1
100
4
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https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/files/original/3f398b949346bbcb23d04645e26deb40.pdf
d49e2870d7baf4d5ea90d1bdc73fd8fe
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
Watermark Collection
Alternative Title
The Watermark Collection
Subject
Gay culture--United States
Description
Since 1994, <em>The Watermark</em> has been the cornerstone source of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and others) centered news for the Central Florida region. Founded by Tom Dyer in Orlando, the publication began generating bi-weekly issues beginning August 31, 1994. Since then, <em>The Watermark</em> has consistently published newspaper style issues every other Thursday. Gaining traction, the publication expanded in 1995 to include Tampa and, in 1997, <em>The Watermark</em> became a permanent piece of LGBTQ+ culture when the publication initiated the first large-scale Gay Days Weekend event, the Beach Ball at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. Before 1999, the publication printed 20,000 copies every week, distributing them to over 500 locations between its two major cities. Following 1999, the publication launched watermarkonline.com shifting to an online publication style. In 2016, Rick Claggett purchased <em>The Watermark</em>.
Is Part Of
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/" target="_blank">RICHES Program</a>
Type
Collection
Contributing Project
<a href="http://www.floridalgbtqmuseum.org/%20" target="_blank">GLBT History Museum of Central Florida</a>
<a href="http://www.watermarkonline.com/">The Watermark</a>
Curator
Smith, Robert
Cepero, Laura
O'Neal, Rhiannon
Hearn, Nikki
Greene, Quintella
Rodriguez, Sharon
Digital Collection
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
Source Repository
<a href="http://www.floridalgbtqmuseum.org/%20" target="_blank">GLBT History Museum of Central Florida</a>
External Reference
"<a href="http://www.watermarkonline.com/aboutcontact/" target="_blank">About/Contact</a>." WatermarkOnline.com, accessed July 11, 2016. http://www.watermarkonline.com/aboutcontact/.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
The Watermark, Vol. 12, No. 9, May 5-18, 2005
Alternative Title
Watermark, Vol. 12, No. 9
Subject
Gay culture--United States
Description
The ninth issue of the twelfth volume of <em>The Watermark</em> was published on May 5, 2005, and was the paper's Business and Finance issue. This section of the paper analyzes the incomes and spending patterns of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and others) readers, spotlighting several Central Florida businesses, and providing information on bankruptcy laws. The issue also covers the openly lesbian, newly appointed head of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), same-sex legislative rulings in various states such as Texas, and Microsoft's reversal of support for a law that would have protected LGBTQ+ individuals. Other topics include an ongoing investigation of a man charged with the kidnapping, assault, and murders of numerous gay men, as well as the prohibition of students from wearing pro-gay apparel in a number of schools.<br /><br />Since 1994, <em>The Watermark</em> has been the cornerstone source of LGBTQ+ centered news for the Central Florida region. Founded by Tom Dyer in Orlando, the publication began generating bi-weekly issues beginning August 31, 1994. Since then, <em>The Watermark</em> has consistently published newspaper-style issues every other Thursday. Gaining traction, the publication expanded in 1995 to include Tampa and, in 1997, <em>The Watermark</em> became a permanent piece of LGBTQ+ culture when the publication initiated the first large-scale Gay Days Weekend event, the Beach Ball at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. Before 1999, the publication printed 20,000 copies every week, distributing them to over 500 locations between its two major cities. Following 1999, the publication launched watermarkonline.com shifting to an online publication style. In 2016, Rick Claggett purchased <em>The Watermark</em>.
Type
Text
Source
Original 80-page newspaper: <a href="http://www.watermarkonline.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Watermark</em></a>, Vol. 12, No. 9, May 5-18, 2005: Publications Collection, <a href="http://glbthistorymuseum.com/joomla25/index.php?lang=en" target="_blank">GLBT History Museum of Central Florida</a>, Orlando, Florida.
Requires
<a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/reader.html" target="_blank">Adobe Acrobat Reader</a>
Is Part Of
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/203" target="_blank">The Watermark Collection</a>, RICHES.
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original 80-page newspaper: <a href="http://www.watermarkonline.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Watermark</em></a>, Vol. 12, No. 9, May 5-18, 2005.
Coverage
Orlando, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Austin, Texas
Seattle, Washington
Southern Nights, Orlando, Florida
Cleveland, Ohio
Creator
Baber, Keith
Blanchard, Steven
Crescitelli, Jim
DeJesus, Edwin
Dyer, Tom
Ferber, Lawrence
Hartlage, Kirk
Jenkin, Georgia
Kundis, Ken
Masters, Billy
Middour, Bryan L.
Murray-Parker, Karen S.
Nolan, Margaret
Roehr, Bob
Shapiro, Gregg
Sheridan, Michael T.
Triggs, Greg
Walen, Rick
Wiethop, Dave
Wiggins, Jayelle
Wilde, Diane
Publisher
<a href="http://www.watermarkonline.com/" target="_blank">Watermark Media</a>
Date Created
ca. 2005-05-05
Date Issued
2005-05-05
Date Copyrighted
2005-05-05
Format
application/pdf
Medium
80-page newspaper
Language
eng
Mediator
History Teacher
Provenance
Originally published by <a href="http://www.watermarkonline.com/" target="_blank">Watermark Media</a>.
Rights Holder
Copyright to this resource is held by <a href="http://www.watermarkonline.com/" target="_blank">Watermark Publishing Group</a> and is provided here by <a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES</a> for educational purposes only.
Accrual Method
Donation
Contributing Project
<a href="http://glbthistorymuseum.com/joomla25/index.php?lang=en" target="_blank">GLBT History Museum of Central Florida</a>
Curator
O'Neil, Rhiannon
Digital Collection
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
Source Repository
<a href="http://glbthistorymuseum.com/joomla25/index.php?lang=en" target="_blank">GLBT History Museum of Central Florida</a>
External Reference
"<a href="http://www.watermarkonline.com/aboutcontact/" target="_blank">About/Contact</a>." WatermarkOnline.com, accessed January 28, 2018. http://www.watermarkonline.com/aboutcontact/.
Abraham Lincoln
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
ADAP
AIDS
AIDS Candlelight Memorial
AIDS Drug Assistance Programs
AIDS Project Florida
Alex Miotti
Ali Haag
Alison Burgos
Andy Bell
Angelica Diaz
Anthony Catanzana
B.J. Stelter
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act
Bear Cub
Ben Marcus
Betsy Nelson
Bill Kanouff
Billy Manes
bisexual
Bloomingdale High School
Brad Mathewson
CalliopeFest
career
Catholicism
Cheryl Jacques
Chris Morgan
Christianity
Christopher Ashton Kutcher
Club Swank
conversion therapy
Daniel Cummings
David Castillo
David Franzen
David Furnish
David White
Dean Collier
Diane Ward Band
Don Montuon
Ed Lopes
Elizabeth Birch
Elton Hercules John CBE
embezzling
Empar Ferrer
entrepreneurship
Federated Republican Women of Central Florida
film
Frank November
G&L Fab-Events
GALA
gay
gay adoption
Gay and Lesbian Alumni
Gay Days Weekend
Gay Games
gay marriage
Gay Men's Single Mingle
Gay Sex And The City
George Walker Bush
Gulf Coast Gay Men's Chorus
Halcyon
Heath Riddler
HIV
homophobia
homosexuality
homosexuals
HRC
human immunodeficiency virus
Human Rights Campaign
Jack Luper
Jason Galehouse
Jeanne White-Ginder
Jeffrey Sanker
Jennifer Foster
Jennifer Kates
Jennifer N. Baggerly
Jim Bomford
Jim Jablonski
Jim Philips
Joe Solomese
John Ames
John Forbes Kerry
John Hugh "Buddy" Dyer
John Ruffier
Johnny Chisholm
Jose Luis Garcia-Perez
Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger
Joy MCC
Kaiser Family Foundation
Karen Doering
Kathleen DeBold
Ken Hutcherson
Ken Shelin
Kim English
L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center
Lastaysha Myers
Lawrence DiRita
Leesa Halstead Franzen
Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas
lesbians
Leslie Dawley
LGBTQ+
Linda Nunez
Lisejean Freed
Log Cabin Republicans
Lou Ann Palmer
Magellan Health Services
Marion Ridley
Mariruth Kennedy
Mark Baker
Mark Lundy
MCC Tampa
Melissa Ferrick
Merrill Dickey
Michael Kirk Douglas
Michael Wachholtz
Microsoft Corporation
Miguel Albaladejo
Mike Ames
Misty Smeltzer
Mona West
money
music festivals
Nancy Wilson
National Alliance of State AIDS Directors
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Day of Silence
Norm Kent
One Mighty Party
Orlando Action Network
Pam Williams
Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Pasputina
Pat Padilla
Patrick Howell
Paula Schoenwether
Pentagon
PFLAG
Pope Benedict XVI
protests
queers
questioning
racial discrimination
Rainbow Democrats
Randall Greene
Redboy
religion
Richard McCullough
Rick Woods
Rob Simmons
Robert Geller
Roland Belmares
Roman Catholic Church
Sakia Gunn
same-sex
Sandy Pheil
Sarasota AIDS Theatre Project
Sarasota Pridefest
Senfronia Thompson
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
Sharra E. Greer
sodomy
Southern Nights
Stephanie Shippae
Steve Ballmer
Steve Lorenzo
Suzanne Noe
Tami Harris
Tampa Bay Bears
Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Teri Catilin Band
Terry Knight
The Watermark
TIGLFF
Tina Podlodowski
Tomes and Treasures
Toni Begasse
trans
transgender
Troy Perry
UCC
UCMJ
UFMCC
Uniform Code of Military Justice
United Church of Christ
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
University of South Florida
Urban Body
USF
Vernessa Mitchell
Vicky Randall
Vince Clark
Warren Chisum
Warren Throckmorton
Will & Grace
William "Bill" Henry Gates III
William Diamond
World Outgames
-
https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/files/original/e8a26e74724981cfa15583e0812b03ec.mp3
19a079928d14ad551d93167f12df0077
https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/files/original/a54351957504fd4193ab5d7421ba1114.pdf
79e25fd5559a428ff09744265f759e0a
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
Oviedo Historical Society Collection
Alternative Title
Oviedo Historical Society Collection
Subject
Oviedo (Fla).
Description
The Oviedo Historical Society Collection encompasses historical artifacts donated for digitization at the Oviedo Historical Society's History Harvest in the Spring semester of 2015.
The Oviedo Historical Society was organized in November 1973 by a group of citizens. The society is a 501(3) non-profit organization. Its purpose is to help preserve the community identity of Oviedo by collecting and disseminating knowledge about local history, serve as a repository for documents and artifacts relating to Oviedo history, promote the preservation and marking of historic sites and buildings in the Oviedo area and foster interest in local, state, national, and world history.
Is Part Of
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/128" target="_blank">Oviedo Collection</a>, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Language
eng
Type
Collection
Coverage
Oviedo, Florida
Contributing Project
<a href="http://oviedohs.com/" target="_blank">Oviedo Historical Society</a>
<a href="http://history.cah.ucf.edu/staff.php?id=304" target="_blank">Dr. Connie L. Lester</a>'s Introduction to Public History course, Spring 2015
Digital Collection
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
External Reference
"<a href="http://oviedohs.com/" target="_blank">Oviedo Historical Society</a>." Oviedo Historical Society, Inc. http://oviedohs.com/.
Adicks, Richard, and Donna M. Neely. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5890131" target="_blank"><em>Oviedo, Biography of a Town</em></a>. S.l: s.n.], 1979.
Robison, Jim. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/796757419" target="_blank"><em>Around Oviedo</em></a>. 2012.
"<a href="http://www.cityofoviedo.net/node/68" target="_blank">History</a>." City of Oviedo, Florida. http://www.cityofoviedo.net/node/68.
"<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/audio/Ep41-Oviedo.mp3" target="_blank">RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 41: Oviedo, with Dr. Richard Adicks</a>." RICHES of Central Florida. http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/audio/Ep41-Oviedo.mp3.
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
Dobson, Alexandra
Interviewee
Blackwood, Bernie
Location
<a href="http://oviedohs.com/" target="_blank">Oviedo Historical Society</a>, Oviedo, Florida
Original Format
1 audio recording
Duration
30 minutes and 21 seconds
Bit Rate/Frequency
128kbps
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
Oral History of Bernie Blackwood
Alternative Title
Oral History, Blackwood
Subject
Oviedo (Fla.)
