Don Wilson and Lee Ann Marona

00:03 A my name is Leanne Moroni Leanne Wilson Moroni. I am 45 years old and today's date is March 5th 2010. We are in Pensacola, Florida at the storycorps booth and I'm going to interview my dad, Don Wilson.

00:20 My name is Don Wilson. I'm 72 years old is March 5th 2010. We're in Pensacola, Florida and Leanne. I'm proud to save my daughter.

00:32 Okay, Dad. I wanted to start by asking you to tell a little bit about your dad and your mom before you were born and maybe just a little bit about their lives where they came from and their marriage in the things that happened before you were born. My dad was Ed Wilson, he grew up and Union County Georgia, and they also when he was a young man, they moved to Tennessee dat close to Athens, Tennessee. My dad was one of the he was the oldest boy and he had the opportunity to go to Harrison Shell Highway and close to Knoxville, Tennessee for high school and graduated. There's valedictorian and 1928 I believe.

01:23 Boarding school, right? I was at boarding school yet. They wasn't it was a working farm in a and the students worked on a farm to be able to pay the tuition in the soap. And he went on he went home only. You know, I just a few times a year during that. Of time my mom and dad got married when my mom was 16. She was raised by her Uncle George Payne and his wife. I see Uncle George was my mother's

02:00 Mother's brother and my mother is not my grandmother died when my mother was three years old.

02:09 And I thought they were for children in the family and they were all split up when both parents died when my mother was three years old.

02:21 My mother's name is Hazel Wilson, and she was a good mom. And unfortunately, she passed away at the age of 47 with lung cancer, but she was severely burned in 1933 it due to a fire they were they had a wood stove that they were cooking with and she got up to cook my dad's breakfast and put some kerosene in on the on the calls and wood stove and it was a bad explosion and she was burned over body and stayed in the hospital for probably a year or so.

03:00 And didn't I tell her she'd never be able to have children. I did tell her that she would never have any children. So I guess I was surprised and 19. I actually they probably found out about an 37. I was born they were not so 1938.

03:16 And I have two sisters Doris was born December 9th. 1944 and Sarah was born November 30th 1948.

03:29 But tell me some you had some really interesting jobs growing up. So tell me a little bit about your town and some of the things as you eat what you might want to tell me some of your funny boys stories first. Maybe the song the one about me all the time when your mom got on to you so bad. I want you know, the one I'm talking about before you went to town and put the call on your phone. So I will tell you that you know, I was a pretty energetic but one time I needed some money for something. I must have been eight or nine years old and I'd put some color on my face and put on some old clothes and went down I was begging down in town till somebody call my mother and she came and got me and took care of that situation.

04:16 But up early on I I started a lawn service which will be called a lawn service now just mowing yards and later on I had made enough money to buy the second lawn mower parts of a boy named Danny client who I think is a doctor now or a lawyer and Danny and I work together and then I gave him a percentage iPhone is a lawn mower in the gas and and they were probably a year or two younger than I was but I started delivering papers and when I was in 8th grade and delivered the Chattanooga Times until I graduated from high school in 1956 the town of Copperhill, Tennessee and McCaysville. Georgia was unique towns cuz their own of Georgia Tennessee line and I only about two or three miles from the North Carolina line. It was a mining town. My father was a assistant metallurgist that what they did a size of the order that came out of the grave.

05:16 To figure out the percentage of iron zinc and copper and there was a certain amount of gold that they got it that time too.

05:27 That place is presently been torn down. It's under environmental remediation. Now, one of the unique things about Copperhill McCaysville was I was to Hell's or two mountains as most people down here would say and then the school on the Georgia side. I attended through the 9th grade that was maquet's rail McCaysville Elementary and high school and across the river was Copperhill Tennessee Elementary in high school. So after the ninth grade, I wanted to play football. So at that time you could cross the state line go to whichever School you wanted to so I went over to Copperhill and play football and graduated from there and again in May of 56.

06:15 But another unique thing about the town I think for a small town. There was a lot of educated people because of the management, Tennessee Coffee Company.

