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Okay. Good afternoon. My name is Francis Laura. Today is July 32,015. Today we're here with Mr Weber. Why go? Mr. Weigel? I'm talking about his experiences in the Panama Canal Zone. Okay. Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview with us today. Um, we could start by you telling us women.

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Where were you born? I was born in an con canal zone. Okay. On your birthday. August 8th 1941. Okay. And so did your parents work on the zone? Yes. My father worked on the canal zone. Okay. What did your father do exactly on the zone? He was a marine traffic control.

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Okay. Um and when did your parent did? Your father arrived at the zone. He was born in Panama. Okay. Says your whole family from Panama? No. My family on both sides arrived in Panama in the 18 seventies, and grandma's side of my family was working for a sailing company in Baltimore, Maryland, and they were sailing people to colon on the Atlantic coast of Panama and transporting them across the isthmus to the Pacific side, putting them on a sailing ship sailing in California for the gold rush.

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Okay, so since 18 seventies, your family has been involved with Right now. My grandmother was born in Colon in 18. 86. Okay. And then my father was born in Poland in 1915. Okay. And we both went to the same high school crystal ball high school. Wow.

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Um, did your father is sharing your stories with you about hiss growing up in Panama? Oh, yes. Can you share something like some that you remember this I got with you? Oh, he usedto love fishing out on the behind where the Washington hotel is now and swimming out there.

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They had a little canoe they would canoe around in out there. And that was one of his big things and course swimming out there as well. I'm always your father's name. Sames mind. William Weigel. Okay, on Ben. When did your dad start working for the zone?

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Dio remember? Yes, he When he left high school, he got an apprenticeship here in the States with TV a Tennessee Valley Authority's. And when he finished that, he got hired back in the canal zone where he worked for special engineering and the project then in 1938 was the third locks cut, they called it, which is presently part of what?

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Today's new blocks. We're gonna be. So your father basically Well, your family saw the whole zone. That canal belt. Oh, yes, yes. My grandfather was a captain in the Calvary on he new Roosevelt and knew there was gonna be a canal built in Panama. That was the plan back then.

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And in 18 98 he went to Panama and bought some property in Crystal Ball Bay. But it was on the Fort Sherman side, which is directly across from Colon. And he was building his. His credentials were he was an engineering construction, and he was building of resort area along the beach.

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They're called floor de la Playa. That's pretty. But in 1993 when the treaty was passed, the US said there will be no private landowners in what became the canal zone. Okay, so at that point, they paid him for everything he had there and then hired him to build houses for the employees they were bringing in So long.

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Do they have any papers or documents? Uh, okay, wait. Um, do you have any pictures? or things that they've showed you from the construction of the zone. Well, I've got a few things. Uh, you know, for instance, like, I've got tablets of order blanks for the construction of houses with his name on it showing William you Weigel construction, engineering, construction.

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And then it would have, like, the date was printed on there, but only it would be 191 blank. So somewhere between 1910 and 1919 and I've got tablets of those couple of and padlocks big brass heavy padlocks Mark Isthmian, Canal Commission and the date on a 1907 And things like that.

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That's incredible. Yeah. I mean, because it shows that is more than just a place. This has been a very important part of your family's histories. Yes. Okay. Okay. And then so going back to you be important in the zone. Do you have? Do you have siblings?

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Yes. Okay. What are you Something seems Bobbie, Sue and Joanne both of them were born in the canal zone. Are you the oldest? Oh, I'm sorry. I was leaving. My Yes. My kids. Your kids. That's okay. Yes, I have siblings. Uh, born in the Canal Zone was me.

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My sister Sandy. Uh huh. As well. My wife's also names. And my little brother is named Sandy on then my youngest brother, Jerry. Jerry. Okay, so what is your earliest childhood memory from growing up in this in an con? Well, let's see. I actually lived in Diablo, and I think it was my dad making me a scooter.

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Uh, of course, the war started and you couldn't buy things, toys or anything. So the first thing he made me was a scooter. That was two wheels, and it was a board with, and it actually was a skate. And he cut him in half and put one in the front one in the back.

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And then it had a little T handle hang onto, like a tricycle would. And I can remember writing that up and down the sidewalk in front of our house on, uh then, as I got a little older, maybe by two or three my mom getting upset because I climb up in the mango tree off time I heard about was that the green mangoes and bank over days now, everybody used to eat their way.

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Gree. Okay. And So what did I guess? You and your siblings and the other kids in the neighborhood. What would you do for fun growing up? Well, this time went on. I got a bicycle finally way, ride our bicycles. And then we started going to the gym where we play kickball.