St. Petersburg (Fla.)
Real estate--United States
City planning--Florida
Construction
Description
An oral history interview of Bernard O. Blackwood, conducted by Alexandra Dobson on March 19, 2015. Blackwood was born on April 9, 1933, and attended the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, Florida. After graduating from college, Blackwood migrated to St. Petersburg with his wife, Suzanne A. Blackwood, to work as a city planner. In the 1970s, the couple moved to Oviedo with their children. There, Blackwood helped plan several residential subdivisions alongside Ben Ward, Jr. Interview topics include land development, the effects of Florida Technological University (present-day University of Central Florida), Blackwood's wife and children, Ben Ward's contributions to the community, desegregation and the Civil Rights Movement in St. Petersburg, and his career as a city planner.
Table Of Contents
<br />0:00:00 Introduction <br />0:01:48 Land development <br />0:04:07 Florida Technological University and the Oviedo Land Group <br />0:07:51 Migration to Oviedo and working with Ben Ward, Jr. <br />0:13:30 Wife and children <br />0:14:29 Population growth and Florida Technological University <br />0:18:39 Ben Ward’s contributions to the community <br />0:19:24 Blackwood Construction Corporation and Lutheran Haven <br />0:20:25 Schools and desegregation in St. Petersburg <br />0:21:57 St. Petersburg and career as a city planner
Abstract
Oral history interview of Bernard “Bernie” O. Blackwood. Interview conducted by Alexandra Dobson at Blackwood's home in Mead Manor in Oviedo, Florida, on March 19, 2015.
Type
Sound
Source
Blackwood, Bernie Interviewed by Alexandra Dobson, March 19, 2015. Audio record available. Oviedo History Harvest, <a href="http://oviedohs.com/" target="_blank">Oviedo Historical Society</a>, Oviedo, Florida.
Requires
<a href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" target="_blank"> Adobe Flash Player</a>
<a href="http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp" target="_blank"> Java</a>
<a href="https://get.adobe.com/reader/" target="_blank">Adobe Acrobat Reader</a>
Is Part Of
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/147" target="_blank">Oviedo Historical Society Collection</a>, History Harvest Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Has Format
20-page digital transcript of original 30-minute and 21-second oral history: Blackwood, Bernie Interviewed by Alexandra Dobson, March 19, 2015. Audio record available. Oviedo History Harvest, <a href="http://oviedohs.com/" target="_blank">Oviedo Historical Society</a>, Oviedo, Florida.
Coverage
Mead Manor, Oviedo, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
Creator
Blackwood, Bernie
Dobson, Alexandra
Publisher
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
Date Created
2015-03-19
Date Modified
2016-01-05
Date Copyrighted
2015-03-19
Format
audio/mp3
application/pdf
Extent
27.7 MB
198 KB
Medium
30-minute and 21-second audio recording
20-page digital transcript
Language
eng
Mediator
History Teacher
Economics Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Bernard “Bernie” O. Blackwood and Alexandra Dobson, and published by <a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>.
Rights Holder
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
Accrual Method
Item Creation
Contributing Project
<a href="http://oviedohs.com/" target="_blank">Oviedo Historical Society</a>
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
Source Repository
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
External Reference
"<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/items/show/5278" target="_blank">Mead Manor Brings New Lifestyle to Oviedo</a>." RICHES of Central Florida. https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/items/show/5278.
"<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/audio/Ep41-Oviedo.mp3" target="_blank">RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Episode 41: Oviedo, with Dr. Richard Adicks</a>." RICHES of Central Florida. http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/audio/Ep41-Oviedo.mp3.
Transcript
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>This is an oral history interview of Bernie<a title="">[1]</a> [O.] Blackwood. Interview is conducted by Alexandra Dobson at the Blackwood home in Oviedo, Florida, on the 19<sup>th</sup> of March, 2015. Inter—interview topics include Oviedo, Mead Manor, and that’s it.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Well, my name’s Bernie Blackwood, and my association with Oviedo began in the early [19]50s. I was a student at Gainesville,<a title="">[2]</a> and I had a roommate named Bob Ward, who was a native of Oviedo, and I came to Oviedo on occasions on weekend with Bob, and got to know a little bit about the area. It was so different from my, uh, little home town in North Florida. I saw orange groves and celery fields and stuff, to—tobacco fields, uh—shade[?] tobacco fields it was up there, but, um, when I finished at Gainesville, I went right to work. I had a job waiting in Saint Petersburg[, Florida], and, uh, Bob and I kept in contact over the years, and through Bob I had met his brother, Ben Ward—Ben Ward, Jr., and, uh, we’d been in St. Pete four or five years. I—I guess it was around 1963 when Ben called me—Ben Ward, Bob’s brother—and said he was developing a subdivision. He and a group of, uh, investors and businesspeople here in O—Oviedo were developing a subdivision, and they had started, but they’d ran into a few troubles, and he knew I—through Bob—knew had a little—had—I had a little experience in land planning.</p>
<p>So he asked me if I’d come up, take a look at what he had, and I was glad to do it, because it gave me a chance to visit Bob, and Ben brought me out. it’s a 40-acre site in— northeast, uh, Oviedo—beautiful piece of land—and made it clear to me to—to begin with they wanted large lots, nice home sites, and the group of, uh, investors and businesspeople, who, uh, put their money up for this project, wanted the same thing. They wanted to grow Oviedo and they knew there was nothing in Oviedo, at that time. No lots available, really. I don’t think there’d been any residential lots added in Oviedo since probably the early 1900s, and—so I went to work on the plan, and, uh, came up with something that they agreed with.</p>
<p>Oh, I’m getting a little ahead of myself maybe, because they had actually started—they had, uh, put the group together, and they had paved a little section of Mead Drive, which is the entrance off of Division Street into Mead Manor, at that time, Three or four hundred—two or three hundred feet, I’d say, and then it made a right turn into a little cul-de-sac, and they had, uh—[<em>laughs</em>] they didn’t know quite where to go from there, because they had three—three swampy areas—little ponds in the 40 acres. So we developed a plan, uh, around those ponds, uh, with nice size lots and streets running around, and, uh, they approved the plan and, [<em>clears throat</em>] I came up one weekend—one Saturday with an engineer friend of my from St. Pete, and, uh, the streets had been, uh, cleared, and we shot grades, went back to St. Pete, and did a cut-and-fill plan, and presented that to the group, and they went from there and started developing the subdivision.</p>
<p>And the—they paved the streets, they put in paved streets with gutters, and they had a water system in Oviedo at that time, so it was on a water system, and the, uh, next, uh—next thing we knew, uh—I should say that before they started this project, there was no kno—knowledge of FTU<a title="">[4]</a> locating five miles south of Oviedo. It, eh—I asked Ben later, and he said “No,” uh, “We didn’t know it,” and I thought they were crazy, at the time, for—for footing this kind of subdivision and—and—[<em>laughs</em>] out in Oviedo with just a little crossroads farm community, and I didn’t know where the people were going to come from, and Ben said, “Oh, they’ll come.” He was an eternal optimist, and the next thing I knew, I read—read in <em>The St. Pete</em>[<em>rsburg</em>]<em> Times</em> where FTU was locating five miles south of Oviedo. So I began to be a little more interested in what was going on, and they began selling the lots. First lot they sold in here—or maybe the second one—uh, I know it was the first person from the university—was a man named Phil Gorey[sp] and he was a, um—one of the administrative people under Millican—Dr. [Charles Norman] Millican, and the, uh—the subdivision took off rather slowly, but they were selling lots. A lot across the street there was, uh—was, uh, [Joe] Gomez, uh…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>He was a professor out there.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Yeah, What’s the first, uh…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Joe.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Uh…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Joe.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Joe. Yeah, Joe Gomez. He was a comptroller out at the university, and, uh, there were three or four, five, six—I mean, there half a dozen, at least, uh, different professors that started buying lots out, and some of them still here, like me [<em>laughs</em>]. I’m not a professor [<em>laughs</em>], um, and as the lots started selling, the land group—Oviedo Land Group was the name of the, uh—of the, corpora—or the company that Ben Ward put together, and the investors in it—I could—I can recall most of ‘em, I think. There was, uh, Frank Wheeler, John Evans, uh, I think Mr. Roy Clonts, probably, um…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Beleren[sp]?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Who?</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Bob[?] Beleren? Was he one of ‘em?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>No, no, not, uh, not, uh…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Uh, uh…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Martin?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Bill…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Bill…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Martin?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Yeah, Bill Martin and John Evans. I might have…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Said him before, but anyway, it was a group of local businessmen and there were five or six of ‘em. I met with them a couple times, and, uh, didn’t really know them at—at all. I have since gotten to know them all, one time or another, and, uh—so they decided to buy another 40 acres just, uh, to the north of the first unit, and, uh I—again, I did a layout for them, and Ben developed it, and so it made a total of 80 acres here in Oviedo, and I—I’d be glad to drive you around and show you if you’d like to see it. Some of the developers’ve[sic] been dead, but during this time, Ben was still planning ahead and the next thing—he had a project. Another, uh—I think it was another 40 acres, and—and they—we worked up a subdivision for him on that—a layout, and it’s called [inaudible] Garden Grove. It’s right near here.</p>
<p>And, [<em>clears throat</em>] by that time, Ben, eh—he was originally—he had an insurance business, and, uh, uh—and a real estate brokerage business, and he was getting interested into building and construction. He said, “I’ve got all these lots. I might as well build some houses.” So he offered—gave me—he said, “Why don’t you come up and join me, and we’ll form a corporation and build—build a few houses,” and the idea appealed to me, but leaving my secure place in St. Pete—position I had and so forth—uh, it took a lot of soul searching, and I guess it—I probably thought about it for two or three years ‘fore—and, in the meantime, Ben and I were still working together on—on the projects up here, and, uh, I finally made the decision. <em>I’ve gotta do it. I want to do it. </em>I’d always been interested in construction and had some experience in that, and my[?]—my family wasn’t too eager about it at first.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>The kids—I had a, uh, son<a title="">[5]</a> that was in the third grade and going—would be going into the fourth grade, and a daughter in the sixth grade, I believe, but they finally came around, and we moved up here, uh, second day of September, 1972. Went to work about the very next day and…</p>
<p>[<em>phone rings</em>]</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>The kids start…</p>
<p>[<em>phone rings</em>]</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>The kids started school the very next day after we got here, I think, and my family adjusted. They just loved Oviedo, and Sue<a title="">[6]</a> was a city girl. Sue was from Jacksonville.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>And she didn’t think she wanted to move to Oviedo from St. Petersburg. We all loved St. Petersburg. I did too, but, um, we found Oviedo to be—the people here were the most gracious, welcoming. we never felt like a stranger, and part of that maybe was, because I came here with Ben Ward, who—his dad was a celery grower, and, uh, had—had groves here in town, and Ben had some land, and—quite a bit of land in and around Oviedo, and, uh, so we—we went from there. We started building houses, and, uh, Ben and I were together, uh, for four years, I think, and his interests were—was on development—land development, and mine…</p>
<p>[<em>phone beeps</em>]</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Was more in construction, and I didn’t have the deep pockets to go into land development [<em>laughs</em>], but Ben, uh—he had a vision for this—for this little town, and he—he wanted to—nothing but quality development, and he was the only one developing land in Oviedo, and he was always, I thought, a little ahead of the market, and it was, uh—it cost him financially, but he did it, and after we, uh—we split, we remained friends, and met on a weekly basis and compared what each of us was doin’, until he passed away in—I think he passed away in ‘99, and [<em>coughs</em>] I never—I feel he never deserved the credit he did—he deserved—for what he did for this little town, because you can look around he—he’s re—responsible for Mead Manor, Garden Grove, Whispering Oaks….</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Uh, Hill—Hillcrest, uh, Farms—I think was the name of it.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Uh, Windmilll…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Windmill Farms.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Farms.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Those were residential, uh, develops here.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>How about Oviedo Oaks?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>No, no, he didn’t—he didn’t develop that.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Hm.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Uh, and he also started—he did some commer—a couple of commercial projects. one of ‘em was, uh, Westwood Square. It was a commercial/industrial, uh, zoning area, and, uh, it’s completely built out now. Uh, do you know where, uh, Toucan—what—no, it’s—what’s the Spanish…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Habanero’s [Mexican Grill].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Habanero’s.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>You know where that is?</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>I drove by it.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>That was part of Westwood Square. All of those b—back in there was developed, and there was nothing out there at the time—nothing, and nothing between there and Oviedo [<em>laughs</em>], and…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>One little gas station.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Yeah, the—the, uh, Tiger—Tiger Station.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>We called it, and, uh, then there’s another, uh, I believe it’s called Oviedo Office Park up to your—on [Florida State Road] 426 between Westwood Square and the city limits—what was the city limits then—or the high school, say—and it’s a very nice commercial development, and it had doctor’s offices, uh, and that—that type of commu—uh, development, and, like I say, we—we came here—we’ve been here for 43 years now, and I could never move Sue from—get her out of this house or out of this city.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>She loves it and the kids love it. My daughter lives in Tallahassee, and, uh, she—she’s down here quite often. My son works with me, or did work with me. He runs the business now. I’m just—I’m retired. I go in and aggravate him every day a little bit [<em>laughs</em>]. Uh, I don’t know. Do you have any questions from there? I’d be glad to drive you around a little Oviedo and show you some of these projects if you have the time…</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Or the inclination.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Sure, thank you.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Take her to, um, Whispering Oaks, ‘cuz that’s…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Really…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Well, they’re all nice.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Really, pretty, yes, Whispering Oaks has beautiful trees, but…</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Um…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Have I missed anything Sue?</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>I don’t’ think so. I think—I was amazed at how well you [<em>laughs</em>]…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Uh…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Covered everything.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Well, you know, that’s—that’s about it with, uh, my—my interests in Oviedo. It was…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>I…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Was primarily building. I built all these years and…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Do you know what the population was when we moved here?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>I should’ve…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[inaudible].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Gone into that. It was about 2000, and, uh, it was about the same when I visited 10 years earlier. It hadn’t grown a bit. I don’t think it grew a bit from—I should’ve included this in it—from the ‘30s and on up to the ‘60s, and this development right here<a title="">[7]</a> was what started the growth in Oviedo, uh, after—after, um—no. I guess it was the edges[?] of [inaudible], uh, track builders started coming into Oviedo. The, uh, uh, Jacobs brothers owned two thousand acres of land where O—where Alafaya Woods is now and that area over there, uh—Twin Rivers and that area. They sold it to a group in Atlanta in the early [19]70s, and Bob pretty well fell out of construction for a while there, and nothin’, eh—I don’t know if that company went bankrupt or what, but they sold it to the Anden Group, and the Anden Group is a group that developed Alafaya Woods [<em>clears throat</em>], and it was a little bit, uh—it was, uh, a different type development than what Ben had been developing. I think he’d be surprised today if he knew how, um—he felt that—that Oviedo never had, uh—be, uh, anything but small, rural community [inaudible] with good home sites. ‘Course he knew, and I knew too, that when the university located there, sooner or later it was gonna affect Oviedo in a big way [<em>coughs</em>], and it did, but, uh…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Is—is Tom Phillips next door still teaching?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Yeah, he’s a professor over—no. he’s not teaching, but he’s retired.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>He’s retired? Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>That’s—that’s probably…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>We were surrounded by them.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Yeah, when we first moved here, the—‘course, this was, you know—all the professors had kids and we had kids, and it’s, uh, changed a couple times since then. You’ve got, uh, uh, older families that moved out, newer families with kids that moved in, and, uh, and, uh, and we’ve stuck—stuck here [<em>laughs</em>] all those years, but, um, we’ve seen the growth in Oviedo from two thousand to…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>What? 35,000 now, probably.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Do you think it was just the university that did that, or…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Pretty…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Well…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Pretty much.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>It, uh—pretty much, I think. The [Central Florida] Research Park out there—and of course, it—it—Oviedo [<em>clears throat</em>]—it grew to be a—it had a very good school system.<a title="">[8]</a> I should’ve mentioned that. When—when we moved here, my son was going into the fourth grade, and we—he went to a school right across from where we lived, practically, in St Pete. He could walk to school, and they had gotten into the new, uh—let the kid reach his potential, don’t push him, don’t push him.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>And…</p>