06:30 And also I think they were responsible bringing in good school teachers and people that had an influence and I attended the First Baptist Church all my life and Capri on my cash. And you know, it was a good charge a lot of good influences after the Royal ambassador program and I ended up the summer. I graduated high school and worked at the company part of the summer. But the other part I was a counselor at camp and I forgot the name of the camp in Clayton, Georgia Cowpens in Clayton, Georgia, and that was a good good summer.

07:10 Tell me about your dad and his involvement at church. And also when you finish that tell me the story about when you got in trouble at Church my dad. He left us thing. He was a good Tanner and he sang in the choir all of my life. My mom attended church most of the time but a lot of time because of her Burns and her scars. She didn't go as regular as my dad did but doesn't the store that you're having reference to was one Sunday evening of several of us boys were going to skip church and we had a balcony and we had some rooms on the side of the balcony. And so we decided to go up and saw the pastor or my dad who was in the choir come and see me, we we crawl on my hands and knees and toe a classroom. That was right off the balcony.

08:04 And the pastor been very kindly told the Usher said I think I saw a dog go up the stairs to the so would y'all check that out? Then when the Usher came out? He was leading US triple R Us boys and needless to say. My dad was looking me in the eye when that happened. So, you know, I heard about that when I got home that you didn't.

08:30 Say mom is left me a note to ask you something about shaved head and toboggan. I don't think I know that that story was that about we had a really good football team and I was one of the co-captains but me and the Fellas name of Bobby Lattimore. Who is the other Captain I'll wait. We're just setting it during lunch at school one day and I don't know what he either or either me or him. Once that, you know less shaver heads so off to town we went cuz it was just down the hill and we got her head shaved and then we went back to class after lunch. The teacher would not let us back in class. He said with your own Obby had so he sends back to town to get a toboggan for a Touchback in price.

09:22 What about have a note here to ask about putting a girl's car in the school quarter? We did they was a girl in our class namjoon and McCarter that had a little Metropolitan which was a small car in early fifties and there was enough of us boys during a study hall. We talked off and and pick that car up and put it in the hall. I was outside her classroom when she came out after class and that was that was a lot of fun to remember hearing that story. I want to hear the story about your mom chopping down the cable pole. Well in the early fifties cable television, no one had really envisioned anything like we have today. So it was a fella named of goodware and his daughter Mary. Ann was in my class wouldn't still friends. But anyway, he he put poles up around town and put up one big antenna up and then he was transmitting that throughout the

10:22 Hannity and the wire at that time you probably never seen but it had about an inch space with a little plastic dividers that kept the two conductors apart Butt-head got permission from our family to run TV cable across our pastor so sometime I don't know what you're after. It happened. My the person only cable company in my mother got in a controversy over whether we had paid our bill or not mother said we had and he said he hadn't so she just got the ax and let down our pastor and cut down a bowl of caring is lying which broke that down and needless to say we got our cable back and how it was resolved or not. You know, I've been pretty sure if she had paid self.

11:12 Good stores, that was a good story to I still know my mom was she was a prankster in a lot of lice.

11:22 Tell me about I know you said your mom and dad would sing sometimes in the car. Tell me a little bit about that remembering the songs or where you are. You know, it's not like it is today if we go see our grandparents which was only 40 45 miles away. It would only be like 3 or 4 times a year and I remember specifically Going Down the River Road. That's where you were rafting on the old coil last couple of years. But anyway, there's just a specific area of the hair that I remember them singing. I'll fly away or all right.

12:06 Farther along or something things like that that they would sing together. I don't want you to tell me about the company store and any memories you have of that.

12:18 Well The Company Store not only did we have a company store. We had company housing that we did not live in company housing. There was a I would say a higher level of housing available to the management of the Tennessee Coffee Company.