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They didn't have soccer in those days. There way play kickball. And another one was battle ball where that pick sides and we'd have a ball if you caught the ball, it was okay. But if the ball hits you and you didn't catch it, you were out.

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So a weird way of dodgeball. Okay, on Ben. What do you remember about your dad's job about? Well, he used to dio he had to work shift work of for and he would tell us about some of those ships that came through. And, of course, Well, before I go with too far, there was just something else came to my Oh, that's great.

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You asked me about growing up there when I remember World War Two was going on and my mom made me a sailor suit. And here I was four years old, five years old, and every time one of the big ships would come like an aircraft carrier or battleship like the Mighty Mo.

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I remember that coming there I would go through the neighborhood and collect newspapers and magazines from all the neighbors, the old ones. But they didn't want because all those sailors and soldiers on those ships had no communication in those days with anything. And they would let me go out on the locks of hair floors and stand 2 ft away from the side and throw magazines and newspapers to the sailors on.

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In turn, I got lots of things like sailor hats and stuff that got thrown back to me. Oh, that was a That was incredible. E can picture it. Waas Very specific memory. Devore effect is on in any other way. Well, it limited things that people were used to like.

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You couldn't buy a car. You couldn't. Here's another one. My dad had a 1938 Clemens, I believe it. Waas, which in 1943 was considered a new car down there, but the tires had worn out and you couldn't get any time. The driver eso he ended up trading the car to a guy that had a model.

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A Ford? Yeah, that had good tires and ran. It was a two seater, but it had a rumble seat in the back. And when you think about trading a car that old for the new car but it was transportation for him to go to work in and do whatever.

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But I remember as a kid, we get ready to go somewhere, and he'd open up the back, Trump. You call it that and then you climb up, climb into the seat, and that was it. Well, what you have to do during times of war? Yeah. Okay, then we were talking about your dad's job.

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Yeah, Marine traffic was what they did was ships had to send in those days. Telex is our teletypes that they were going to arrive at a certain time. They didn't have to, but they knew it was better for them to do that. And they would put in there.

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We need to get fuel. Are we need stores? Food on board or all we wanna do is transit. And so they would have to schedule these ships as they arrived so that they could get the pilots on board and transit the ship through the canal. That was a really important job to make sure they manage efficiently.

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It waas and my dad worked there until he retired. Course. He became chief of marine traffic control before you retired. Wow. Do you know what year he became the chief? Well, I would I would say it was probably about 1970 five. That timeframe right in there.

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Does he have any, I mean, special stories or anything that he shared from his job That you remember. I imagine there has to be things that there were many E. Okay. Okay. So tell me about going Thio. Just go on the zone. You know, it was very, very need.

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Of course. I didn't mention that we were living in Diablo at the time. And 1951 when my dad got promoted to a, you know, up his line. The job was in Crystal s, so we had to move from, but we didn't live in crystal ball. We lived in Margarita, which was another town side on the Atlantic side.

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There was Margarita Thio, Crystal Margarita. So we lived in Margarita on then, right? I guess the question Oh, school experiences. School experiences. Yes, I I was in third grade. Then on I went on. And of course, when it came time to go to sixth grade, they had built a new school in Margarita.

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So I was the first class to graduate from the new school in Margarita on, I guess one of the highlights to a couple of this music teacher always would ask me when he would come to visit the school. On whatever day I would be excused to go with him to different classes where he would play his musical instrument.

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I would sing, sing, And of course, he was amazed because I used to pay a lot of attention to music on, uh, I knew a lot of the songs that were coming out in those days like Don't cry for me, Argentina on things like that most people haven't heard of.

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So that was one of the great things, and I guess probably the best one. Waas. They had a contest, and it was called in 25 words or less. Tell us what America means. Thio and I was one of the six people that won that contest, and they had a big ceremony on the steps of the administration building in Balboa with our parents all dressed up a standing there all dressed up.

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And I was presented an admiral for a day by the United States Navy. And I was taken from there onto a ship Rodman Naval Station, where we went out into Panama Bay and they were teaching me how to navigate the ship with the compass in front of me and do different course changes by Compass Reading on.

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That was very, very interesting. Do you remember what it was that the 20 or 25 words O. E was in sixth grade? E. It's a big moment. Okay, so you said you went to Kosovo High, but you were involved in any extracurricular activities. I played sports.

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I was captain of the basketball team in my senior year Crystal Ball high school. There was, you know, I wasn't tracked. Do in the high jump and and different. You know, I played some baseball and I played football a little bit. Not not much. E did that in the earlier years, like ninth and 10th grade.

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But okay. I was also very involved in fishing and going to What is the Tarpon Club where the spillway was on the shadows River catching tarp in there. And then my dad had a big boat that we used to get on. And we go out on 10 day trips on this boat down to the Sandglass or out to the Perlis and fish out there.