<p><strong>Unidentified<br /></strong>[<em>clears throat</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>I went and talked with the teacher about it, and—“Oh, Scott’s doin’ fine,” And it didn’t…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Seem to me that he was doin’ fine, and she said, “Oh, no, no. he’s fine.” Well, when we got here, he had teachers like Ms. [Margeurite] Partin.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Partin Elementary [School] was named after her, and she was a wonderful teacher.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>And Ms. Gore, and s—same teachers that taught Ben Ward, and Bob Ward—that group. They were still there, and she went to work on Scott and brought him up to speed. He didn’t—he didn’t even know his multiplication tables, and [<em>laughs</em>]…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Does now [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>And all of the kids here did, but she—she put him to work on ‘em and you[?]—he learned real quick[sic], and caught up, and did alright, But it—it was just a great place to raise your kids, and, uh, I—I just can’t say enough about the—the town and about—about the guy that really got it goin’.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Ben Ward.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>I think so too.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>You get the chance to give him a plug—he’s long gone. his wife still lives here in Ovi—in, uh, Mead Manor, and his kids—he has one—one kid that lives in Tuscawilla and the rest of ‘em are scattered around.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Tuscawilla was not here at all when we moved here.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Well, it was too. It was one road…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[inaudible].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Called Dyson Road<a title="">[9]</a> comin’ off of, uh, Tuskawilla Road—Dyson—and they had…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Dyson, yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>They—they just started developing a few lots there. That’s a beautiful sub—one of my favorite subdivisions. The area is Tuscawilla.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Mm, what kinds of things has Blackwood Construction [Corporation] done?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>We did primarily single-family and, uh, small commercial. We did, uh, dental office for Bob Beleren over in Winter Springs[, Florida], and that sort of thing, but we built over 500—we’ve got—I think we got…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>563 [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Well, some of ‘em weren’t—some of ‘em in the recent years have just been small jobs…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>And Lutheran Haven. mention Lutheran Haven.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Yeah, we did—we built most of Lutheran Haven projects out of, uh—duplexes.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>You’ve probably passed Lutheran Haven on your way in. Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Could be…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Hm.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>I’m not sure.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[inaudible].</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>I’m really not that familiar [<em>laughs</em>]…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>It’s a big Lutheran church, and they—it has a retirement for us—little du—duplexes.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Its’ a…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Its’ a…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>And a—and a, uh, nursing home now. Uh, we could even—if you’ve got time, I’ll drive you all over. show you—show you a little bit of Oviedo.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Okay [<em>laughs</em>], Thank you.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Don’t want to live here? [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Yeah [<em>laughs</em>]. Um, I actually moved to Orlando from St. Pete for the same reasons.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Oh, my goodness.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Oh, really?</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>To get my son in a better school.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Aww.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Aw, really?</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Yeah, I don’t…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Well, you know, we thought the schools there were just great, ‘til we moved here.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Well, I didn’t think they were great, because I didn’t think our—our boy was learning anything.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Yeah, well…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>And—and another thing, uh, we got caught up right in the Civil Rights [Movement]—we—you know where Bay Vista Elementary [School] is?</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>We lived within a block of Bay Vista, at that time, and the kids walked to school, and it was a fairly new school then, and, uh, eh, I think, 11 or—yeah, she was in the fifth grade when all the civil rights—and they started bussing kids, and she got bussed to the school right in the middle of St.—black school in the middle of St. Pete.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>I don’t remember what the school was—the— the name of the school.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>I don’t remember.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>But [<em>laughs</em>] it—it, uh—it was only for that one year, and she got along fine.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Yeah, she did.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>She didn’t have any problems, but…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>She—she made some good friends there.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>It just didn’t make sense to take kids that [<em>laughs</em>] could walk to school and pay a bus to drive them somewhere else.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>] It was probably a good experience.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Well, you [inaudible]—how—how long did you live in St. Pete?</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Uh, five or six years.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>You weren’t born there then?</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>No.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>From when to when?</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Uh, it was recent. I’ve been in Orlando for three years.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Three years?</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Oh, well, you saw—you’ve seen the downtown area really change.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Yes, it has [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>We—we—I graduated on Saturday night, and we packed up everything, and we had. I met Sue at [the University of] Florida her—her senior year [<em>laughs</em>], and…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Just about.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>And, uh, we packed up everything. We—we got married, uh, my last semester there. we got married, and she’d graduated the semester ‘fore I did. She’s smarter than I am.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>And we moved to St. Pete on Sunday, and I started work Monday. I was, uh—I worked as a city planner for 14 years ‘fore I came here.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Wow. What kind of things did you do?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>What kind of work?</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Well, uh, we—are—are you—if you’re familiar with the parks system in Oviedo—just to give you an example—uh, in, uh, St. Pete, um—Southside Park—you know the 40-acre park down Lakewood Elementary [School]?</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>And all of that? That was a plan that we came up with. Oh, oh—we developed a five-year pl—plan. We had a great city manager named Lynn [H.] Andrews, from about the time I went there until he left in ‘69, and he had a—a capital improvement program—a five-year, capital improvement program, and every year, they would, uh, budget certain projects, and at the end of the year, you’d see if the money was spent right on those projects [inaudible]. He—he’d project the five years another year, but he adjusted every year during that five years, and, uh, he built the, uh—had the, uh—Bayfront Center was built, the museum downtown, the waterfront—the city park of the waterfront, Northeast Park, there was all developed while he was there. The pier—inverted pier—was built, and I was all part of all that, and it was just interesting and fun, until he left, and we got another manager, and I just did not enjoy working anymore.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Oh.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>That’s how I happened to come here.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>I think that was the time to come here.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>What was civil rights like in St. Pete? What was your experience with it?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Well, uh, my main experience—it was no problem. 16<sup>th</sup> Street was kind of, uh—they[?] had their riots and things during the time.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>They still do [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood</strong> [<em>laughs</em>] And my main memory of it—and this was why Lynn Andrews left St. Petersburg. I’m sure. In ‘68 or ‘69 when they, um, allowed public employees to be unionized—the garbage department became unionized, and they went on strike one year, and Mr. Andrews, uh, negotiated with ‘em and got ‘em back—not a big break in service. The very next year, they went on strike again, and he—on Monday morning, they didn’t show up for work. the whole garbage department didn’t show up for work, and he gave them an ultimatum. He said that “Anyone that’s not back on the job by Thursday of this week will be permanently terminated—all benefits and everything.” Well, they—the union didn’t believe him, I guess, because a big percent—some did come back. Within a week he had completely re-staffed that from people from Georgia—different people looking for jobs. He completely re-staffed the garbage department, and a lot of employees lost their jobs, and from that point on, <em>The St. Pete Times</em> took up the position of the strikers. They marched on city hall every day, and he didn’t yield. It’s kinda like Ronald Reagan and, uh—and the, uh, uh, air [traffic] controller strike. You’re probably too young to even remember that. </p>
<p><strong>All<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>But he did the same thing, and, um, from that day on, anything that, that Lynn Andrews did—and I was privy to what was going on there, he would be lambasted in <em>The St. Pete Times</em> for it, and after about, uh, a year of that he, uh—he went back to Tex—he came to St. Pete from San Antonio, Texas, as the city manager, and he went back as the city manager of, uh, Austin, Texas. When he came to St. Pete, he brought his finance director, um, his assistant city manager, and the budget director—was, uh—that group came. When he left, they all went with him, except one, and he left the city and went to work for First Federal [Bank of Florida].</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Wow, That’s impressive. Keeping your staff with you.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>And they were good, good men, weren’t they?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Good men, all of ‘em. yeah, Smart men. I often said. If he’d of run for president. I woulda…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>I woulda—he—he was firm, but he was fair, But, uh, no. We—we love St. Pete. We go back every now and then, when we get a chance. [inaudible]…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>How many people weren’t up there anymore?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Yeah, most of my old buddies are gone. [<em>laughs</em>]. Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>It’s still a lovely place to visit.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Yeah, and the downtown is so—with the waterfront—is so nice now.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>You know, I went down for a job interview, and Sue went with me, and that was before we were married. I went—I got a summer job there, and, uh [<em>laughs</em>], we drove into St Pete from—came down 30—34th Street, turned left on Central [Avenue] and got downtown, and I—we—this was in April.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>We saw nothin’ but green benches and gray heads, and that’s quite a shock comin’ from Gainesville.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>From Gainesville, yeah, where everybody’s young to…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Where everybody’s young.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>To where everybody’s old.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>] but it was a good place to live.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>It—yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[inaudible].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>It—it—it had something for everybody then, but the majority—I think 25 percent of the population then was 65 or older. It had, uh—I knew at the time, the population was 180 thousand when, uh, we moved there, and I think it was about 22 5[thousand] when we left. I don’t know what it is now, but it had pretty well built out. There wasn’t much developable land in St. Pete, other than up and around Whedon’s[sic] Island area.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>What part of St. Pete did you live in?</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Um, I lived on First Avenue North and 25th Street. So…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>25th Street? [inaudible].</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Almost downtown.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Uh huh, al—yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>We lived almost downtown when we first moved there.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>We had a little garage apartment, uh…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Right near the hos—near Mound[?] Park Hospital.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>No, no. our garage apartment was, uh, up on the Northside.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Oh, that one?</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>About 26th Avenue North, and then we—we bought a, um—an old, 50-year-old apartment building down on 11th Avenue South, and I could walk to work from there—to City Hall, and we—we moved in— fixed up one unit and moved in it, and as a tenant left, we’d remodel that tenant[sic]—that unit and fix it up. Made a nice place.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Was your son…</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>Oh.</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Born there?</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>Uh, he was born in Clearwater. I lived in Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>Oh.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>You ever heard of Fred Marquis?</p>
<p><strong>Dobson<br /></strong>I don’t think so.</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>He was county manager there in Pinellas County for 25 years, I guess. I think he set a record for it, but he…</p>
<p><strong>Suzanne<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Blackwood<br /></strong>He—he was a planner, uh, with, uh—in St. Pete with me [<em>coughs</em>]. He came there right out of graduate school, and, uh, worked there, and we became good friends, but I hadn’t been in touch with him for years. Uh, he’s—he’s—he’s since retired.</p>
<div><br /><div>
<p><a title="">[1]</a> Bernard.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[2]</a> University of Florida.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[3]</a> Present-day University of Central Florida.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[4]</a> Florida Technological University.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[5]</a> Scott Blackwood.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[6]</a> Suzanne A. Blackwood.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[7]</a> Mead Manor.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[8]</a> Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS).</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[9]</a> Correction: Dyson Drive.</p>
</div>
</div>
11th Avenue
16th Street
1st Avenue
25th Street
34th Street
Alafaya Woods
Anden Group
Bay Vista Elementary School
Bayfront Center
Ben Ward, Jr.