12:36 And that was on smelter hell and the hospital where I was born was the Tennessee copper company Hospital which was a company hospital and it was also on smelter Hill and they had a big Clubhouse up there where I would say the upper management, you know, they had their parties in her social functions there, but then there was a another area which is still there. But which the houses are individually owned now that the hourly people lived in in a lot of people out that I graduate from high school with lived in that company housing at that time, but the smell the store was a it was almost like a general store. It was unique in the fact that when I was small they had an employee that would that walk the neighborhoods and we'll take your grocery order and then they would deliver your groceries to your home.

13:35 But they had everything from tires and auto accessories to nice men's and ladies clothing and everything in between and the the store burn down sometime in the early fifties and then they build it over on the highway going towards Ducktown Tennessee and up that building is being used for something else now.

14:04 Okay. I want to talk now about your

14:08 When you join the Navy, can you tell a little bit about a lot about your name so I can tell you how I join the Navy I started the University of Georgia out of thought I could. I tried to go on play football as a walk-on. I was 5 6 and weigh 260 pounds and fast, but do you know I found out right away that there was a lot of people that weigh 200 pounds it would just as fast as I was so, but anyway when I went to the University of Georgia my family my mother worked hard and we had to just two girls and if I didn't have a lot of spending money and I didn't have time to work so I join the Army Reserve.

14:57 But I didn't have the discipline. I didn't go to the meeting just as I should have saw in the spring. I got a letter from Uncle Sam saying greetings and salutations. So well all outsmart them. I'll join the Navy for 4 years instead of being drafted for 2. So anyway, they were young. That was a guy graduating high school named Jackie Stanley jaki lives over in front of Arta now but up.

15:31 Without the soda shop, which was kind of logo hanging out in Copperhill I said, hey Jackie, I'm going to Navy once you go with me. So he said, okay, so I'll to Atlanta we went and

15:46 So when we had our went through the induction Center in Atlanta, and then we went down to the Navy recruiter and he said well, I want to send you boys to Great Lakes tonight. So I'm not going to Great Lakes and I want to go to San Diego cuz it's cold and right lights cuz that's was in the middle of March. In fact, it was like March 18th, not think somewhere like that.

16:11 So anyway, he said well if you're going to join the Navy you going to Great Lakes and I said, well, I just join the Airforce cream kind of tell me how Luce's I was in so we went down to see the Air Force recruiters. I'll send you the San Antonio this evening. That's fine while we left some of the papers he needed up at the up at the Navy recruiter. So we went back up to see the Navy recruiter and he's at all I can I found two places in San Diego last decision that I could make for a while because we flew what would they call a red eye now to San Diego they picked us up and take us to the naval Training Center San Diego and we probably got to bed about 5, and I thought what you know will get sleep in in the morning. So it's that sex, you know that it's time to roll out and they took everything you had and basically gave you a bit might as well done a shaved head.

17:11 Thought it was a bar haircut. Just did down to the scalp.

17:15 So what's up, but during that period of time because I had been in the Army Reserve. I got a little bit of credit for that. So I ended up during the boot camp Bend Athletic petty officer, which excuse me from some of the more mundane things taken care of the the softball in the other things. We were playing as far as Athletics was concerned.

17:40 Stop the debt after the Navy. I mean after all the boot camp Jack and I headed back to Copperhill for a boot leave. The amazing thing happened was that we stopped out in West Texas and it was tumbleweeds and it look like a western movie from from old John Wayne movie with wooden sidewalks and dumb ways actually blowing down the street. So we got bug-eyed or big-eyed in and when we got back to the bus that was gone.

18:16 So we didn't know what we were going to do it where Dwight gets in this bus, but you know in our minds if you lost your seabag which with all your orders and everything, which was on the bus, you know, that was just that was terrible. But anyway, the bus driver taken care of and he put it off at the bus station in Dallas.

18:36 But on the way on the way.

18:41 Home Jack is that I'm getting out of this chicken, you know what outfit and I said, no you signed up for 4 years, just like I did so he was going back to Norman, Oklahoma to Air Wing of the Navy to go to school and I was going back to San Diego to go to electrician School.