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Of course, that was during the summer. We would get to do that. And that's where you know, I guess I learned how to snorkel and do all that kind of stuff. Yeah. So what was it like being a teenager in the zone? What would you do for fun?

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They It was very neat because it was a very protective. Rather, you be in the zone or in Panama. It was very protective, and you could do almost anything you wanted to do. I can remember one time going to the club Florida. And here I was, I think, 15 years old.

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But what drew me there wasn't necessarily the beautiful ladies that were doing the dancing and all that Waas Something from the Caribbean. The Mighty Sparrow and the Lord Delicious had come to play and sing their music from the Caribbean. And I got to do that twice when they came and hear their songs about likes in the Caribbean.

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And that doesn't mean the Mighty Sparrow. Yes. Wow, that's incredible. Yep. Okay, um and did you all as teenagers? Did you hang out with Panamanians from teenagers outside the sound as we got older? We did okay, but up until I would say we were, uh, in the middle of high school, things started changing, and we started being able to branch out, like, go places.

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I got my motorcycle at age 15 and I would go into Panama all the time, travel back and forth across the isthmus all the time, go up to the interior parts of Panama to the beaches and things like that. And that's when things like that opened up.

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But many there were Panamanians that were Wow, what we call to issuing students. They came from upper class families, and they were going to high school with us, too, and their parents paid tuition for them to go. So I then had several friends like that. In fact, okay.

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One of them became vice president of Panama on then another one. That I made friends with became president under the regime of Noriega on, uh anyways, uh, but actually became that before. But on there again, It's very interesting stories because, like my daughter, the canal zone did what they called every year a jamboree football.

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And they had four teams. And this particular year, Panama had 13 for the first time involved. And lo and behold, my daughter becomes the carnival are the Queen Queen for her school's football team. And of course, they all came in in a big vehicle sitting up on thank convertible and they took him around and the captain of the team would escort him up to the grandstands where they sat.

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Eso Here we are sitting close by on in walks. Noriega. I'm sorry. Not Noriega in walks. Hi. Emily LaCasse, president of Panama. The time and Jaime comes in, he looks up, he sees me, he goes Gara Mo. Come on, sta e. He comes up and he sits down next to us.

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We made room for and he had his two bodyguards with him. They had their trench coats on what they're using machine guns and it's a trench coat on. He told him go to the back and set him up to the top. The grandstands where they had to stand the whole time.

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But that was an interesting thing. That there were lots of comments that came up about that because hey, wanted a rum drink and way said, You know, you're not supposed to drink these things. Hey, said one of his bodyguards. I forgot a bottle of rum and come back in a My daughter comes to me after Dad.

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You totally embarrassed me. You were drinking over there. You know who he was? You know, that's the President. Panama. You can do anything you want. She had a very, very special day there. E o E s Okay, We're talking about high school, so But I guess how would be the cultural exchange them between you all living in the zone and growing up?

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It's the American property. And then the Panamanians like, how would you describe that? Well, it's hard to say how, because there were parts of it that were very good. There were parts that weren't good. Okay, You know, I can understand a lot of things about it that other people don't.

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I became a police officer after I graduated from college and went back to Panama. But it was during the riots in 1964 when the Communists were trying to excite the people of Panama, overthrew the government and so forth. And what Panama needed most was a way to transfer their country without becoming involved in US jurisdiction, which would have been very easy to do.

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For instance, Fourth of July Avenue was the dividing line, but it was in US territory. But it led right to the Bridge of the Americas going across the canal, which took him right up to, you know, air Hand, which took him to the northwestern part of Panama to Costa Rica by road, and that could have all been given to Panama as their jurisdiction.

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And that would have solved one of the problems I think that Panama really regretted was there was no way for them to go from one side of the country to the other without going through the U. S. And but those were just My ideas are point side so and then there were other academies that didn't want that.

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They felt that they liked it the way it was. They liked us in this position there, Okay, but it was just It's hard to say. Answer a question like that. It's just understandable. Its's not a cut and dry answer. It's not a or B. There's a lot of complexities to it, especially considering how long your family was in Panama.

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What did they consider? What are your thoughts on all the immigration to the zone? That was Obviously they brought a lot of people from the West Indies to come and work. There s how is that like Well, of course, there again, they were also living separately.

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Uh, they built communities for the people that came from the West Indies. Okay? And they called it the gold standard for the U. S. And Silver Standard for the non us, so they'd have different communities like, uh, you'd have one that was all for them, with their commissaries and and shopping and done there and then just two miles away would be like gap to, for instance, on that was gold standards, and that was the way it waas way back.

