I. Turned around on my butt and slid back down the mountain and I got down there and I looked and I was coming in from the side. And so I said And I tried I had already a weapon I tried to contact the captain about it and I think I just so I took the boats off.

[01:50:48]
Jumped on the river and swam across Do you really swam across. And there you were yes I was no boat I was on back on our side window yes it would be pretty tough not to have your boots while. I got some more. And I had to go.

[01:51:08]
They did anybody else come back across and I don't know but when I got over there on a side from the hall I was away and I thought I'm American. And so his job each of the captured McKevitt took me to colonel and I told him what had happened and so he told me to go get some clothes dry clothes on.

[01:51:30]
And the next day I went back across the stime then far because by that time they had been overcome you know so then where did the night go from there. Into Paris or you know on north north east. Trying to follow the border of this other countries. When you got to Paris they were happy to perish long time.

[01:52:00]
Own Time passed by them well. Tell me about the welcome that you got when you were with the French people. Most of those are taken taken off by the time we got to the cities where they were they had just left they didn't want to be out there to be shot at I.

[01:52:25]
Didn't see too much of it except I wanted out so was a little town that was so generous with their own cognac tell me that story that was we crossed this we crossed the river they were cheering when. Yeah and I started to go on a personal with.

[01:52:44]
People I guess every twenty thirty feet with cognac. Kavanagh's or whatever would last just poured it waiting for you to give it to you it was happy to say yes that's a real welcome isn't it. By the time you get to the end of the line no you couldn't you could be drunk maybe.

[01:53:03]
That could happen. And I bet it did at some time. It must've been a real thrill tows see how happy you are you know making people knowing you are making it different now and one town. And I don't remember them I have it in the German town one of the first ones a few cos of.

[01:53:25]
It we walked into town people hanging white sheets other. Over the bow commish saying that they surrender we. Because they realized to him writing was on the wall. The bulk of the German population the people that were not in the military but just to be willed or what was going on right and the Allies were right wars always Nobody ever wins no sure you know whatever when it's.

[01:53:57]
All right now we're going to go back pick up our story you accept the job so did you go to your graduation at Georgia Tech Yes could you attended your comments about what a bunch over there that was nine hundred fifty one. That supposedly was the largest graduating class Georgia Tech ever had nine hundred fifty one of our most folk are returning G.I.'s.

[01:54:20]
And you formed a big grain around the inside the stadium and had to produce a Southwest South shall stand sure who you were in there but I have a picture showing the kids showing all of you. Around the whole stadium to show how many of you were there person to person you could.

[01:54:39]
I have to share that with you I'll send you that picture and it said this is the largest class to graduate from Georgia Tech. Now you came to Georgia Tech you didn't have to take our O.T.C. because you were a veteran you didn't have to take drum proofing for the same reason you were a veteran did everybody treat you with some respect.

[01:55:01]
Don't think showed us any respect more show them a show to run well actually they were living over at Fort Gordon having to come back and forth because there was enough room we had classes going on alert for Gordon there was married housing for them first before going to Fort Gordon in Chamblee You weren't even aware of that because you were commuting from your house yeah and why did you use your mom's car you said you could use the car but mostly or did you do that every day and go to not every day or are you not in the morning and I wanted to know if you did that it was OK to do that nowadays.

[01:55:38]
Did you feel. I don't know quite how it must have been to acclimate a lot of the people that came back with you to school were married already so married housing I understand that it was very tough to find a place to even live in Atlanta in the late forties because you know we had started the building dorms and all was to come so I knew you were dating Claire so was that a big decision to move away she says you were dating a whole bunch of people.

[01:56:11]
She. Told Me Maybe she said that but I hadn't read all those other women Fergus. You told me that when you got there you were when you got started dating CLAIRE You were very faithful to her she says you work. Could be anyways did you talk about her with her that you were going to move to Memphis Yes she did go she had to go away or go on down did she write letters of course so you did stay in touch there are you go up to Memphis to work for the National caught Council Council and what did they want you to do.

[01:56:53]
Research by mostly really various types of research. Like farz and trains black spots in fact though that's where you started out with your career of being a trouble shooter an investigator so to speak special investigator Where did you live. In town do they have a boarding house for your hotel or know what I found.

[01:57:18]
Somebody there a crime Council indicated there was a nice place to live over on. Getting make or the name of the street so I mowed down there and this woman who was who owned it. Got mad with Baber got her first with her about something or and when I moved out of there I went to one went to another house with three daughters and the mother I know.

[01:57:51]
They were all both my type. To care you know and I had a nice room there and sometimes a free breakfast so it's kind of the Bible was a time I did out so well really it was thirty five dollars a month or so Micah. Who at that job for several years so six years there but after.