19:03 Well, you know, I went on back to San Diego and the next thing I heard Jackie was out of the Navy allergic to the uniform and he was a Jackie was he was a kind of a strawberry blonde real light Freckle skin in the Heat and eat put something on him, but you and I don't know what it was, but he figured out how to get out and he did just like you said you was going to do.

19:30 But in that and that's at been that summer I went I was going to electrician school. They had one of they had the whole base one thing cuz we had Asian float and that's a sick as I've ever been in my life. And anyway, though, the infirmary was full and they just quarantine the base and they set aside some Barracks to put people that had the flu in in or keep them separated from the rest of the people but nothing bad, but during that. Of time is when I move my church letter from First Baptist Church in McCaysville.

20:12 Georgia Copperhill, Tennessee to First Baptist Church, San Diego

20:17 And your mother and her sister ain't Josh was at church that Sunday and so up after I join and I thought I said well this guy is from Tennessee that joined the church. So Joyce call down to the base and and left word for me to call and I called and I'm at them and that church next Sunday and then we went out to Oscar's which is a what I think turned into McDonald's and but there still a place cuz I believe in Southern California, but then we went out to Point Loma and we dated that summer and your mom. What's up?

21:06 Going back to go to

21:10 To college at Tennessee, Westland and Athens, Tennessee

21:17 What's your wife's name? Last name? Is Joanne and sew in.

21:24 A couple of months will be married 50 years.

21:29 Graduation know I believe it was the summer after her freshman year at Tennessee Westland. Yes, that would have to go somewhere else. Well, you know your mom and I dated that summer after I graduated from the electrician school. It was call electrician Mike and I got orders to go to a ship the USS Jupiter EVS 8 and I didn't I didn't take another leave because I had been home about four months before and I said to all the ships rotate back and forth every 6 months.

22:11 We're All Ships not rotate back it for six months and a Jupiter was home-ported in yokuska, Japan and so I went over there in September of 1957 and then I came home in January the last of January 1958. So I was over there nearly eighteen months. We did a lot of cruises.

22:43 Protectli down to Okinawa which is a part of Japan now and down to Hong Kong Subic Bay in the Philippines and over to Formosa. Tell me about some of the jobs that you did other than being just an electrician seems like he told me about some other things you did on the ship to before I became a petty officer was one of the things that that you can do to earn extra money was to show movies. So I had been to at Treasure Island, which is in San Francisco between XL Island between San Francisco and Oakland been to move the school. And so I've showed the movies on the ship when we were at sea or we were in Port and so, you know, that was a I just kind of enjoyed that and it was always a challenge with

23:43 But the projector work out Jan join army navy and you could you had to change rails cuz that was usually about three rails and every movie. I just tried it myself, you know, it may be about 30 seconds of changing the rails and and getting from one realtor to the next real so you didn't have that much but the movies work the way they design these rails they had a pretty good break or stopping point to do that was part of my Navy trying to get one of the things you could do. Now one of the interesting things on the Jupiter.

24:30 And not

24:33 The fall of 58

24:37 Before I came home.

24:40 We were in there was a war that was it was called a ward that match match Sycamore a war which was red China was shelling Formosa.

24:54 And where we're going into a port in naha, Okinawa and we were taking personnel and supplies down to a task force that was in the South China Sea and then up through the Straits to another task force that was in the north part of the South China Sea, but we got caught in a in a typhoon that lasted for a week. We couldn't change course over one degree and you know, nobody could cook or maybe have some sandwiches or something like that. But I know that I've seen waves at least 75 foot high during that. Of time when the ship would go up on the crest, you know, you'll just be looking down in the screw would come out of the water and the turbines would be screaming cuz they were going real.

25:54 I ask because I didn't have the resistance of the water and then when you went down into trouble if you look up and see the wave like that, but when you hit the bottom it would just shake the ship and you know it break out light bulbs in but during that. Of time one of the interesting things that happened in the compartments were we slept there was some oxygen acetylene bottles that were chained up so they broke the chains broke, but you couldn't go in there because it would just been suicide to do that with these big metal tanks rolled in a row. So what you just we just had to listen to him roll and hope nothing happened in the in the meantime.