Bernard O. Blackwood
Bernie Blackwood
Bill Martin
Blackwood Construction Corporation
Bob Beleren
Bob Ward
bussing
Central Avenue
Central Florida Research Park
Charles N. Millican
Charles Norman Millican
city managers
city planners
civil rights
Civil Rights Movement
colleges
construction
demonstrations
desegregation
Division Street
Downtown St. Petersburg
Dyson Drive
educators
Eleventh Avenue
First Avenue
Florida State Road 426
Florida Technological University
Frank Wheeler
Fred Marquis
FTU
Garden Grove
Gore
Habanero's Mexican Grill
integration
Joe Gomez
John Evans
labor
labor rights
land development
Lutheran Haven
Lynn H. Andrews
Marguerite Partin
Mead Drive
Mead Manor
neighborhoods
Northeast Park
Oviedo
Oviedo Land Group
Oviedo Oaks
Oviedo Office Park
Partin Elementary School
Phil Gorey
Pinellas County
professors
protesters
protests
public employees
race relations
real estate
residential developments
riots
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan
Roy Clontz
Saint Petersburg
school bus
school buses
schools
Scott Blackwood
SCPS
Seminole County Public Schools
Sixteenth Street
Southside Park
SR 426
St. Pete
St. Petersburg
strikers
strikes
subdivisions
Sue Blackwood
Suzanne A. Blackwood
teachers
The St. Petersburg Times
Tiger Station
Tom Phillips
Tuscawilla
Tuskawilla Road
Twin Rivers
UCF
unionization
unions
universities
university
University of Central Florida
Westwood Square
Whispering Oaks
Windmill Farms
-
https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/files/original/9d752cd3aa575d9fec8b61845098d41a.pdf
8029e7962c673e092163f97adfd6ad89
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
UCF Community Veterans History Project Collection
Description
As part of RICHES of Central Florida, UCF intends to record, archive, and make accessible oral history interviews of Central Florida veterans. Diversity is a main focus for this project since there are many different subgroups under the group veterans, all with important stories. While the histories will be largely archived and made available through the UCF library, a portion will be contributed to the ongoing Veterans History Project based out of the Library of Congress.
Contributor
<a href="http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/" target="_blank">Special Collections and University Archives</a>, University of Central Florida Libraries, University of Central Florida
Alternative Title
CVHP Collection
Subject
Veterans--Florida
United States. Army
Army
United States. Navy
Navy
United States. Air Force
Air Force
United States. Marine Corps
Marine Corps
Is Part Of
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>.
Language
eng
Type
Collection
Coverage
Jacksonville, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Honolulu, Hawaii
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Great Lakes, Illinois
Long Island, New York
Newport, Rhode Island
Norfolk, Virginia
Germany
Qaasuitsup, Greenland
Keflavik, Southern Peninsula, Iceland
Azores Islands, Portugal
Mediterranean Sea
Contributing Project
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
<a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>, UCF Digital Collections, University of Central Florida
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
Source Repository
<a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>, UCF Digital Collections, University of Central Florida
External Reference
"<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/" target="_blank">About the Project</a>." UCF Community Veterans History Project, RICHES of Central Florida, University of Central Florida. http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/.
Has Part
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/109" target="_blank">Lone Sailor Navy Memorial History Project Collection</a>, UCF Community Veterans History Project, RICHES of Central Florida.
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewer
Young, Mary Hughes
Interviewee
Levine, Lawrence "Larry" Paul
Location
University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
Original Format
1 audio/video recording
Duration
41 minutes and 6 seconds
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
Oral History of Lawrence Paul Levine
Alternative Title
Oral History, Levine
Subject
Veterans--Florida
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Air Force
Description
An oral history interview of Lawrence Paul Levine (b. 1947), who enlisted in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) in August of 1966, just after being drafted into the U.S. Army. Levine was born in Rochester, New York, on June 8, 1947. He served in Europe during the Vietnam War, until he was discharged on August 31, 1970. Levine received a Good Conduct Medal for his service.<br /><br />This oral history interview was conducted by Mary Hughes Young on April 1, 2014. Interview topics include Levine's background, his enlistment in the Air Force and drafting into the U.S. Army, basic and advanced training, being stations in Europe, getting married voerseas, returning to the U.S. after being discharged, and his life as a civilian afterward.
Table Of Contents
0:00:00 Introduction<br />0:00:32 Background<br />0:02:38 Draft and enlistment<br />0:06:42 Basic training at Lackland Air Force Base<br />0:10:06 Sharpshooting and career assignment<br />0:13:52 Advanced training at Amarillo Air Force Base<br />0:21:16 Assignment in Europe<br />0:26:55 Relationships with other servicemen and assignments<br />0:30:15 Getting married overseas<br />0:31:09 Rank and discharge<br />0:33:30 Life after service<br />0:36:28 Treatment from civilians<br />0:37:29 How service affected civilian life<br />0:39:15 Closing remarks
Abstract
Oral history interview of Lawrence Paul Levine. Interview conducted by Mary Hughes Young at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida.
Type
Moving Image
Source
<a href="http://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/259/" target="_blank">Levine, Lawrence Paul</a>. Interviewed by Mary Hughes Young. April 1, 2014. Audio/video record available. <a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/VET/id/277/rec/1" target="_blank">Item DP0014898</a>, UCF Community Veterans History Project, Orlando, Florida.
Requires
<a href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/" target="_blank">Adobe Flash Player</a>
<a href="http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp" target="_blank">Java</a>
<a href="https://get.adobe.com/reader/" target="_blank">Adobe Acrobat Reader</a>
Is Part Of
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>, Orlando, Florida.
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/92" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project Collection</a>, RICHES of Central Florida.
Has Format
Digital transcript of original 41-minute and 6-second oral history: <a href="http://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/259/" target="_blank">Levine, Lawrence Paul</a>. Interviewed by Mary Hughes Young. April 1, 2014.
Conforms To
Standards established by the <a href="http://www.loc.gov/vets/" target="_blank">Veterans History Projects</a>, Library of Congress.
Coverage
Rochester, New York
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Providence, Rhode Island
Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas
Amarillo Air Force Base, Amarillo, Texas
McGuire Air Force Base, Burlington County, New Jersey
Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany
Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter, South Carolina
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
Creator
Levine, Larry
Young, Mary Hughes
Publisher
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
Date Created
2014-04-01
Date Copyrighted
2014-04-01
Format
video/mp4
application/pdf
Extent
353 MB
224 MB
Medium
41-minute and 6-second audio/video recording
28-page digital transcript
Language
eng
Mediator
History Teacher
Civics/Government Teacher
Geography Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Mary Hughes Young and Larry Levine and published by <a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>.
Rights Holder
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
Accrual Method
Item Creation
Contributing Project
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/veterans/" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
<a href="http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/VET" target="_blank">UCF Community Veterans History Project</a>, UCF Digital Collections, University of Central Florida
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
Source Repository
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
External Reference
Herring, George C. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5126110" target="_blank"><em>America's Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975</em></a>. New York: Wiley, 1979.