[01:58:15]
After a couple of years you finally decide to get married you know do you remember when you got married she had in July. They think about it. Are you going to take off your Bring your look. Then you see you know I have to say. I've asked to marry me on.

[01:58:50]
December twenty five I think fifty two and we got married on July eighteenth and I think fifty three. Why be eighteen nineteen fifty three sixty one yeah yeah yeah indeed Can you believe it. You know you're supposed to say you know you can probably even a little. So what happens then clear most to Memphis with you know.

[01:59:25]
We got married there we went on our honeymoon I'm a Florida and strayed from by a straight odoriferous we're going to get married where in Atlanta the chapel at Emory chapel at Emory OK And then you can't you want to honeymoon came back and then when you went back to Memphis she didn't go to the rooming house with you did you did you guys get up for one or two nights and then you look for the right you know we had to I had already rented the apartment Just wait for mature they didn't have a.

[01:59:58]
Pulse Getting there were you interested in your job you know might enjoy it you did travel I was traveling three weeks out of five really in that time period when you were there so you were leaving Claire along a lot you know she went traveling with you know was most your travel by car yeah all plane.

[02:00:18]
So you were all gone a lot of the times did she get a job when she got there you know she was working in the emergency room yes. OK you know who they were short of Paul who hospital. Well yes and yes a hospital so that at least kept her busy while you were away and then I was eventually she had with.

[02:00:47]
Dr Mitchell and the pediatric nurse was going to her specialist the of Iowa pediatric nursing. When So she. Went to work in an office and sort of at the emergency room you know OK So did you guys have a good life in Memphis to do like that yeah I was and Mark cut combo group and would go to all the parties they have with accounting Carnival the same thing about it wrong they have a celebration once a year and yeah they did.

[02:01:22]
They don't have it anymore but they had that was a big thing in Memphis this is a really nice community and mean there's a lot going on there but it's kind of a small community you know compared to Atlanta there's you go to the listen to all the wonderful music the blues and stuff that's there and you doll that barbecue not really not really so you didn't take advantage of living and now those people go there for vacations and you live there and didn't pay attention like our son and his wife are right now out there I worry yeah they were yesterday going over to our precious home yeah you know that was a big deal then too and you were living up there or at that time I never met another so I never saw I was alone and probably didn't care one way or another I can just imagine that wasn't something you hear about so why did you change jobs.

[02:02:13]
Got tired of traveling all the time OK so you decide to come back to Atlanta. And how did you find a job with Fulton did you apply through the newspaper or no he tell you about it it's strange a lot of there were research I was doing and got in council I ran across.

[02:02:35]
The Forgotten mail supplier especially of cutbacks actually. Tar on the bottom and when I pulled it over the back end of a truck that. TAR would flip out break off it with a cotton for Hillary just a little residue you mean would get in with males and then it would go through the mill and get processed right and it would go for the gen you get smaller and smaller and smaller pieces so if you have a piece like that that big of asphalt you know when I went through the ginning process it break down into small small pieces and you get over them with the fabric and when it bleached and washed and spread out in the fabric.

[02:03:18]
And nobody knew what it was I'm till I got out of it there but anyway that's that was one of the things that they were one of the groups to investigate Yeah and so I would when I found out about it I went to the management and forgot my office and told them what wrong and they corrected it they put plastic dots on the asphalt.

[02:03:41]
And that solved the problem yeah. I think I never heard of anything else so then they offer you a job for you just because I want to say I went down I told him I was thinking about. Leaving kind of council they have and I think I was just going to come on when but you know always you.

[02:04:00]
So they hired us what. This is sales consultant. And then produce it and after about five years I was so good about as you. Saw that several months ago. Then commercial sales Yeah. Did you you were traveling again no. Not as much. Not going to of to talk to and I go once over the Alabama so it's already a very long trip was limited travel compared to what you were usually doing Yeah and you settled in Atlanta where were you unclear how your first home here in Atlanta we were packed in the family house mother had died and that's the house to my brother that maybe you were downstairs we watched else that was over in North Ridge Hills Yeah OK that worked out fine that was your brother you got along with that we had you know and cluster different then pretty soon we decided to move out.

[02:05:08]
Move here. Pretty soon how long have you lived here. Since I seen sixty three. So ten about you know about six seven three hundred ninety three but it's about fifty seven yeah you've been here a good long time declarer got another job then when she went back to Atlanta you know home where.

[02:05:32]
She was working with. Carousel and it was a pediatrician so she stayed with the pediatrician baby and I think there's you know somewhere along the line you had a son. Something happened. So when it was time was born but one. I didn't say actually so here in Atlanta.