26:37 But one of the things that I'm pretty sure that during that. Of time there was an atomic bomb that was put on our ship and it was never used it was guarded by Marines around the clock, but that's how serious this war was and the pin the concern about China invading foremost at the time. But nobody ever said it was or they didn't say it what but do you know where we all felt like that? It was because of the kind of container it was in

27:12 Not during the 18 months you were on that ship. Did you continue to correspond with Mom after she said that she wrote some time in the fall and we stay with right? So, you know whether I got it or I don't think I got it or if I did, you know, I don't but then I decided to ride her. I don't know sometime in the fall of 57 and we picked up the car spawn. Which we had on a you know.

27:44 Probably three or four letters awake just about until maybe more until I came home and that January of late January of 59 so that when you got engaged yes, and you know would probably were just had been together and the casual dating there for the summer of 57, but one of the interesting things about that going back a little bit when I was going to go pick her up for it to go to the zoo or go to the beach in San Diego. I have to ride a bus down to downtown San Diego from the training center get a transfer and transfer to Chula Vista and get off the bus at Chula Vista and walk about a mile to where she left and then walk back to the bus.

28:39 A stop in Chula Vista and then back to San Diego and then if we went to the beach and then Ivory was all over I would take her back home get off Walker back to the house and they've go go back again to Chula Vista and ride the bus back and then get another transfer and finally you get back so it talk about half the day and I'm going down the bus so that was all right. That's how I didn't have a car and she didn't have a car out there. So that's how we got around in the summer of 57 together. Just getting on the bus. Yes. I know that this doesn't end the Navy chapter of your life, but tell me a little bit about getting engaged and your engagement well,

29:29 I had I had made a down payment on a rain earlier and that all fell through we won't even go there. But anyway about a ring after I get came home.

29:45 In Copperhill

29:50 And so your mom and I stopped we've been down to

29:56 I need to back up a little bit and just tell you the night that I came home. I had bought.

30:05 I bought a English pigskin bag. And and I think someone in San Francisco Airport took it and but my mom and dad met Joanne at the airport had never met her before and I never met her folks other than Joyce.

30:25 And

30:28 Make a long story short.. My folks home. I was taking her back home and I went to sleep and roll the car over and we were picked up Jeff some pretty serious injuries at that time. But to try to move right along I was on I was transferred from there to the Onslow DSS Onslow ADP. 48 has been a tour on that ship in Hong Kong for 9 months a good Beauty. We took care of Shore Patrol and movies and and the politicians that came over one of the unique experience. There was playing in the Hong Kong Softball Association and got some pictures of that and after that ship I was transferred. We put it out of commission and 1960 and long about February.

31:24 And I was transferred to the USS Sherwood DD 5:20 or Destroyer. It's been a few months on it and it was going back overseas. And because I had had been over as long as I had nearly three years out of it. I was allowed to transfer to the the USS wiltsie DD 716 which is a 2250 class destroyer and I was on the Wilson until I talked to got out of the Navy one of the things I was proud of was a maid first class petty officer. Just as I was getting out which is a E6 which is tough to do and for you.

32:10 Will tell me the story about when you got out of the Navy the surprise decision. Well, I had an opportunity to go to work at convair in which was an aircraft manufacturing place in San Diego through this rise who were friends from Copperhill and we come back. So I went to Nashville on the 60th day which was the last day of re-enlistment to re-enlist. And so I had to remember I thought I taught my physical at up to all that test I had to take and I had they gave me a $1,500 shipping over check but I remembered when I first joined they said that you can either step out online now or forever hold your peace.

32:58 So that came to my mind and I the captain Stardust where sin and so I just said, excuse me Captain that thought ran through my mind, you know, here's your money back. I'm going home. So I called Joanne and said, you know, I'm going to be on the Greyhound coming that was coming from Nashville to Cleveland. And so anyway, I got a job the next day jobs are pretty scarce. Not as bad as now, but pretty scarce and in 1961.