Transcript
<p><strong>Unidentified<br /></strong>Recording.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Today [<em>clears throat</em>] is April the 1<sup>st</sup>[, 2014]. I am Mary Hughes Young, and I am interviewing Lawrence Paul Levine.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Right.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Who served in the U.S. Air Force [<em>sniffs</em>]. Um, This is part of the University of Central Floride—Florida’s Community Veterans History Project, and we’re recording this interview at University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. Okay. Larry, tell me first about when and where you were born.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I was born in Rochester, New York, in 1947.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. And did you live there for all of your educational years?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Uh, primarily, yes. Yes. I, uh, graduated college in Rochester also, after the—after my service.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Uh, do you have brothers or sisters?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes. I have two brothers.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Two. So there were three of…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes. There were three of us in the family.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Where were you in the birth order?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Uh, I’m the oldest.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>The oldest? Okay. What did your parents do for a living?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Well, my father had a number of different jobs. Uh, He was a bread salesman for Thomas’ English Muffins for a while, and then worked for a supermarket chain as one of their managers of one of their stores. Um, my mother was pretty much of a stay-at home mom. Um, She became very si—very sick, um, at a very young age and—and passed away at a very young age also. Uh…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. And how old were you when she passed away?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I was, uh, 20.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>20? Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>21.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh, Were any of your family members or extended members in the military?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes. My father—my father was. He was in World War II. He, uh, was an in-flight radio operator in—at that time, was the Army Air Corps, uh, which then became the Air Force. Uh, in-flight radio operator and served over in India, going back from Karachi to Calcutta, India.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Uh, tell me about your education before you went into the military.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Well, I, um, graduated high school in 1964. Uh, was accepted to Brown University, um, in Providence, Rhode Island. [<em>clears throat</em>] Finished one year there, and then my mother became very ill, and I had to come back home, which led me into the next phase of my life of being in the—in the military. Um, so that was prior to me going into the service.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Uh, And why did you decide to go into the military?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Well, uh, because I came back home and had to help the family out. Uh, during that time, it was the Vietnam War, obviously—back in the—in the [19]60s. Um, in all honestly, I was ultimately drafted.</p>
<p>Now, there was a[sic] interesting—very interesting story that leads up to that. Um, When I came back home, I went to work for the U.S. Customs Service. My background is primarily: I was going to school in business and accounting, and I was fortunate enough to get a job [<em>clears throat</em>] with the U.S. Bureau of Customs [and Border Protection] in Rochester. Uh, went to work for them full-time. Did a number of j—jobs for them, primarily in the accounting area, and also, uh, did a few clearances of planes and—and ships and that system, where I need to, in that particular area. But I worked in the, um, government, uh—in the state office building—actually, it was a Federal building. It wasn’t even a state. It was a Federal building, because it was U.S. Customs.</p>
<p>And, uh, the draft board was right downstairs from my offices. And I became very friendly with a number of the different people who worked in the draft board, and informed them of my situation: that, uh, I was eligible for the draft, because I wasn’t going to school full-time. I was going to school part-time. Uh, they had informed me at that particular time that, “No—no worries. No problems.” That, uh, I would be safe, because I knew everybody there. And low- and behold, before I knew it, my letter from Uncle Sam came and said I was drafted.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>So I went back to the [<em>laughs</em>]—to the, uh, draft board and said, “What happened here?” And their excuse was, “Oh, we’re sorry. It got by us,” and everything like that. So, um, in ess—in essence, I was drafted, but before I was drafted, I enlisted in the Air Force.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Um, and was this before the lottery was in effect?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No. The lottery was in effect, if I’m not mistaken. Um, the—there was a lottery, and I had a pretty, pretty low lottery number.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Meaning that I was very eligible for the draft. Uh, I wasn’t going to Canada. I wasn’t going any place, but I was informed again by the draft board that I’d be safe. And, uh, low and behold, I wasn’t.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Because of the work you were doing?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No. It’s just that—because I knew people at the draft board, who said if they saw my name come up, they would pull it [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Oh, okay. Okay. Well, how did you feel about being drafted then? Um, was it—was it…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Concerned.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>A big shock?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Concerned.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Shock. Uh, the first thing, obviously, that came to my mind, was: <em>Well, if you’re drafted, then you’re going into the Army. And if you go in the Army, you are going to carry a gun. If you carry a gun, you’re going to go to Vietnam.</em> So, uh, when that—when that happened, obviously, the family was very concerned about it. And, uh…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And so—so…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>They didn’t want me to go. So I figured it would be best if I went into the Air Force.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Right. And so you signed up for the Air Force…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Right after you were drafted?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes. That’s correct.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>That’s correct.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And So your family was feeling</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Uh…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Concerned about the situation too?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>They were more concerned, obviously, during that whole period of time, but not as concerned if I allowed myself to be drafted in the Army.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Into the Army. Okay. How about your, uh peers? You friends or girlfriend? How did they feel about you going into the military?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Uh, my friends were kind of like, <em>Better you than me</em>, at that particular time. Uh, I’m sure most people realized that was not the greatest time in our history for the military. Most people were looked down on in going into the military. Uh, I had some tough experiences myself with that particular situation. Uh, my girlfriend, at the time, was pretty much—said, “If you are going into the military, then I’m not waiting around for you, so,” [<em>laughs</em>] “I’m—I’m gone.”</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>As if you had a choice, right? [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yeah. As if I had a choice. Right. Right.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Uh, well, now you’re in the Air Force.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And where did you do your basic training?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Uh, Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. I was there in August of 1966.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. And, uh, what were your expectations of— being in the, uh—in basic training? Did you—did you have any idea of what was going—what it was going to be like?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No. I had an idea, but I didn’t—I didn’t think it would be as bad as it really was. Uh, I was in good shape at the time, okay?</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh huh.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Weighed a lot less than I do now. And, um, expected it to be a little different, uh, physically and mentally. Uh, The aspects of basic training are obviously to get you in a situation to where you are able to accept orders, and you’re able to—be able to do things when they’re—when you’re told to do them. And, uh, I accepted that without any problem. It’s just—there’s a little more physical on my body than I had anticipated.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Can you elaborate a little bit on that?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yeah. The marching…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>What was a typical day like?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>The typical day is we get up at like five in the morning—4:30-5 o’clock in the morning, and we’d have to make our bunks and get everything straightened away for the day. We go to me—the mess hall, where we had breakfast. And that was one of the things that surprised me, because we just didn’t take our time in—in being able to eat breakfast. We were given a certain amount of time to get in line, eat our breakfast, and get ready to go outside. It was a lot shorter than I had anticipated. So, uh, my eating habits had to change very quickly, because of that.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Hm.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Uh, after that, we would do either calisthenics or marching. Um, go to the gun range, which kind of surprised me, because I didn’t think I would be shooting a gun. Uh, had qualified in the—in the gun range.</p>
<p>And had different classes on just general military, um—you know, the way of life of a—of a person in the military. Uh, Things—how to handle yourself, how to be able to, uh, you know, again, take orders, and anything that had to do with the military. Military history, all of that.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. And this—how long was your basic training? How many weeks?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Uh, wow. You see, I—that—I, uh—I want to say eight weeks.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Eight weeks? Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>But it might be a little bit longer than that. I mean, that’s 40—what? 40—safe[sic] —48 years ago. And [<em>laughs</em>]…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>[inaudible]. I really didn’t wanna do any…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>It’s not for everybody[?].</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Research on that.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>You know there’s an end to it.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>It’s not gonna be forever.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>That’s absolutely correct.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Um, what were your instructors like?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>[<em>sniffs</em>] I thought the meanest people in the world, okay? They didn’t take any—they didn’t take anything from anybody.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh huh.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Um, which is what they were supposed to do. You were supposed to be there to listen to them. Them—they were, um, NCOs [non-commissioned officers], which is, uh, the equivalents of sergeants, okay? They were not officers, although the heads—some different, um, sections were—were officers—captains and—and, uh, lieutenants and that. But, um, you know…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>[inaudible].</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I realized after a while, that they were doing their job, and that if they were soft on us, and if we became—a situation, which we got involved in, we couldn’t be soft either. So the, um—they did their job, and I think they did it—looking back on it, I think they did a good job on ‘em.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Uh, let’s back up a minute.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Sure.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>You said you didn’t think you’d have to shoot a gun</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>But you did.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Right.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And I think I noticed on your paper that you were, uh, a sharpshooter.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yeah. I surprised myself, to be honest with you.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Had you ever shot a gun before?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. So…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>You adapted to that well.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I adapted to it. Yeah. Well…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Which again, kind of concerned me. In effect, if I’m a sharpshooter, they might do something with me, other than what I wanted to do [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Did you receive, uh, any advanced, specialized training?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Not at that time. No. When we, uh—Just To—to go back a little bit, uh, historically, what led up to this: when I enlisted in the—in the Air Force—and I— don’t mean to take away what you’re—you—the questions you are asking—uh, I had to take a battery of tests…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>To determine where I was best fit for the Air Force. Uh, and, at that time, I was—I—I actually scored highest in the administrative area. It was like electronics, administrative, mechanical, uh—those I think—and—and just basic—basic air. So I scored highest in administrative, which I assumed that I would, because that was pretty much my background and what I wanted to do.</p>
<p>However, at the time that I went in, and—there were no openings in the administrative field. So I said, “Well, if you don’t have anything in the administrative area, send me home. I don’t—I don’t need to come then.”</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>They said, “No. that doesn’t work that way, okay? Now, you’re going to be in the electronics field.” I said, “Okay. Electronics.” “Yeah. You know, putting wires together and all this kind of stuff. Wherever you’re needed in electronics.” You know, that’s a wide area, obviously. I said, “Okay.” and they gave me another battery of tests, and one of the tests was called the Ishihara [Color] Test—and I’m not sure if you’re fa—familiar with that? That’s the one where they have the numbers that are embedded in the different colors, so that if you’re looking at it, it is to determine if you are colorblind or not.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Oh.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Well, I really botched that up big time. I think I only got two numbers out of all of them that they showed me. I just couldn’t pick out the different numbers in the blocks of different colors. So they sat back and they said “Well, hm. If you can’t pick out the numbers, how are you going to put a red wire together with a green wire or with a blue wire, and make sure it’s running properly? So you can’t go into electronics.” So I said, “Good. Send me home.” They said, “No. it doesn’t work that way.”</p>
<p>I said, “Well, how about administrative again?” “No. we still don’t have any openings.” “Okay. So now what?” “Well, we’re going to give you your choice of what you want to do, Okay? This is the career that you’re going to have in the Air Force.” One: You can become a cook, okay? Number two: you can become a parachute rigger, okay? Putting together the parachutes for the pilots and [inaudible]. Three: you can be an air policeman, because you did qualify that [inaudible]. Or four: you can be an airframe repair specialist.</p>
<p>So I sat back and I thought, <em>Well, I could kill everybody with my cooking</em>, because I couldn’t cook very well, okay? <em>If I became a parachute rigger, god forbid if a parachute didn’t open when the pilot jumped out of the plane or whatever[?], I’d probably kill somebody that way. </em>Air police? I says[sic], <em>Nah. I’m not big enough to be a good air </em>policeman, you know? I could direct traffic, but that would probably be all that I could do. So that left me with airframe repair, okay? So that’s where we’re back—that’s where—that’s a little bit about the background on my next point after basic training.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. So in basic training, you get your assignments?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Exactly.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And you were assigned to be an air…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Airframe Repair.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Airframe Repair? Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>That’s exactly correct.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. So that’s working on the outside of the airplane.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Uh, It could be the inside too.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Oh, okay. Anything to do with the frame of an airplane?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Right.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay, but, um—so where were you assigned after basic training?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I was assigned after basic training to advanced training at Amarillo Air Force Base—Texas also. I really didn’t leave Texas for my basic training and my advance training. And this was strictly was airframe repair now.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Okay? This was how—to teach me how to be, uh, an airframe repairman.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I have two left hands, so you can imagine</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>What it was like to be in Airframe Repair School [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. And—so how long where you in</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Uh…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Airframe training?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Six months, actually.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Six months? Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Almost six months. It was—yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And What was your impression of this a—assignment?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I thought it would be just going to school, But unfortunately, it wasn’t. It was an extension of the basic training, only, to be honest with you, worse. First of all, the weather in Amarillo, Texas, was horrible. I was there during the wintertime, and it was cold and freezing, and we were doing calisthenics outside and we were running, and we were marching. And I said, <em>This isn’t supposed to be like this.</em> <em>This is like I’m supposed to learn how to work on airplanes, not</em> [<em>laughs</em>]—<em>not</em>—I said, “This was already done in basic training. Why do I—why do I gotta do that again?” “No, no, no.” And actually, they—they called them “TIs”—technical instructors—were worse in—in Airframe Repair School than they were in basic training. They were harder on us in—in, uh—in school.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>So…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>How many hours would you actually be in—in training for repairs?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>For repairs? It was about six to eight hours a day.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>So a long day?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yeah. It was just on the repair. Just on airframe repairs. That wasn’t—again, the calisthenics or the marching and everything else. So it was a full day.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. And did it start early…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Like in basic training?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Not as early, but pretty close.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Pretty close? Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>What did your duties entail as an airframe worker?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Well, again, there’s another story that goes along with that, okay?</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Tell it.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Uh,Well, in—in basic airframe repair, you do anything from sheet metal work to fiber glassing to, umm anything that has to do, again, with—with the frame. Ma—uh, making sure that the—that the actual plane itself is in good shape to fly, okay? From a sheet metal standpoint, and not the electronics standpoint. Obviously, that’s in another area.</p>