[02:05:56]
Georgia Bevis Ospel Georgia betters they are what is now. Gun living in Atlanta something yeah. And so did he did he go to school here in Atlanta or yeah he went to elementary school at. Durrell elementary school who was shot he lives right here yeah and then when he left when he got out of there he went to America.

[02:06:27]
Catholic got involved but his church it's a private public school where you I mean private school we've got a good IT case yeah and away then when he got out of there he was attacked He went to tech too I didn't know that so he graduated and way in the eighties.

[02:06:44]
Musta been in the eighties Yeah yeah I didn't know that so that's another generation of comics that was what did he get his degree in computer science. That's a good degree and you it worked for all so I'm off it America but I don't have any trouble finding jobs.

[02:07:09]
And he got tired of working in computers and they stopped there's a lot quit. Yes what he's doing now I don't know. Take your people into the fish pond there where you're. Taking people into the fish pond you know whether the whales in this shark swimming with the big bees he does that you know he's an underwater diver.

[02:07:33]
Who would have thought. Is that a retirement to have for you know what I don't know he's having fun home going to enjoy seeing the joys that he's a right a scuba diver. Now many people can make a living being a scuba diver you know worst three days a week and he's making a living doing that didn't marry Yeah and I have no children they've been married about twenty seven years and.

[02:08:01]
She was with the government what was her name what is her name your daughter in law. And yes. You know Karan I thought so far I'm sure but you're giving me the business here all right so Karen Intel must live somewhere in the area so you do say let us want to so you do see them from time to time he comes only down to the aquarium for his work Yeah that's a good long drive into life so he was working.

[02:08:32]
Thursday Friday and Saturday now but he was working Sunday Monday and Tuesday there were three days a week. And then they're off the rest of time you know that's an interesting job to have OK. Cottonelle How long did you work for them long time the Common Council you know cut me full band of them but I got most of working for them from my teen years nineteen years and all that time you were kind of doing the same you were doing sales but you were also doing troubleshooting weren't you you know special work like that you got assignments so you were detective kind of.

[02:09:13]
What did you like most about your job the people that were dealing with customers it was fun for you to be I would you know you were good salesmen I bet tried to be I'm sure you were you know that one thing that I did do it to forgot about was the others did not I got rid of all the second.

[02:09:36]
Year of the irregulars or something I mean well you got rid of the seconds they start waving something like I have one pick that didn't do a one M. one of them didn't work and I would be the second produced and I had some customers that specialized in that type of stuff or the like to have the ones that were flawed you know they sold them as irregulars then right or lesser price you didn't believe in that you wanted to have one hundred percent product and reckoned different.

[02:10:10]
One really good really good I don't really want to or I had the only reason you left that job was because they merged with another company right you have a board How about an outfit out of Alabama and the South had now Bama I think it was Bama caught my eye on the so I kept.

[02:10:30]
They took all the equipment from Ford Cartmell and moved down there so he didn't have any. And their manufacturing done here. So that he would you thought it was time to look for something different. And from there you went to work for cocoa Coca-Cola and how did you come across that from a church see it's always somebody you know you know a lot of church work for Coca-Cola and they.

[02:11:04]
Or personnel department he said they're looking for people to Kokoda work. She got out of there I was out of order for about six much. So I want to talk to and I said you know where you can use your insecurity. So I'm here you had already provided security for football players you know how to do that.

[02:11:27]
So you went into security work and you stayed there quite a long time six year. To have you all here John was a long time before you decide to do so what's it like working at Coca-Cola you were right back with Georgia Tech again their spies soon you were at the main campus right there.

[02:11:43]
And I meet over your co-author you know nice Russian Well yeah they do they have a very nice it's really kind of I suppose to work isn't it you know their lives. So just doing security would you wear uniform again. Do it did you wear uniform as a security officer just a green jacket OK.

[02:12:07]
I've been there for about eight years and I'm a supervisor of the first for sure. Pretty good cream rises to the top but what can you say I can affect when we think about your life as we've been doing for the last couple hours here are there any things that we missed things that were really super that you were highlights of your life that I didn't think to ask you and I thought Well one thing was your visit with Charles Lindbergh.

[02:12:38]
Claire told me that when you were a little boy Lindbergh came to Atlanta I don't remember anything about it I remember sitting in his cockpit where you do remember something that's something that's all well that's who was it you know who is this fellow you were only five years old so I can see where you didn't understand that but you actually went out to Kandor field did your mom take this brush was this was already you know of history Westray street person point to point he was there the plane was there no he was there he was there yeah he had to go out to the airport for his plane I don't know but that you don't remember who took you you don't know that either you just father I think really he was still around at that time yeah he was still here so he might have taken you know so that's kind of cool now I want to ask you Did you ever go to Spiller field to see the crackers play.