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And it continued that way. Up until well gradually, charts started changing, like the school's starting, allowing the people from the silver to come to the U. S. Schools instead of having to go to their own. And it just transitioned slowly over a period of years. Uh, take gamble, for instance, right in the middle of the isthmus of Panama.

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They had to use the same building and the building was divided and one side was gold. On the other side was silver, but yet it was a commissary to go get your food. You know, that was the way they did it way back. Okay? Do you think that it was a good thing that they started transitioning things Thio everybody would go to the one place?

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Oh, sure. Okay, definitely. I mean, that's the way it should be. Yeah, OK, E. How is religion observed in this zone? Um, there were everybody. I think almost everybody went to church. And they had, uh, you know, of course, they had the Catholic church. The Episcopalian church s so forth, but then they had the union Church.

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The union had a church. Well, it was just called that the Union Church. I'm sorry. Okay. And that's where we all want to have a good time, go through the services, get to play and to do this and do all that. And of course, in my case, I think I went to all of them because I have one friend that went to this one or one who went to that one.

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So e can remember going toe all the churches on. How would the services comparing address to what, like, how would the services compare and contrast to one another? Well, the Catholic was very strict, and the Episcopalian was a little more, uh, not quite a strict. But of course, Episcopalian was a derivative of the Catholic Church.

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And then, of course, like the Union Church was just ah, lot of fun. I mean, they had a service, and it was very nice. And I think kids enjoyed it more. Did they have? Because I know a lot of Latin American countries around that time. You know, the Children after school will have to goto Catholicism, Catholic classes.

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Where is this? Something like that in the zone that students to go to religious classes. Yes. OK, there were I did the ones with the Episcopalian church. Okay. And, uh, but, you know, they had okay on those would be after school. Uh, let's see, they were after school.

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Uh, yeah, that's what they were. Okay, so after you graduated high school, you said that you I'm sorry. What? You did you graduate high school? 1960 1960. And this is what we're celebrating here. Now, my 55th high school. Really? Oh, congratulations. Eso What were your impressions of the world of the time that you graduated high school?

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What did you do? You think? Well, I had a goal growing up. Like I said during World War two, being involved, I wanted to fly fighter planes off the deck of an aircraft carrier. Wow. And anyhow, I got out of high school, and I wasn't quite ready to come to the States to go to college or to do any of that.

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But I knew I had to give an education in that field. So I went to Canal Zone College for one semester and then got offered a temporary job Gap tune locks, working on the locks, and it paid good money. And I thought and my dad agreed that I'd make enough money here to pay for probably a year of college, all in about three months.

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Eso I did that and then and my, which would have been my second year to be out of high school. I came to Florida and went to Emory Riddle, which is the aeronautical college. I graduated from Memory Riddle. I got my pilot's license and I also got an airframe power plant FAA license to repair work on airplanes and sign off the work.

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And I was trying to advance my pilot license into instrument, and my goal was to finish that and then take the exams for the military on and hopefully go right into flying. But shortly, like a week after I got my pilot's license, I was notified I had to go back to an F A doctor and have another test, and they didn't say what it was for.

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When I got there, they told me it was gonna be an eye test, and when they tested my eyes, they determined that I was partially colored wide. At night. I didn't realize this. Nobody in my family realized it, and actually it boiled down to it was only two colors, orange and red, so they took my license back and issued me of new license.

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That's a daytime on Lee. And that meant I could never be in the commercial field or a military flying. So with that, I thought, What am I gonna do? So I went to work rebuilding aircraft engines in Miami for a company called Arrow Dicks. And then about that time is when the riots started in Panama, and Dad called me and said, You know, they want to hire people.

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You can come back here and get a job if you want. So that's what I did. And that's how I got. Okay, so this is all happening. You came back in 1964 right? When did you remember exactly what date you came back? Actually, I was back in 63 okay?

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And I got hired on January 14th. I believe it. Waas 1964. Oh, okay. And it was the largest group that ever got hired in canals and police at one time, I think there was either 12 or 14 of us. That was one day. There were many more after.

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Wow. Okay. And of course, the next day I was in a riot squad. Okay? So can you. I just talked about that. Your experience being a police force and a police officer in the middle of the riots. I know. They started January 9th, I believe right birthday.

00:31:18.480 - 00:31:43.320

It was it was amazing because I got to see things from a different point. And I went right at the After the riots were over, we turned. We did our police training. When training was over, we went into uniform to do our regular police work, and I had a walking beat on an con and then a walking, beaten Balboa.

00:31:43.330 - 00:32:12.540

And then I got promoted to a traffic detail where I started doing a traffic card investigating traffic accents. But the police were teaching us along the way of this. And then I got sent to Northwestern University to the traffic institute, where they were training highway Patrol people from all over the U S.