<p>But, uh—this—this, again, is a—is another story. I had two left hands, as—as I had mentioned. Uh, I couldn’t hit a hammer—nail with a hammer great, and they’re putting me on working on airplanes. Well, each part of the course was a different thing you did with an—with the airframe. Riveting was one area, sheet met—cutting out certain, uh, pieces on the plane was another area.</p>
<p>Uh, one of the areas that they had, they called them “blocks.” each one was a separate block, and what you did was you learned as part—as in the individual blocks was, uh, fiber glassing, okay? And how to fiberglass, how to use fiberglass, and how to be able to mold it on a plane were necessary things like that. I wish you could’ve seen me doing the fiberglass work. You’d—it’d—it’s a real comedy. It was a real comedy, a real joke.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>What was the, uh, difficulty in—in doing that? I don’t—I haven’t worked with fiberglass.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Well, it’s just mixing—mixing the ras—the resin together…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Oh, okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>So it’s the right consistency. Being able to lay out the sheets of fiberglass on there, and smooth it over, sand it down. All of these different areas are part of the—are part of the fiberglass work, okay?</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>So that—that—that’s—that was part of it. That was one of the blocks.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Alright. And there were other things, like riveting classes?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong> How to use a rivet gun properly. Um, All different types—all different of things on—on, Again, using sheet metal, and using—and repairing aircraft.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>What did you like best about that?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Nothing [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Nothing? Okay. So you kind of felt like you were a...</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I was a…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Round peg…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>In a square hole?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Exactly.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Exactly. I was not in the proper location.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>And unfortunately, the Air Force didn’t realize at the time, okay? They put me through it.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Were your instructors, um, understanding? Or…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Patient? Or…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>They pretty—they were pretty understanding, with the exception of the one from the fiberglass area, because, uh, I ultimately did not pass the test to move on to the next phase of the Airframe Repair School. So I actually had to take a complete week all over—or, em, two weeks, I believe, or three weeks. I had to take that all over again.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>All the fiberglass work?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes. The fiberglass portion. And the other ones I had passed…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh huh.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>But the fiberglass portion, I had a very difficult time with, and, uh, I had to take that part of the program all over again.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. And then you passed it?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. So now are you ready for the next, uh—for your next assignment?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Well, again, the reason—now, I was part of a group of students. My class, I think, was like 12 or 14 students in my class. Because I had failed the test, they moved on to the next phase, I had to wait until the next class came along to pick up with them, and to begin the fiberglass portion all over again.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Okay. Which I did. Uh, I think I had to wait a week before the next class came to the point that they were going to do the fiberglass…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Oh, okay. I see.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Block. So I waved goodbye to all of my fellow students. They had gone—they had gone on to the next phase, and started it, and started the next group. Which a second time I did pass, okay? So I finished and graduated tech school, at that point.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. So you only had to wait behind two weeks, and then do you catch up with your class again?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>No?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No. Then I’m involved with this next…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Your [inaudible]?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>New class. [inaudible].</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Did you go through all the training you did before?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No. No. I just picked it up from the fiberglass portion. I’m not sure if it was the third block or the second block. I really don’t remember.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh huh.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>But then I just proceeded on with that class. Now, as they had finished block one and block two…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Right.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>And they went into fiber glassing. I had finished one and two, and started in with them as part of my new class, and we continued on together.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. [inaudible].</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>So I had to meet all new students, and—and get involved with the new class.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Can you describe an event that wasn’t typical in this particular time of your training? You’re in the six months training now. Is there anything that happened that wasn’t typical of an everyday experience or—that you can think of?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mm. Not really. No. It was just pretty much—cou—can’t wait to get out and get an assignment type of situation. And, um, I—Like I said, I did the very best I can. I knew I had no choice, and, uh, I was able to pass and continue on. But it was pretty much the same routine. The only difference that we had was that we had, uh, leave on the weekends, and we were able to go into Amarillo, which There’s not much there. So we did have leave—we did have leave time then. It wasn’t like a seven days a week type of training.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.So not really anything memoral—memorable during this time?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Not really. No.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. So at six—when you finished that six-month training…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>What happened then?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>‘Nother interesting point. I guess—I guess I had more interesting points than I thought I did. When I, um, came out of my next—with my new class, my previous class had gone on. And of course. they graduated from the technical school before I did. They all got their orders, and the entire class got orders for Vietnam, okay? So if I was in that class, I would have ended up going to Vietnam, at the time. My situation was, when I graduated and I saw my orders posted, I got sent to Europe [<em>laughs</em>]. So…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>That’s interesting</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>It is. It was lu—very lucky. Uh…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>At that point, you weren’t too [inaudible] —too very sorry that you weren’t very adept to…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No. Not really. But of course, you know, that can change—that can change at any time also. But, uh, quite a relief on my family’s part, to say the least.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Right.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Um, It—it was—it was very, [<em>laughs</em>] very interesting time, believe me. So I was sent to Europe, uh, in what they called a “TDY outfit,” which was temporary duty assignments. Now, I was assigned to work on a [McDonnell Douglas] F-4 [Phantom II] aircraft. they called it the “phantom jet.” I worked on [McDonnell] F-101s [Voodoo], [Republic F-]105s [Thunderchief], uh, various different types of programs.</p>
<p>My basic job was to work on the outboard tanks and pylons. The pylons were, uh, the apparatus that held the bomb racks on. So we were working on putting on bomb racks on the different types of aircraft, and they would then go over to Vietnam.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Now…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>So you were specialized in your duties?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes. Yes. We were—we became specialized in our duties. Now, the government, at the time—again, we were set up as a temporary duty assignment. We had—had to go from base to base to work on these different aircraft. The government thought that it would be cheaper for us to travel in groups and work on these tanks and pylons, because the point of the—with these jets are: they had the jettison their outboard tanks and their pylon or bomb racks when they took off after their bombing runs. Because if they kept those on, it would add weight to the plane itself, in which case, they couldn’t get away—get away as quick, uh, without them. So they were continuously jettisoning these, and when they would come back to—to Europe, we’d have to refit them with new ones, and make—and—and get them all set up for them to go out again. Even though most of them were based right in Vietnam or Thailand and that[?], um, they still came for—for, uh, overall maintenance back to the, uh—back to Europe.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>So…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Where in Europe were you?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Okay. I was in, uh, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Libya, England, Spain, and my home base was in Germany, okay? That’s where we worked out of. We worked out of Rhein-Main [Air Base], Germany, in, uh, Frankfurt [am Main, Hesse, Germany], okay? So that’s where my main outfit was. It was Detachment 51.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. And that’s[sic] the ones you graduated with?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>[inaudible].</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Actually, some—Most of them—most of them did go on to that, but I think there were about six or seven that went to different, uh— areas, okay?</p>
<p>Uh, that’s another [<em>laughs</em>]—again, that’s another interesting point. Uh, When I flew over from, uh, New Jersey—McGuire Air Force Base. I left out of McGuire Air Force Base. It’s—it’s a funny story. There were like three planes lined up taking all of us over to Europe. There were two commercial airliners, and then there was what they called a “C-141 Galaxy.” And I said, “Oh, I’m going to go over to Europe in a nice, uh, airliner,” and I ended up going over on a military aircraft, sitting in the seats on the sides [<em>laughs</em>]. So it was kind of a bumpy ride over there.</p>
<p>But when I landed, my orders were to catch up with my unit in what they called—in a place called Chaumont[, Haute-Marne], France, okay? So I landed at Rhein-Main Air Force Base, Germany, caught a shuttle, uh—a military shuttle. Uh, it wasn’t a plane. It was a bus, alright? Down to Chaumont, France. Caught up with my, eh—with my group down there, okay? With my detachment down there. And I noticed as I went into—to the offices to report in, that they’re packing up everything. And I went and signed in, and I said to the desk sergeant or whatever his name was, “What—what’s going on,” okay? “I was told to report here.” They said, “Well, we’re leaving.” I said, “Why are you leaving?” Well, at that time, France was not in the best, you know, of friends with the—with the United States. And, uh, this is part of the NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] Pact, and we were—we were leaving out of France. And I said, “Oh,” I said, “So we’re not going to stay in France?” “No.” “Well, where are we going?” He said, “Rhein-Main Air Force Base in Germany.” I said, “Wait a minute. I just came from there.” [<em>laughs</em>] I said, “I just took a bus and came from Rhein-Main.”</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Going to your official[?] [inaudible].</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>“Why didn’t anybody tell—why didn’t anybody tell me that I was going to go back to—I would never have left I would have waited for ya there.” Well, as it turned out, we went—we went back to Rhein-Main, and, um, set up shop there, and, uh, proceeded to travel all over Europe, and—and working on these tanks and pylons and—and getting them set, so that they—we can put ‘em on the planes, and they can take off.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Did you have a schedule for where you would be and…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>How…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes. We had orders every—every time. Uh…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And how did that work? Or—or did you not know ahead of time?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Um, when we finished one assignment, we’d come back for a while, and, uh, work around…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Always back to Germany?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Back to Germany. Right.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>And then get our—get our next assignment when we were told to go out…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Again.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>What was your relationship with the oth—other service personnel that you worked directly with on the pylons?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Oh, we, uh—we had a good relationship. I mean, we were a unit. We pretty much hung around together. Uh, when we had time, we played softball, uh, on—in a league on base. And again, I was a lot, a lot thinner [<em>laughs</em>] back then. And, uh, we had—we had a good time. I mean, it was pretty much a regular eight-hour day, okay? Uh, if—whether or not it was at the—at the base that we were at, or at our home base in Germany.</p>
<p>There was—every once in a while, we had assignments. Outside of our unit, was the, uh, uh Boeing 707—I think it was, um, at the time. It was the General of the Air Force’s plane, uh, of Europe</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Okay. Uh, [inaudible]. It was the General’s plane—his personal plane—was out there. Actually, come to think of it now, it was the [Boeing] KC-135 [Stratotanker] —was—which was an inflight re-fueler, where those, you know—the planes come up to it, and they drop the boom in that. Well, this was a converted KC-135 for the General. Really nice, nice plane. And we had work on that every once in a while, changing some things, and, you know, making sure that everything was okay.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>When you were, uh, at base, or on these assignments, were you always busy? Or were there times that you didn’t—were waiting for the next assignment?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Uh, No. We were busy most of the time. We were busy most of the time. I mean, once again, it was pretty much and eight-hour day, and when we were done, we had—we were free to do whatever we wanted. It was just, uh, like a normal job, except we worked [inaudible]…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. But there wasn’t a lot of just sit around and wait?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No, no, no, no.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. How did you stay in touch with your family and friends back home?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Well, at that time, I was—there—there was no such thing as Skype, or, uh, e-mail, and things like that. So it was pretty much by letter. Just by regular letter. Sna—snail mail.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Snail mail.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh, do you believe you were well-trained for your assignment?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>As best as they could, considering what they had to deal with [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh, did you always have the equipment and the supplies that you needed…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>To do your job?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes. That—that we had no trouble—we had no trouble with.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And you mentioned you played softball.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>How else did you entertain yourself when you weren’t on duty?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mm. Well, I’d say drink [<em>laughs</em>]. Um, Just going to different, uh—go to the USO [United Service Organization] over there, and saw stag shows, and had one—one or two beers—four or five.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Was there a USO show that was particularly memorable?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes. The Platters. The original Platters were there. And, um, I—I liked them from the beginning, and I was very fortunate to meet ‘em, and, uh, listen—they put on a great show.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh huh.Was that in Germany? Or in one of your other assignments?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No. That was in Germany.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>It was in Germany [<em>sniffs</em>]. But When I—I was in Spain, uh, over one of the New Year’s [Eve]. I was in, uh, Madrid, Spain, and got and to see a flamenco show there. A real, real flamenco show, which was pretty good.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Did you take advantage of any, uh, sightseeing, or…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Oh, yes.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Or tours…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>When you were there?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. That would be entertaining [inaudible]</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Actually, um, I got married while—while I was overseas.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh huh.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>And my wife was in the States. She was a—she was an American. She was German—born German, but, um, I married—I got married. And she was able to come over to Europe and get a job in Germany, while I was gone. Fortunately enough, she, um, uh spoke German. So she was able to get around the economy very nicely while I was gone, because I was gone most of the time.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh huh.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>But it was nice to have her over there. And when—when I was back there, we were able to travel around.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Oh, nice.