[02:13:34]
I went out there for football high school football played. Really Boys High played there I don't know that I want to ask people what model they were there that was that's across from where. So robot Yeah they call a specialist for you know yeah it was Bill or feel.

[02:13:56]
Ponce de Leon part that passed along yeah but did you ever go there as a kid for Creg Williams Not for. Baseball. Did you understand they had a pool over there right next to it you remember that did you ever go there. Did you ever go to the can learn zoo over a brother Cliff.

[02:14:20]
Yes and. I was born lived on one elbow hard and when I would lie and starve or you could hear her house. I went there to go swimming or for the nation I want of a nation I wish. I want and I'm like yeah it was the Venetian pools that were over there once couple of are OK.

[02:14:49]
But. You had to be a member. Yeah yeah OK so you couldn't go swimming there go swimming Why did I want Jewish They would allow you in you know but they had to pay five dollars for the season's not like that all was so you could buy a membership now there was no relationship between that and the cancer you know staying healthy I understand Mr Taylor just bought some animals and opened that zoo up just yeah.

[02:15:21]
Kind of casually you know but yeah we're close enough to actually hear the animals roar and. Then they also had actually that cattle through they had the wonder. Drug running place I don't I didn't hear about that you know they had a dry cleaner style front there on the same grounds but a little south.

[02:15:48]
Mr Cantor was rather industrious that you know she had all kinds of things I went on. When you think about. Growing up in Atlanta and then going to Georgia Tech I know you went to the Varsity because you told me that did you were going juniors. Did you ever go to junior spread across the street from the from a brown dormitory or you would know if you had been there so juniors was not one of the places you went OK where would you go if you're going to take Claire out for a nice date she's laugh and accommodate all the colonnade Yeah that was there at that time she were over in Cheshire Bridge will still go there it's still there yeah that's right it's still there.

[02:16:33]
Did you ever go to kill greens. Hill greens you know that I was I remember but I don't think are your daughter but you did go to the Fox Theater. For plays or for movies or but mostly mostly for We've been we've been there for plays but well as like it when you were at Tech that was just all about movies at that time in fact I think Claire told me you were at the premier of Gone With The Wind.

[02:17:04]
I was there but I didn't Kim or I across the street from Los Graham there's a light pole. And I climbed up on that when they were on the when they were going in just stars were arriving in Europe they're out on a light pole across the street how are you lucky enough to get that was too bad somebody didn't beat you I watched you and sacrifice for you yeah you could do it you wanted to do that yeah they say it was a great crowd of people it was a big crowd more people than even lived in a like yeah.

[02:17:39]
You know from Iowa long history Yeah you know they just it's lined up all over for it was a big deal wasn't it I want that one thing about and ladder let's celebrate a lot of. How we used to have big parades downtown I was in my family Yeah I never heard that before either yeah they paraded around town a lot of people coming out and and costuming costumes did you ever do that do you know how so that was like one of the community things that was going on and had another thing we had to take soap and you know but they were some passions.

[02:18:19]
Some of the other big department stores and right on the windows happened here Happy Halloween you know. And I'd already play help trying to apply for saw like I said you have to wash it off. So you were a little misty vs. Wasn't Lando a fun place to grow up yeah I think so if we sit here and look back on your life are there things you would have changed or did it go just the way you wanted it pretty much I think by the way I wanted it.

[02:18:50]
Shrapnel and all right it was part of your OWN UP time you might have been a little less cocky after you came back from the military right what was right. You know what it was to hurt right now not so very long ago you received a great honor from the French government how did that come about.

[02:19:12]
Clara had read about it someplace. And she wrote to whatever address of a person that had been and helped liberate France and I had received this message. And. She thought maybe it would be somebody for them to consider and it's like I'm six months before they replied Yes Yes We think so be it.

[02:19:39]
As Museum of Art or presentation and such and such a date so we have got to I don't know yet we've got it right there the French Legion of Merit merit of legion around know what's in French for French allusion there are a half French Legion of Merit which is an award from that country to you as an individual and they present it with great ceremony and we have it there were none of us up on the stage and it's one of those go all out presented with a medal How cool is that.

[02:20:12]
You said if I want to help I don't hear. You earned it OK Now you heard it thank goodness for Claire What would you do without her that's right she's been just such a good psychic for you all these years keeps you on your toes right now I can see that you're very fortunate very fortunate to have what has been a pleasure talking to you sir we're going to take some pictures of some of your awards and things of the whole bunch of yeah we're going to look at see how handsome you were back when you were a mere lad Yeah yeah so we can fix your your web page you name you know these.

[02:20:56]
People that did so much in their life. That you didn't know them at that time you see them and say. But he was he was quite a guy I know that for sure I thought.