33:31 Well that's seen that we're running out of time, just a little bit about your time in Chicago with that is it was a Chicago after the Navy I work for?

33:45 Mallory battery which is now door sale for all year and a half or so it but in the spring of RN in the winter really of 1962-63. I heard about a paper mill being built.

34:03 Down in south Georgia and so late just before just before the toner rice at the way. I remember it hardly wear and I drove down to be interviewed and basically out, you know, do you have any paper mill experience? No, but I ended up telling the guy that pay if I go and get lock up an associate's degree in industrial Electronics. We hire me. Yes, we will fly fly had a promise of that. So when I went back the next day, I'd had Joanne call the plant and tell him I was going to be out on Monday. So we went down on the day of the toner rights rice of 1963.

34:53 And so anyway, I came back and the guy kept the plant manager came back that you got an unexcused absence for being out yesterday. And I said, well, you know, I'll just give you my notice and so your mom and I she was teaching school. We just quit and I went to an electroscope in Chicago, but I'd already taken a test to go in on electrical part. So I only picked up in the middle, of course in industrial Electronics.

35:27 And how long did you spend their? Well, it was about from February until June saver Springs. So I know the one of the things that you know, we didn't have hardly anything because your mom worked in Chicago. I work for Chicago Magnet Wire going to school during the day and then working the evening shift, but one of the interesting things that happened I want to see the Union business agent IBEW and he said well, I'll put you to work in the morning as a tournament electrician if you'll vote.

36:12 To be a member of a unit local out of our local in Albany, and I said you got to vote. So anyway back to Blakely I went I have my toes by dead.

36:25 Bring any extra clothes and didn't have much money. So I went up to boy at department store in Blakely, Georgia and and Mister boy that was closing. So I knocked on the window and he said come on in and I told her I don't have any money, but I need a couple pair of jeans and some T-shirts to get through the week and

36:48 He cut. He said come on in boy and get whatever you want.

36:52 So anyway after that anything that after you and John was born I always told your mom anyting.

37:01 You need get from Esther boy at

37:05 He was so kind.

37:08 I get teared up thinking about that one cuz I wouldn't happen nowadays. We lived in Blakely Georgia and worked in the paper industry and I had the opportunity to go to Galen paper in St. Marys. Georgia is assistant chief electrician and 1965. We stayed there a year and then I went to Interstate paper and start up in Riceboro Georgia. We lived in Hinesville Georgia and because of the school situation and in that county, we had an opportunity to go to a new mail being built in north, Alabama and we lived in Decatur, Alabama. Your mom wanted a house close to the school. And I found one that was almost in the backyard. You could walk through a backyard in into the school.

38:02 And then I was transferred to Pensacola in 1986 after Champion International purchase the st. Regis Corporation retired there at the end of December 31st of 99 and basically since that time I have been working at the church other than the first 6 months after I retired I worked in Hinton Alberta on some control issues at the well would have counted a fuck mail there.

38:39 And but but since that summer bass we can all have been the project manager building a new worship center and a new 75000 square foot generation building and at the church and I've enjoyed that still do a lot of work there. I think we're going to have to do more of this it home on our own because there are a lot more things. I wish I could hear you tell about and I've heard some things I never heard before. So this is great. Yeah, they love you at the church and we love you too. And you know your your life miserable yet. You've got a lot of stories. Were you shown kindness to people too and I like to hear some of those stories. Sometimes he'd like the story of the people you hired because of different character quality traits that you've seen in them and giving them a chance so,

39:34 Anything else that you want to say, I appreciate the opportunity to do this and and I'm proud of you and your family and and watch y'all represent man. So it's you know where it's been. I've had a good life and hopefully I got a few years left and but I enjoy working and I enjoy your mom and join and I've had a wonderful relationship for a nearly 50 years. And so that something with that said, you know, it's really busy been I've had a good laugh.

40:13 Well, I appreciate all that you've done for me and all the things you've taught me both directly and just by your example in your life and love you, Dad. Love you too, sweetie.