00:32:12.540 - 00:32:49.970

Like California, Florida and all. And I graduated from that, went back and continue investigating traffic on. And then, in 1976 I got promoted into a job called Interior Patrol, which required me to operate a Jeep pickups. A boat? Yeah. And later flying. Uh, and so At that point, I was patrolling the lakes out around the day and the harbors.

00:32:50.320 - 00:33:13.860

Plus, when we were doing that, we had to have Scougall license. And in my case, they sent me also to the Industrial Dive school where I became an industrial diver of war. The big helmets and the mask did the decompression chambers. And when they had ship investigations like a damage, I could go and look at it determined.

00:33:14.440 - 00:33:46.200

You know what damage was to report? Very multifaceted job it, Waas. And then, of course, any time there was an accident on the water, I was involved. There were four of us. We were involved, you know, like one time one of the big drill barges had an explosion on board and killed about five people Bloom, bloom apart way were out there with our scuba gear on trying to find people in parts and and things like that.

00:33:46.410 - 00:34:03.100

Okay, so let's backtrack a little bit too. When you first started office, a police officer with rights, you know, what could you pick up people that people were feeling both people on the zone and then Panama? Because this is a very emotional time as well? Yes, it waas.

00:34:03.110 - 00:34:32.480

And we I guess at that age, of course, I would have been, what, 2023 23 years old or thereabouts? I think 23 I could see young people rioting and hollering, screaming and trying to cross over and come into what was the canal zone. And, uh, but yet there were others that didn't feel that way at all on the Panama side.

00:34:34.060 - 00:34:56.990

They didn't want to see riots they wanted to see. So anyways, I guess that's yeah, feeling I have about that. Okay, Um, on. And so as your as your job developed, so you kind of wanted to stay living on the Panama Canal Zone E. I wanted to stay there.

00:34:57.000 - 00:35:13.280

My kids were now going to school, OK, growing up. And my dad had retired, and I just thought, I'm going to stay here until I retire, which is what I did. Okay. Can you tell us about meeting your wife? Done. What year did you get married?

00:35:13.560 - 00:35:43.500

All right. Sandy and I met in high school and I met her through her brother who was in my class on, and she was two years younger. on. Uh, anyhow, we dated on and off in high school on then after high school, when I was talking about part of working a gap two blocks way kind of hooked up again and started dating and no one else just two of us.

00:35:43.570 - 00:36:09.870

And then after I went to Emory, Riddle Way decided to get married, which we did. And now we're looking at 54 years. That's right. That's congratulate. That's beautiful. Okay, so after, from what I've read after the riots happened in 64 way start all the negotiation contract with Pamela United States about the canal.

00:36:09.880 - 00:36:35.890

So what was it like being a police officer, but also in the middle of all these negotiations going back and forth? You know, living living in the san during that time. Well, I guess it was just became a normal part of life because it was going on a long time, I And in fact, one of the wonderful things was when they hired Panamanians.

00:36:35.890 - 00:36:55.830

Two policemen also way started having partners on. That was great because, you know, like, say, I'm working the west bank of the canal between the Bridge of the Americas upto error hand on that. Well, my partner and I would be sitting there taking turns, driving and whatnot.

00:36:55.840 - 00:37:17.420

And if the car we stopped happening, Panamanian citizens, my partner would handle that or if it was a us I would handle it became really the answer toe all things because it was being done by one of their own. Exactly talking Thio. So And that happens after the treaty gets signed in 77.

00:37:17.430 - 00:37:42.100

Know that happened before the trip Before it goes back to like, I think all that started about, I would say, uh 66 67 timeframe on. I have several friends today. In fact, there's several of them year at the union policemen with me. But they were bamieh, please.

00:37:42.920 - 00:38:02.190

They were I shouldn't say they were Panamanian policeman. They were Panamanian, But they were policemen. Yeah, with canals. Okay. All right. So what? They talk about their opinions on the whole transferring of the zone to the penance panel. Everyone so helping something would come up and say this or that.

00:38:02.200 - 00:38:19.820

But it wasn't way. I think all of us realized that something had to be done or something was going to be Oh, and the best way to do it. And that was why I gave you a little thing about, you know, I'm having a senior moment.

00:38:19.830 - 00:38:39.590

I can't The Fourth of July 3 high, but I can't. What would that be called when you have a route like that? Through something like a boundary line? No, There's a name for E s O. Then when the treaty gets sign in 77 what were your thoughts on that?

00:38:39.600 - 00:39:15.950

Well, I thought, Oh, my gosh. What's gonna happen now? At least it was all done with a gradual transition year by years of different things. And the police ended, us police force ended. And 18 1982 came to an end and that, you know, the Guardia, Panama National Guard, Gordian, they call it.

