Oral histories --Florida

My interview with David Segal was a thorough interview that took almost two hours. I
was a little nervous, but we covered a lot of ground during the interview. Mr. Segal provided a
very sobering picture of the horrors and tragedies of war, so this was an emotional interview at
times for both myself and the interviewee. He recounted an instance of friendly fire with the
Gurkha fighters and was open about many of his hardships such as amoebic dysentery and
malaria. He had many positive things to say about Dr. Norman after the interview and disclosed
to me a great detail about his family life. During the interview, Mr. Segal would often transition
suddenly during mid-sentence and could be difficult to follow at times. Given his age, his life
story frequently merged together during the interview process. His experiences of poor food and
little outside help in the China India Burma war theatre confirmed what historians have called
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Europe First strategy, where all the best food and equipment
went to the European continent to fight the Nazi regime. The subject did most of the talking
during the interview and while I had a complete questionnaire ready, I did not use all of the
questions. Instead, I allowed Mr. Segal to open up about his life and his service, which was a
very insightful and· educational experience. My overall impression of Mr. Segal is that he has
been through an incredible amount of difficulties as a result of his service in India and Burma.
From a medical perspective, it is incredible to note that Mr. Segal is still alive given his exposure
to amoebic dysentery, malaria, and the numerous amounts of surgeries he has had in his lifetime.
The process of interviewing Mr. Segal was an insightful one and I hope will be of use for future
scholars and his family.

The following is a look into the history of Deerfield Beach as told through the eyes of
Arnie Kay Tanner. Ms. Tanner was born November 4, 1947, she has lived within the city her
entire life. Ms. Tanner and her family have been active members within the community since
settling there in the 1920s, offering a unique and extensive point of view on Deerfield Beach's
history. Through her story readers/researchers will be able to see the social, economic, and
political changes that have occurred as the city grew. Major topics of discussion in this oral
history include: the contributions her father (Odas Tanner) has made to Deerfield Beach, Ms.
Tanner's early life, Cracker Day, population growth, the impacts hurricanes have had on the
city's grow;th and development, and President Gerald Ford's visit to the city's pier.

The early life history of Mr. T. Edward Thomsen in Albany, New York. Life in the Depression. School
and church life in youth. Hospital confinement. Going to college. Employment in, and description, of the
hotel industry in New York State. Getting married. Traveling to Florida. Employment at the Boca Raton
Resort and Club. Life in Boca Raton in the 1950s. Working life at the club. Famous people met and
scandals endured. Race relations. Circumstances surrounding the buyout of the club in 1956.

Mark Pickering interviewed science professor Khalique Ahmed at his Boca Raton,
Florida, office at Lynn University on February 10, 2015. The interview consisted of
Dr. Ahmed's childhood in Jhelum City, Pakistan, his impressions of the past and
current Pakistan, his graduate studies in Islamabad, Pakistan, his moving from
Pakistan to North America, and his observations of the differences in Pakistan and
North America.

Bobby Wayne Brown Sr. is a retired Navy sailor from Greenville,
Mississippi. He began his service following a poor, rural upbringing in 1970, retiring for
medical reasons in 1993. He served in the Vietnam War, and took the time to be interviewed
by Adam Rea on February 10' 2013, during a vacation to visit his son's family in Hollywood,
FL. Several topics were covered, including his personal life, military career and political
views.

The primary purpose of this interview included a discussion of Ms. Kathy Cox, and her
experiences as a community organizer and city councilperson for the Town of Davie, from 1988
to 1997. The interview also touched on her thoughts about growing up in South Florida, and how
her childhood experiences influenced her political career as an adult. The interview described her
accomplishments as city councilperson, namely the Davie equestrian trail system, the
establishment of which she played a critical role. Finally, the interview enquired about her
present-day activities, and her overall thoughts on the Town of Davie, past, present, and future.

The primary topic of this interview was to engage with the experiences of Bobbie Lou
David's extensive teaching career while honing in on her time teaching at the Davie School in
Davie, Florida. Bobbie Lou worked with various student demographics in Virginia, Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, and in Davie, Florida. More specifically in Davie, Bobbie Lou's
compassionate experiences with many people over her years demonstrate the close-knit, friendly,
and communicative bond Davie's citizens have with one another. Over the decades, Bobbie Lou
saw various changes to the size of Davie, Florida in regards to both population and development.
The topics covered in this interview range from the early childhood, life as a student, marriage,
the Davie school, the integration of schools, notable news events, integration and the 1960's,
hobbies, obtaining a Master's degree at Florida Atlantic University, educational
accomplishments, and the town of Davie today.

This interview is largely concerned with chronicling the lifetime experiences of Tom Gill
and the relationship of those experiences with the town of Davie. Tom Gill's grandfather, Frank
Stirling, was an instrumental part of early Davie and its 1925 incorporation; Stirling Road bears
his nmne. Furthermore, Gill attended the old Davie Elementary School, and was taught by
several well known teachers of that school, such as Edna Hammer-Griffin. Tom later joined the
Navy during the Vietnam War, and was able to see the world. Following his return to Davie,
Tom worked in the real estate business and served on the Town Council. Stories range from life
in old Davie, to his R&R on the Spanish Riviera, to the intricacies of modern developtnent in
Davie.

Bishop Gracida is a former Benedictine Monk. After serving in the Army Air Corps. 303d
"Hell's Angels" Bombardment Group as a gunner pilot during WWII, Bishop Gracida trained as
an architect. During the war, Bishop Gracida was one of the pilots that flew over and fire
bombed Dresden. Following his time in the Army, he had a conversion experience and entered a
St Vincent Benedictine monastery. Thanks to his training as an architect, he assisted in the
building of the church for the monastery, and later, ran into troubles with his Archabbot over
building issues with a dormitory. This soured his relationship with the Archabbot, leading him to
becoming a priest in the Archdiocese of Miami, where he served faithfully as a priest for thirteen
years, all prior to his being named a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church.
In his interview, he discusses his time in the Army Air Corps. He goes on to discuss his
conversion experience back to the faith that led him to his vocation. Additionally, he discusses
the political entity that is the Catholic Church, and the machinations of the Church. He discusses
controversial topics from the death penalty and abortion to sanctuary and a controversy over the
singer Madonna and the Pepsi Co. Corporation. He discusses his interactions with Archbishop
Coleman Caroll extensively, as well as his time as the first bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee.

This interview covered five main subjects related to the Town of Davie and the Old Davie
School. First, it delves into was the Old Davie School itself where Mrs. Griffin-Weekeley
attended first through sixth grade. The second was the Griffin family, who have were one of the
major pioneering families of the town, for whom the major road through the town is named after.
Third, we discussed the Davie Rodeo and how that has changed since Mrs. Griffin-Weekley first
got involved with it over thirty years ago. Fourth, we briefly discussed the Weekley side of her
family, and their family business: Weekley Asphalt Paving Company. Finally, we discussed how
the Town of Davie has changed over the years throughout the interview.