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>We were able to go to Holland,<a title="">[1]</a> and, uh, visit a lot of Germany. Go around—go around Germany.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>That’s a—that’s very, uh—very nice thing to have happened…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>While you’re</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Young, and, uh—and not a lot of money…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Right. Exactly.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>You cantravel around on…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Exactly.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh, Uncle Sam’s dime.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh, when were you—tell me about your ranking and how that—and how you…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Well, actually, I became a sergeant.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>You ended up a staff sergeant.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Uh, pardon me?</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>You ended up as a staff sergeant. I saw on your…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yeah. It was a…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. You start off as a—tell me how that works.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Well, you just go in as an airman.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Okay. And then, at that time, it was, um, second class, first class, and sergeant.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Actually, I think I mis—misstated. Um, I was three stripes, which was considered a sergeant at the time.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh huh.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Okay. Four stripes is a staff sergeant, so…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I made three. If I had reenlisted, I probably would have gotten a fourth stripe.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Alright. So you ended up as a sergeant?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Right.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. And, um, when were you discharged from the military?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>August of 1970. When I rotated back from the States, I, uh, was stationed in, uh, Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina, which was about 7-8 months. So I lived in South Carolina, outside of Columbia.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And how long were you there?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I think it was 7-8 months. Something like that.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Seven—okay. Um, how did you feel once you were out of the military?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Relieved. Um, Glad I did what I did. Uh, kind of—Kind of upset as to what was going on, while I was in the military, back home with the individual tour—“pacifists,” I guess you call them—or against the war in Vietnam. I mean, I was not all in favor of what was going on, but, uh, when I did come home on leave at one time, uh, it was not ver— it was not a very good situation. I mean, we were—for all intents and purposes, we were spat at, at the airports, when we walked through. Nobody said, “Thank you for your service.” And, uh, they just didn’t like it. They didn’t like anybody in the military, or anybody in uniform. So that—that kind of part was tough.</p>
<p>Um, Again, I was relieved. But on the other hand, I felt that all of my friends—I was the only one of all my friends back in Rochester. I was the only one to go into the military, and felt that I was four years behind them in education and—and, um—and just getting on with my life. So, you know, it—both sides. I felt good with serving, but on the other hand, I felt that I lost some time.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Um, once you were out, what did you do?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>[<em>sniffs</em>] Another good, interesting situation. Uh, when I got out of the service, my wife became pregnant [<em>laughs</em>]. And, uh, it was probably from the week I got discharged [<em>laughs</em>]</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh huh.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>She—she got pregnant. In which case, if she got pregnant while we were in the military, the government would have paid for it. If she had given birth while I was in, the military would have paid for it.</p>
<p>But I, uh—when I got out of the service, my main goal was to get back to school. I wanted to get my degree in accounting and—and go on from there. But a little s—s—little turn of events when your wife becomes pregnant. Going to day school is pretty difficult. So I took a job. um, and again, I got out in August, and, uh, school was going to start in September, but I was gonna take—go to night school, okay? And—and get a job during the day. But until that time started, I went to work at McDonald’s, uh, slinging hamburgers. See, eh, eh, my memory’s coming back. I was going to go to day school.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh huh.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>So I wasn’t going to enroll until September, but I needed some—to get some income coming in, uh, for my wife and that. So I went to work at McDonald’s slinging hamburgers, which was not a great experience. Because here’s an older gentleman, who’s, uh, slinging hamburgers with a bunch of teenagers, and looking at me, thinking, <em>Boy, he must be a real loser if he’s doing this</em>, not knowing the situation. But I got the job in telling ‘em that I was going to—I wanted to go to school training to become a manager at McDonald’s. This is how I got the job. And, uh, the owner of the place said, “Okay.” He said, “But you—but in order to do that, you have to learn all the different areas of—of McDonald’s.” French fries, working on the grill, the clean-up, the whole bit. . I said, “Okay.” Well, that lasted about a week—week and a half—and I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I would come home smelling terrible from all the fat that was in the French fries. So that lasted maybe a week—week and a half.</p>
<p>But we managed. Um, and I did start going to school, but things got to a point where I just needed to get money. So I went—I was going back to night school. I went to night school, and got a job. Uh, at that time, [<em>sniffs</em>] I was working, I believe, at one of the local manufacturing companies in their finance department. I was working in their cost accounting department. Even though I didn’t have a degree, they—they put me on as—in a lower level type of position. But it was bringing in income, and I—I was able to go to school at night.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And where was this, Larry?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Rochester Institute of Technology.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Oh, you were back in…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yeah.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Back in New York<strong>.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I was back in Rochester. I went back to New York.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Were you—were there any G.I.<a title="">[2]</a> benefits</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>That you were able to take advantage of?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes. Absolutely. I was on the G.I. Bill.<a title="">[3]</a> Helped me pay for my schooling. Yes. Definitely.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. And so you’re working in the daytime and…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And going to school at night.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Right.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And, uh, we talked about how you were treated…</p>
<p>[<em>background noise</em>]</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>When you came home, and that, um, there was, um, uh, disrespect…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Dor you as a soldier. Now…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Right.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Was that set across the board every time you came home on leave? Or, uh, did you notice that when you would go to New York? Or when you would go—when you came back to South Carolina? Was there a difference in the way the local people treated you?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Not really. No. Not that I can remember. It was just an area that they didn’t go out of their way to—to do anything. More like they were trying to ignore us, then, um—like we were the—the plague.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Okay. And just no—no respect. No respect for anyone. And that’s what makes me feel so good now is that you’re seeing these, uh, individuals in the military, and people are giving them respect and thanking them for their service. So that’s one of the areas where I—I felt cheated out of also—is not getting the respect and that, because it was four years of my life, and that’s a long time.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>It is a long time, especially at that age.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Right. Exactly.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Uh, did your military experience affect your civilian life in any way?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I became more appreciative of life. Um, More appreciative of the things that I—that I was able to get, uh, of—of my family at the time. Because being away from them most of the—now fortunately, like I said, my wife was able to come with—to come with me over to Europe, but, uh, I missed my brothers and my—and my father. My mother had passed away prior to that, so, uh—but, yeah. Uh, a lot of things, uh—a lot of things that I was more appreciative of, at the time.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Do you think that you were more serious in your education than you would have been as a 20…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Most definitely. Most definitely. That’s a very good point. I looked at my education totally different. Uh, more—I—I was more involved with history. Um, I—I didn’t feel at the time—you see, there was a lot—a lot difference in going to school and being, pretty much, made to go to school, or that—that was the norm. You—you went to high school. You finished high school. You went to college and then you went on from there.</p>
<p>And because of the interruption, I looked at it from a different stand point that, you know, this is an opportunity. This is a great opportunity, and, uh, the government is helping me with this opportunity, through the G.I. Bill. I’m going to take full advantage of it. So I took full courses. And if anybody knows about Rochester, New York, and going to school at night in Rochester, New York, in the middle of winter is not easy. Okay. It was cold. It was freezing. It was snowing. But, uh, I had a family to support, and I wanted to be able to get my education, so Luckily, I was able to complete it.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Okay. Looking back on it all, can you describe about how you feel about your service? You said that you were glad you did it…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mmhmm. Mmhmm.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And anything else you want to add to that?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>No. Other—other than the fact that, um, I personally think that it makes a—a person better going into the military. And I for one, feel that it should be mandatory, because there’s a lot of kids that are going to—to education and that, because they don’t know what else to do.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And so you feel it…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Okay. And I think when they say it—when they say…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Gives them time to mature and…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I’m sorry. What’s that?</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>It gives them time to mature…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Absolutely.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And to learn…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Absolutely.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>A little about the world and…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>And to grow up…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And to grow up.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>And to grow up…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And to learn some discipline [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Yes. That’s the other area. That’s the other area. Like I said, so many don’t know what they want to do with themselves, and they end up in the military. Although they didn’t give me the opportunity to go in the direction that I wanted to. It certainly opened up my eyes to a lot of things. And one is independence. You know, being independent, being able to do things on your own, uh, washing your own clothes, making your own bed, uh, choosing the right things to do.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Did you become more adept to working with your hands?</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>I wish I could say yes [<em>laughs</em>].</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>[<em>laughs</em>] Some things you just can’t learn.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Some things that you—you have a difficult time doing. That’s correct. Um, I think I’m a little better with a hammer and nails now than I was. I wouldn’t go as far as work with any kind of sheet metal or anything, because I’m sure I would cut my fingers up in shreds, but Yeah. I think I’m a little bit better. I can—I can…</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>Well, Larry, I thank you for your service. And I thank you for this—for you doing this…</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Well, it was a pleasure.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>With us.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Very enjoyable. Very enjoyable.</p>
<p><strong>Young<br /></strong>And, uh, I enjoyed talking with you about it.</p>
<p><strong>Levine<br /></strong>Mmhmm. Thank you. Thank you.</p>
<div><br /><div>
<p><a title="">[1]</a> Formally called The Netherlands.</p>
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<p><a title="">[2]</a> Government Issue or General Issue.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a title="">[3]</a> Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944.</p>
</div>
</div>
Click to View (Movie, Podcast, or Website)
<a href="http://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/259/" target="_blank">Levine, Lawrence Paul</a>
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https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/files/original/c7d8a7e494694e243a45a41b972c7d8f.pdf
f4789631d253ca61c3d8ea5db3f76151
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida Collection
Alternative Title
Civil Rights Movement in Florida Collection
Subject
Civil rights--Florida
Civil rights movements--Florida
Description
Digitized items of the Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida, an exhibit created by Dr. Robert Cassanello and his students at the University of Central Florida. The exhibit chronicles both national and local events in the civil rights movements dating from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Curators for the exhibit were Joseph Corbett and Anne Ladyem McDiviitt. Assistant curators included Patrick Anderson, Laura Cepero, Jennifer Cook, Tanya Engelhardt, Jacob Flynn, William Franklin, Barbara Houser, Rustin Lloyd, Joshua Petitt, Lindsey Turnbull, and Jon Wolfe. Andrew Callovi was the graphic designer.
Contributor
Cassanello, Robert
<a href="http://www.floridamemory.com/photographiccollection/" target="_blank">Florida Photographic Collection</a>
<a href="http://www.harryharriettemoore.org/" target="_blank">Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex, Inc.</a>
<a href="http://www.loc.gov/" target="_blank">Library of Congress</a>
<a href="http://www.nypl.org/locations/schomburg%20target=">Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture</a>
<a href="http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/index_Researchers.cfm" target="_blank">State Library and Archives of Florida</a>
Language
eng
Type
Collection
Coverage
Brevard County, Florida
Cocoa, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Eatonville, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Groveland, Florida
Live Oak, Florida
Madison County, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami Gardens, Florida
Mims, Florida
Ocoee, Florida
Palatka, Florida
Rosewood, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tampa, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
Contributing Project
<a href="http://www.robertcassanello.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Robert Cassanello's</a> Spring 2011 Historiography Graduate Class
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
External Reference
"<a href="http://floridacivilrightsexhibit.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida</a>." The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida. http://floridacivilrightsexhibit.blogspot.com/.
Bartley, Abel A. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/41482161" target="_blank"><em>Keeping the Faith: Race, Politics, and Social Development in Jacksonville, Florida, 1940-1970</em></a>. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2000.
Brown, Canter. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44963696" target="_blank"><em>Florida's Black Public Officials, 1867-1924</em></a>. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1998.
Brown, Canter. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44963696" target="_blank"><em>Florida's Black Public Officials, 1867-1924</em></a>. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1998.
Colburn, David R. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/11133337" target="_blank"><em>Racial Change and Community Crisis: St. Augustine, Florida, 1877-1980</em></a>. New York: Columbia University Press, 1985.
Corsair, Gary. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/53097367" target="_blank"><em>The Groveland Four: The Sad Saga of a Legal Lynching</em></a>. [Bloomington, IN]: 1st Books, 2003.
Crooks, James B. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/53435227" target="_blank"><em>Jacksonville: The Consolidation Story, from Civil Rights to the Jaguars</em></a>. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2004.
D'Orso, Michael. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/33047183" target="_blank"><em>Like Judgment Day: The Ruin and Redemption of a Town Called Rosewood</em></a>. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1996.
Dunn, Marvin. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/49414756" target="_blank"><em>Black Miami in the Twentieth Century</em></a>. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1997.
Evans, Arthur S., and David R. Lee. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/21563352" target="_blank"><em>Pearl City, Florida: A Black Community Remembers</em></a>. Boca Raton: Florida Atlantic University Press, 1990.
Green, Ben. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/40403600" target="_blank"><em>Before His Time: The Untold Story of Harry T. Moore, America's First Civil Rights Martyr</em></a>. New York, NY: Free Press, 1999.
Greenbaum, Susan D. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/47965343" target="_blank"><em>More Than Black: Afro-Cubans in Tampa</em></a>. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2002.
McCarthy, Kevin. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/74987559" target="_blank"><em>African American Sites in Florida</em></a>. Sarasota, Fla: Pineapple Press, 2007.
Mohl, Raymond A., Matilda Graff, and Shirley M. Zoloth. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/52688091" target="_blank"><em>South of the South: Jewish Activists and the Civil Rights Movement in Miami, 1945-1960</em></a>. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2004.
Oliver, Kitty. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/45301837" target="_blank"><em>Race and Change in Hollywood Florida</em></a>. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub, 2000.
Ortiz, Paul. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/58728548" target="_blank"><em>Emancipation Betrayed The Hidden History of Black Organizing and White Violence in Florida from Reconstruction to the Bloody Election of 1920</em></a>. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005.