00:39:15.960 - 00:39:46.690

Yeah, they took over, became a policeman of the zone. Or actually, the zone didn't exist anymore. But it did. It was in transition. Okay, so I all of us were promised we'd have a job, okay? And I know some of us went to customs. Some of us went to launch operating.

00:39:46.690 - 00:40:07.970

Some of us went to motor transportation and all over it was just we were spread out in different jobs. However, I was the last one. They held me over one year and brought me under what they called Canal Protection, which was another agency within the US government.

00:40:09.750 - 00:40:43.670

I was training 10. Well, I had a captain in the National Guard, was National Guard and his 10 men and I was taking them out into the environment, showing him rainforest and taking them on trails. Why we had to protect it and out into the Gap tune Lake and showed him all the different rivers and things we had to protect their, like the meeting ring stations for better hide things like that and then out into the bay the different things in the bay that were of interest to the protection.

00:40:43.680 - 00:41:16.020

So we were in the mode. We were in a Jeep. We were out all the time on another thing. At the same time, I was making flights once a week from one side of the isthmus to the other, checking the boundary lines and then coming back on the other boundary line and what we're worried about squatters moving in and taking over property and what was part of the canal operation.

00:41:16.020 - 00:41:47.690

Yeah, And that was, uh you know, if I would see it my flight, I would write the report and then the guys I was working or training captain would take them out and go out there and tell them they can't stay here. And, of course, one of the good reasons Waas and seven years by Panama LA They were rightful landowners of that property squatters, so they would go out, tell him he can't live here.

00:41:47.700 - 00:42:06.450

Move back over there. Where that boundary waas Andi That still exists today. They still do it that way. And then after that year was up, what did you dio? Well, I was offered a job, was a launch operator. But I told him no, I didn't want that.

00:42:06.450 - 00:42:26.590

I wanted to go to motor Transportation, a za mechanic and the personnel Bureau. I didn't wanna do that to me. They said you're taking a much lower grade job and who wants to work in the hot garage is working on cars and trucks all day long.

00:42:27.000 - 00:42:44.300

And I said I would rather do that than go to the launch service where I have to work shift work. I don't like shift work. Eso Anyways, On the very last day, they said, Okay, we're sending you for an interview. I went to the interview. The superintendent asked me three questions.

00:42:44.300 - 00:43:15.950

He says You're overqualified for the job. And it was all because of my You're airframe and powerplant training from FAA on Embry Riddle. Yeah. So of course I had my own interest growing up and it was keeping up with sports cars and things like that. So anyhow, I got the job and I think I only worked six months and I was promoted on then, I think, a year.

00:43:15.950 - 00:43:51.040

And then I was promoted again on Than about two years later. Promoted again on the end of, Let's see, five years. I was now promoted to superintendent of motor transportation, which was, you know, quite a jump from a mechanic. I went through the mechanic that Foreman the, uh, equipment specialist Thio Transportation Thio, Foreman.

00:43:51.050 - 00:44:22.430

I mean, uh, Superintendent. Well, you're did that promotion happened? Which one? The Superintendent Superintendent. That would have been 1988. Okay, um and then what does your job entail? Well, that job there was, it was to keep all the vehicles running the bank. And I had, like, all the cars they used, like the Ginny's for the pilots, the all the maintenance division, trucks and vehicles.

00:44:22.440 - 00:44:47.690

All the shops had vehicles. And, uh, that was the main thing was to keep all those up, repair them, keep them operating, have the parts to get the parts on him to repair whatever. Okay. And then what was your feeling? You're doing that job, you know, you had a personal interest in, but did you still have friends that you had trained in the police forests?

00:44:47.690 - 00:45:04.760

Like, how is all of that transition? In fact, there were two that even work in motor transportation with me at the same time. So you think the transition, I never pretty smoothly. Yes, I dio I think e think it did. Okay. And how long did you stay living in Panama?

00:45:04.770 - 00:45:29.230

I retired in 19. In August of 1989. 2 years later. Okay. And which was the plan all along? Yes, Uh huh. Mainly because the wife she worked for the navy and Rodman and she was offered a job at the Trident submarine facility and Georgia, which was a big time job.

00:45:29.690 - 00:45:47.730

We decided to go ahead and take the job. I told my boss I was going to retire. I gave him plenty of time. He had, I think, seven months for me to have a replacement for me to decide what they wanted. But okay. And some 89 you left his own.

00:45:48.090 - 00:46:04.810

Did you still stay in contact of friends that were there during the Noriega and take him out and all that? Like what? We're, uh In fact, I went back every year for about six years and stayed for a couple of weeks. Just go on fishing trips.

00:46:05.130 - 00:46:20.890

But I wasn't on the trip the whole time socializing and seeing friends that I still had. They're still working there, and that continued. But then there was sort of a break where I got very interested in doing some other things. You're in other parts of the world.

00:46:21.210 - 00:46:48.590

Yeah, doing traveling. And But I'd still go back every couple of three years, and I've taken the grandsons down there so they can see all of that. And and, you know, there was, I think, 19, our 2010 in 2012, I took a fellow down. That's blind.

00:46:48.590 - 00:47:10.120

And does the Cayuga raise carry the canal and was there for the happened and again after that? So every couple of years, I do go back, and I see a lot of my old friends were still living there, and of course, there's get togethers in certain places down there on I still go to those people.

00:47:10.200 - 00:47:33.290

So what are your impressions of the zone now, after it's been transferred to Panama? You mean of the zone of the Canal of the Canal? The canal? Oh, well, I think it's great. I think it's a very vital part to world commerce. It's very advantageous to countries all over the world.

00:47:33.880 - 00:47:57.280

I hope that it continues to be that way, and there's no problems there. I know there's some big interest, Like I know China wants to get involved in some stuff. I've heard building stuff and taking over certain areas, and I'm sure there's other countries that feel the same way.

00:47:57.290 - 00:48:17.580

But I really hope that Panama realizes how vital in that canal is not only to the rest of all, but to Panama as well. Yes, Okay, E forgot to ask one question, but while you were working in the zone. You 77 39. And that was the whole transition period.

00:48:17.770 - 00:48:36.650

I mean, what was it like working there? Did you all have in the back of your mind that pretty soon you're gonna have to leave? How did that influence that did come apart right after the treaty was signed. But then shortly after that, I don't know how long the period might have been six months or ah year.

00:48:36.660 - 00:48:58.040

There were several people in that time frame right there. Six months or a year that did transfer and go stays on left because they didn't want to be stuck there without a job. But we were all told sometime during that time frame. Don't worry. You can stay till your job is terminated on.

00:48:58.050 - 00:49:14.160

We'll put you into another job, Alright? Just making just asking. Um And what? What did you do after you? Your wife got that job. What did you do that you go back to work Or did you stay retired? I did work a little bit part time.

00:49:14.170 - 00:49:41.900

I was working for a company that was doing high security shredder repairs. And actually, my wife made the contact because this company was working in her office. So she mentioned something to him about me. And they said what would like to meet him, And I did.

00:49:41.900 - 00:50:07.450

And they hired me. And I went through about a two week indoctrination in their company. And then I started going out on contract for two different military bases doing shutter repairs for okay. But I only did that for about Oh, I'd say a year and a half to two years.

00:50:07.750 - 00:50:25.980

And then I wanted to go have fun. E think you had a right thio. Okay, so what would you say? You're talking about how important the canal is and it z importance to both Congress. What do you think? It's the biggest legacy of the Panama Canal Zone community that you've left in Panama.

00:50:26.660 - 00:50:46.090

I'm not sure I understand the question, I guess. You know, do you have a part of this community for such a long time? What impact do you think that it's had? Because I No, I mean the things that helping to both the zone, the work that you all did their what legacy do you think that that's hot?

00:50:46.660 - 00:51:16.820

Well, I think it was a wonderful thing. And I I just think it's so amazing when I think about my family and how they were, how they were there, got involved even before that came along. Uh, And then, like I say, when somebody comes along and says, Hey, your father graduated from Crystal High school, you did.

00:51:16.830 - 00:51:40.770

E was just gonna actually about that, You know, What did that mean to you that your daughters went to the same high school that you went Thio? They went to Balboa E was crystal on the Atlantic side bauble on the Pacific side E. But, I mean, you know, they saw all those memories there that they were able to participate in the things that you did, in a way.

00:51:40.780 - 00:52:02.410

Oh, yes, I know. And I heard lots of stories about it. Like Dad. I was in the gym the other day in Crystal Ball. They have a picture of you in there and you were the captain of the basketball team. Okay, But you know, there's so many things like that.

00:52:02.830 - 00:52:38.570

I think the greatest thing I will never forget about down there Waas and I believe the year was 1991. The Panama Canal reunion was held in Tampa and their guest speaker was Robert Dole. Uh huh. And the author. He was the last surviving Roosevelt metal holder, and he was 103 years old.

00:52:39.950 - 00:53:03.950

And here I am, walking around in the reunion in Tampa 91. I believe it. Waas, and all of a sudden Vince Ridge comes up to me and he was my baseball coach and little me. Hey, says Billy Wives, come here. Someone wants to meet you and took me over and I did not know this man here.