Phelts, Marsha Dean. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/48138754" target="_blank"><em>An American Beach for African Americans</em></a>. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1997.
Price, Hugh Douglas. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/423585" target="_blank"><em>The Negro and Southern Politics: A Chapter of Florida History</em></a>. [New York]: New York University Press, 1957.
Rabby, Glenda Alice. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/39860115" target="_blank"><em>The Pain and the Promise: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Tallahassee, Florida</em></a>. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1999.
Rymer, Russ. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/40145621" target="_blank"><em>American Beach: A Saga of Race, Wealth, and Memory</em></a>. New York, NY: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1998.
Saunders, Robert W. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44585446" target="_blank"><em>Bridging the Gap: Continuing the Florida NAACP Legacy of Harry T. Moore, 1952-1966</em></a>. Tampa, Fla: University of Tampa Press, 2000.
Shell-Weiss, Melanie. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/226356610%20target="><em>Coming to Miami: A Social History</em></a>. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2009.
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida
Alternative Title
History of the Civil Rights Movement in Florida
Subject
Civil rights--Florida
Exhibit
Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movements--Florida
Description
The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida, an exhibit created by Dr. Robert Cassanello and his students at the University of Central Florida. The exhibit chronicles both national and local events in the civil rights movements dating from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Curators for the exhibit were Joseph Corbett and Anne Ladyem McDiviitt. Assistant curators included Patrick Anderson, Laura Cepero, Jennifer Cook, Tanya Engelhardt, Jacob Flynn, William Franklin, Barbara Houser, Rustin Lloyd, Joshua Petitt, Lindsey Turnbull, and Jon Wolfe. Andrew Callovi was the graphic designer.
Type
Physical Object
Source
Original exhibit by Robert Cassanello's Spring 2011 Historiography Graduate Class: <a href="http://history.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">University of Central Florida Department of History</a>, Orlando, Florida.
Requires
<a href="http://www.adobe.com/reader.html" target="_blank">Adobe Acrobat Reader</a>
Is Part Of
<a href="http://floridacivilrightsexhibit.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida</a>.
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/114" target="_blank">The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida Collection</a>, RICHES of Central Florida.
Creator
Corbett, Joseph
McDivitt, Anne Ladyem
Anderson, Patrick
Cepero, Laura
Cook, Jennifer
Englehardt, Tanya
Flynn, Jacob
Franklin, William
Houser, Barbara
Lloyd, Rustin
Petitt, Joshua
Turnbull
Lindsey
Wolfe, Jon
Cassanello, Robert
Callovi, Andrew
Publisher
<a href="http://history.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">University of Central Florida Department of History</a>
Contributor
<a href="http://www.floridamemory.com/photographiccollection/" target="_blank">Florida Photographic Collection</a>
<a href="http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/index_Researchers.cfm" target="_blank">State Library and Archives of Florida</a>
<a href="http://www.loc.gov/" target="_blank">Library of Congress</a>
<a href="http://www.nypl.org/locations/schomburg%20target=">Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture</a>
Barton, Juanita
Gary, Bill
<a href="http://www.harryharriettemoore.org/" target="_blank">Harry T. &amp</a>
Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex, Inc.
Date Created
2011
Format
application/pdf
Extent
249 MB
Medium
1 exhibit
Language
eng
Mediator
History Teacher
Civics/Government Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Robert Cassanello's Spring 2011 Historiography Graduate Class.
Rights Holder
Copyright to this resource is held by the <a href="http://history.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">University of Central Florida Department of History</a> and is provided here by <a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES</a> for educational purposes only.
Accrual Method
Donation
Contributing Project
Robert Cassanello's Spring 2011 Historiography Graduate Class
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a>
External Reference
"<a href="http://floridacivilrightsexhibit.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida</a>." The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida. http://floridacivilrightsexhibit.blogspot.com/.
Bartley, Abel A. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/41482161" target="_blank"><em>Keeping the Faith: Race, Politics, and Social Development in Jacksonville, Florida, 1940-1970</em></a>. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2000.
Brown, Canter. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44963696" target="_blank"><em>Florida's Black Public Officials, 1867-1924</em></a>. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1998.
Colburn, David R. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/11133337" target="_blank"><em>Racial Change and Community Crisis: St. Augustine, Florida, 1877-1980</em></a>. New York: Columbia University Press, 1985.
Corsair, Gary. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/53097367" target="_blank"><em>The Groveland Four: The Sad Saga of a Legal Lynching</em></a>. [Bloomington, IN]: 1st Books, 2003.
Crooks, James B. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/53435227" target="_blank"><em>Jacksonville: The Consolidation Story, from Civil Rights to the Jaguars</em></a>. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2004.
D'Orso, Michael. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/33047183" target="_blank"><em>Like Judgment Day: The Ruin and Redemption of a Town Called Rosewood</em></a>. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1996.
Dunn, Marvin. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/49414756" target="_blank"><em>Black Miami in the Twentieth Century</em></a>. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1997.
Evans, Arthur S., and David R. Lee. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/21563352" target="_blank"><em>Pearl City, Florida: A Black Community Remembers</em></a>. Boca Raton: Florida Atlantic University Press, 1990.
Green, Ben. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/40403600" target="_blank"><em>Before His Time: The Untold Story of Harry T. Moore, America's First Civil Rights Martyr</em></a>. New York, NY: Free Press, 1999.
Greenbaum, Susan D. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/47965343" target="_blank"><em>More Than Black: Afro-Cubans in Tampa</em></a>. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2002.
McCarthy, Kevin. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/74987559" target="_blank"><em>African American Sites in Florida</em></a>. Sarasota, Fla: Pineapple Press, 2007.
Mohl, Raymond A., Matilda Graff, and Shirley M. Zoloth. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/52688091" target="_blank"><em>South of the South: Jewish Activists and the Civil Rights Movement in Miami, 1945-1960</em></a>. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2004.
Oliver, Kitty. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/45301837" target="_blank"><em>Race and Change in Hollywood Florida</em></a>. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub, 2000.
Ortiz, Paul. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/58728548" target="_blank"><em>Emancipation Betrayed The Hidden History of Black Organizing and White Violence in Florida from Reconstruction to the Bloody Election of 1920</em></a>. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005.
Phelts, Marsha Dean. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/48138754" target="_blank"><em>An American Beach for African Americans</em></a>. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1997.
Price, Hugh Douglas. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/423585" target="_blank"><em>The Negro and Southern Politics: A Chapter of Florida History</em></a>. [New York]: New York University Press, 1957.
Rabby, Glenda Alice. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/39860115" target="_blank"><em>The Pain and the Promise: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Tallahassee, Florida</em></a>. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1999.
Rymer, Russ. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/40145621" target="_blank"><em>American Beach: A Saga of Race, Wealth, and Memory</em></a>. New York, NY: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1998.
Saunders, Robert W. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44585446" target="_blank"><em>Bridging the Gap: Continuing the Florida NAACP Legacy of Harry T. Moore, 1952-1966</em></a>. Tampa, Fla: University of Tampa Press, 2000.
Shell-Weiss, Melanie. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/226356610%20target="><em>Coming to Miami: A Social History</em></a>. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2009.
Coverage
Brevard County, Florida
Cocoa, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Eatonville, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Groveland, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Live Oak, Florida
Madison County, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami Gardens, Florida
Mims, Florida
Ocoee, Florida
Palatka, Florida
Rosewood, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tampa, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
Montogmery, Alabama
Scottsboro, Alabama
Selma, Alabama
Tuskegee, Alabama
Chicago, Illinois
Syracuse, New York
Greensboro, North Carolina
Knoxville, Tennessee
Pulaski, Tennessee
101st Airborne Division
14th Amendment
15th Amendment
99th Fighter Squadron
A Red Record
African Americans
Afro-Cubans
American Civil War
Anderson, Patrick
Asa Philip Randolph
Atlanta Exposition
Bahamians
Barton, Juanita
beach
beaches
Bethel Baptist Institutional Church
Bethune-Cookman College
Bethune, Mary McLeod
Black Cabinet
Booker Taliaferro Washington
Brevard County
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
Brown v. Board of Education of Topek
bus boycotts
Callovi, Andrew
Central Florida
Cepero, Laura
Chambers v. Florida
Chaney, James
Charles Kenzie Steele
Chicago, Illinois
civil disobedience
civil rights
Civil Rights Act of 1875
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights March
Civil Rights Movement
Clara White Mission
Cocoa
Cocoa Elementary School
Confederates
Constitution
Constitutional League of Florida
Cook, Jennifer
Cookman Institute
Corbett, Joseph Francis II
Dale Mabry Field
Davis, Ed
Davis, John A.
Daytona Beach
Democratic Party
desegregation
discrimination
disfranchisement
Double V Campaign
Dwight David Eisenhower
Eartha M. M. White
Eartha Mary Magdalene White
Eatonville
educators
Eisenhower, Dwight D.
Englehardt, Tanya
equal pay
exhibits
FDR
Federal Council of Negro Affairs
Fifteenth Amendment
Florida Civil Rights Act
Florida Memorial college
Florida Photographic Collection
Florida Streetcar Segregation Law
Florida Supreme court
Florida Teachers Association
Flynn, Jacob
Fort Lauderdale
Fourteenth Amendment
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin, William
Freedom Riders
Freedom Rides
Freedom Summer
Garvey, Marcus
Gary, Bill
Gibson v. Board of Public Instruction of Dade County
Goff, Cynthia
Goodman, Andrew
Grant, Ulysses S.
Great Depression
Greensboro Sit-in
Greensboro, North Carolina
Groveland
Groveland Four
Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex, Inc.
Hawkins, Virgil D.
Holland
Houser, Barbara
Houston, Texas
Howard, Willie James
Hurston, Zora Neale
Ida Bell Wells-Barnett
Ike Eisenhower
Jacksonville
Jakes, Wilhelmina
Jim Crow South
King, Martin Luther, Jr.
KKK
Knoxville, Tennessee
Ku Klux Klan
Library of Congress
Lincoln, Abraham
Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls
Little Rock 9
Little Rock Central High School
Little Rock Nine
Little Rock, Arkansas
Live Oak
Lloyd, Rustin
lynchings
Madison County
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr.
Marshall, Thurgood
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune
McCall, Willis V.
McDivitt, Anne Ladyem
Miami
Michael Henry Schwerner
Mississippi Plan
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Montgomery, Alabama
Moore, Harriette V.
Moore, Harriette Vyda Simms
Moore, Harry T.
Moore, Harry Tyson
NAACP
National Afro-American League
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Equal Rights League
NERL
New Deal
New York
Niagara Movement
Ocoee Massacre
Ocoee Riot
Omaha, Nebraska
Orchard Villa Elementary School
Palatka
Parks, Rosa
Patterson, Carrie
Payne, Jesse
Petitt, Joshua
Plessy v. Ferguson
Progressive Voter's League
protests
Pulaski, Tennessee
race relations
race riots
racial equality
racism
Randolph, A. Philip
Reconstruction
Red Summer of 1919
Republican Party
Robert Cassanello
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks
Rosewood Massacre
Saunders, Robert
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Schwerner, Michael
Scottsboro Boys
Scottsboro, Alabama
SCOTUS
segregation
Selma, Alabama
separate but equal
Shepard
sit-ins
slavery
Sociedad la Union Marti-Maceo
soldiers
South Carolina
Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases
St. Augustine
State Library and Archives of Florida
Steele, C. K.
Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
Syracuse, New York
Tallahassee
Tallahassee Bus Boycott
Tampa
teachers
The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida
Timothy Thomas Fortune
To Secure These Rights: The Report of the President's Committee on Civil rights
Truman, Harry S.
Turnbull, Lindsey
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, Alabama
U.S. Armed Forces
U.S. Army
U.S. Supreme Court
UF
UNIA
Union
Universal Negro Improvement Association
University of Florida
veterans
voting
voting rights
Voting Rights Act of 1965
W. E. B. Du Bois
wade-ins
Waldron, J. Milton
Washington, Booker T.
Wells, Ida B.
Wetmore, J. Douglas
white supremacy
White, Clara
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois
Williams, Alice
Willis Virgil McCall
Wolfe, Jon
Woolworth
Woolworth's
World War II
WWII