00:53:03.950 - 00:53:27.760

He was standing there. You look like 5 ft six, maybe all dressed in suits, standing there straight as an arrow, and he walked up. And that's said, Mr Doyle, this is Billy Waibel. And he looked at me and he said, You must be the grandson of Captain William Weigel.

00:53:28.420 - 00:53:59.420

And I said, I waas And he said Whitehall was the finest home in Colon, and I said, I've seen pictures of it. Heard of it Anyways, it was my grandfather in 1910 built this beautiful 10 bedroom mhm off the ground two stories high home and go on and named it Whitehall on.

00:53:59.440 - 00:54:17.620

When he said that, I think tears came to my eyes because I just thought here, this man 103 years old and he remembers this. So what? I mean, you were when you left in 89. You weren't just leaving a place of work. I mean, your whole family has been ever so long.

00:54:17.620 - 00:54:47.050

What was it really like leaving? Because it couldn't have been easy. I wanted to go because I had these visions of all the traveling, which I did. Yeah. Okay. I mean, since I did that, I can't tell you all the places. I mean, my very first trip was I got to Florida and I got on my motorcycle road to San Diego by myself and then from San Diego to Seattle by myself.

00:54:47.060 - 00:55:13.970

Then across the northwest, around the Great Lakes, up to New England, back to Florida. Six weeks later, I covered 14 0 miles. I've been to Mt. Rushmore. Grand Canyon can't name how many places, and I had three nights in a motel the whole trip. The rest of time was people I knew from Panama worked with and grew up with and relatives.

00:55:14.940 - 00:55:32.050

That's that's incredible. I just Yeah, yeah, on Lee to come to a reunion after that halves eat more has come up to me and say, Bill, I manage you. I heard you on your motorcycle and you went by where I live and you didn't even stop.

00:55:32.060 - 00:55:50.750

Hold on. I said, Zeke, you retired to Brownsville, Texas. I didn't go down South Texas, he says. I only stayed there a year. I moved to South Dakota. I said, Really whereabouts. He said, Oh, by Rapid City I said, That's where I had to spend one night in the hotel because the next day I wanted to be able to go to Mount Rushmore.

00:55:50.760 - 00:56:14.250

Get back, eh? So I could have done if I had known that two nights s's. It's a very close community. It is. Okay, well, the canal zone close community, period. In fact, I've heard a bartender in one of these reunions, not this one. Say, you know, I've been doing this job for years.

00:56:14.260 - 00:56:31.840

I've never seen a group like this. And I said, Is there something unusual about him? And they said, Yes, everybody seems very friendly. They'd like to have drinks and they hug each other, and E said, Well, I think that's the way we are. Why do you think that issues such a close community?

00:56:32.020 - 00:56:53.440

I don't know, e. I guess because we all enjoyed each other's company and growing up being close. You know, for instance, saying my car breaks down and I don't know what to do with it. And my neighbor repairs cards so he comes over to fix that for you.

00:56:53.450 - 00:57:12.610

And that's the way it waas everybody helping everybody else out. That's really special. Would you consider yourself a Panamanian American? I'm both your golf. Okay. In fact, my grandson's questioned me about that. It's just I asked for that because I mean my family from another country.

00:57:12.610 - 00:57:34.360

So it comes up. No, why? They grandsons question me about it. Why? Because when I take him to Panama and we get the Panama checking in the customs, the customs guy says, Welcome home. And when we come back and land in Orlando, the customs guy says, Welcome home, grandsons.

00:57:34.370 - 00:57:54.370

They go, What's going on here? Everywhere you go, they say, Welcome home. Well, if they miss you and you're gone, I guess I just have a couple more questions. Um, why would just I'm sorry. What would you say so special about these reunions that you all keep coming back here after year after year?

00:57:54.380 - 00:58:12.450

Yes. It's the friendship again. Just like I would say, get on your bike and go all the way around the country and have friends everywhere. Yeah, but I love that because it's like even though you the geography has changed, the bond is still there. And now it's just you're a little bit your communities bigger in a way.

00:58:12.730 - 00:58:37.170

Okay, um, that's my last question. Would be, if you could describe your experience living in the zone or being a part of this community, If you could describe it in one. Worried what? Where would it be? Fantastic. Fantastic. And why it waas It was just the way it waas e everything about It was just I call fantastic.

00:58:37.180 - 00:58:55.320

I loved it. Okay, so I don't have any other questions. I don't know if there's something that we didn't cover in the interview that perhaps you would like to add. I can't think of anything really Okay. No, thank you. So much of survival. I really enjoyed this.

00:58:55.330 - 00:58:58.920

Thank you. Okay. And this concludes this interview