Robert Hammond and Elizabeth Hammond

00:00 I am Beth Hammond and I am 57 years old. And today is November 27th, 2021. And we I am here with my dad and New Smyrna Beach at his home.

00:16 New Smyrna, Beach, Florida, New Smyrna, Beach, Florida, 80 years old, couple days ago and it's the same day as she just said the same place. I wanted to do storycorps with you Daddy because you have lived, your life so fully and it's been exciting to be your child with all the adventures that we've had and you were born and raised in. Miami Florida. One of the few native Floridians that exist. I kept her more now than there used to be, but you were in college and to dental school and all of those things. So, talk about some of the adventures that you've had in your life.

01:11 Mainly River.

01:14 Like you said, I was born in Miami right before World War II before Pearl Harbor and grew up in Miami. And then I went off to college at the Florida. Southern College, Lakeland, Florida, and it's a great small college and in Florida. And shortly after that. I Met Your Mother, 59 years ago, and met her. And those of the biggest adventure. I've had been married to your mother for fifty-eight years. We have 56 good ones in it.

02:07 So after you got married, you took your road trip and you moved to Cleveland to go to dental school University of Miami for a year and they graduate studies in Biochemistry, and then I decided I want to be a dentist. So I went to Case Western Reserve in Cleveland Dentistry. I also worked at the Cleveland Clinic on another adventure. There was when you got tuberculosis and that if it hadn't been for a position there, a pediatrician there that provided your treatment for free.

02:58 I wouldn't be a dentist today, but they did and people came to help so I left and they're in the Vietnam War. I wasn't involved in that, but I was at Camp Lejeune with the Marines and

03:19 Life is good to years. I spent there and then we moved to Daytona Beach to set up practice and that's why I practice Dentistry for 45 years and Daytona Beach specifically as you grew up in Miami fishing and enjoying that. So I know that during our childhood, there were times when we were fishing beg you to stop because we were since we did a lot of other things that went with the fishing.

04:08 And so are we go out scuba diving then and then while I was waiting to be able to go further and I got to where I was fishing with a diving Daytona Beach, isn't all that great, but it is with me until I do something stupid like hand her an anchor.

04:45 That's how we have to be in Daytona. Also raised you myself. And so it was interesting to be in Daytona.

05:09 Motorhome.

05:10 Infield fly, you help that dentist at the 24 Hours of Daytona. We have to sit in the front and do splits and tell you how fast they were going with the walkie-talkie. So races. Except for a few years. I was in The Parlor and so your mother was stand on the track or the chalkboard and convey information to the driver for 500, you know, for 24 hours. So, you know, course I were young enough to be able to do that.

06:01 I practiced dentistry in the Navy for sand in here, but I got

06:08 The same. So weird that your mother and I did was to go on mission trips to True indigenous people and not into remote areas. And so we've been to about 15 different countries and worked on the indigenous. People indigenous people by and large can for a little help. Guatemala City EMT guy there. And you certainly don't get any dentist for anywhere.

06:50 You know part of the government share. And so there's a big day for pain relief and some restorative work if that's what we did in different areas. Where did the church organizations were reaching out to these people. So we were able to go to a lot of countries in the Americas and women to African number various.

07:20 Righttime, you helping people like that to Chile, Chile, and then later you took and I know that that trip to Peru, for that, child for Mary changed your life, completely. I mean, you were, you had to walk from the Amazon out, to a tribal area where the house is wrong. I'm still without electricity. But what she said was, when you came over the hill and you saw the field and have two horses in it. That was that particular moment changed her life. Wanted to that. We had, we had to Lug our equipment up, the hill, and everything else. And then enter the valley, which was it when the Amazon for the Napa River, which is a tributary to Amazon, and they had some more Sizzla

08:20 We practice area is extremely hot. I have became

08:27 And I have problem with the heat a couple of times I've ever real good to us and they put us inside somewhere and I'd much rather been outside interest rate, but they said we are self-contained and we have the equipment. We need to do Dentistry for the rotary club in Seattle. I would put these things together. So it was pretty interesting, but that was a trip down the Napa River. And we were there with the missionary that was involved. In trying to create a better breed. The better breed of animals.

09:27 Picture of the Jedi.

09:30 She was doing a good job.

09:35 Wait, supply routes for them. And that way, the real side of the medical sign for time and keep us safe.

10:17 One of the things that I've always admired about you is that you didn't wait for someday to have your adventures to do your traveling, to do your things with us. And then I remember you saying more than once in a way you were sorry for taking me to the fancy restaurants because now we like the fancy food.

10:34 So we did a lot of traveling and so we we were able to have a lot of experiences and you try to explain the reason why you did that, you have to show us places so experiences and the relationships are far more important than anything by building relationships. So we're very intentional about building memories with y'all taking you, you went to, I think you went to every state except one or two on your way to Canada. I went to different places. That's kind of scary.

11:34 And your daughters, I was intentional about, getting them to show them more what the real world, most people live in the world.

12:04 I know it did.

12:05 Good for increasing vocabulary. So I remember when you had just retired from dentistry and your or your 70th birthday. You jumped out of a plane and I Remember Mama saying, why would you want to jump out of a perfectly good plane, like a list as they say and it was exciting because I think it's like a motorcycle ride is going to a military jet last week and did the Maneuvers and all that. And it was a it was a lot of fun and, you know, I had to have him level out between trolls and all.

13:05 My stomach. I can reposition itself.

13:11 I've never known you to have any stomach problems because we did a lot of traveling.

13:16 And the boats are always on the smaller side and we went out across the ocean, across the Gulf Stream, and my brothers, and I never knew there was something that was special about that separate one time. More like this is not a good thing. You do. You always, even when we did things that were big things, you do it in a way that provided the most experiences that we didn't do it by ourselves. We have other boats around us or with us and Bud.

14:02 On a good day. We can make it no time to pull on a bad day. 22 days. We went out virtually every summer every year since 1970. So to go fishing, we going to try to refer me to go fishing. We have friends over there. Then we visit. We fish with, we traveled around to lot of the island and down every primary Bonefish and Chase are underwater cameras and take pictures.

14:58 Books by the grandchildren. And I know that for me reading, it helped me to make sense out of all of these things that we got in our lives. But what are some of the lessons that you really wanted the grandchildren this year under stand?

15:19 I guess a big lesson. Is that memories and relationships and all are the most important thing is that I didn't really understand that real. Well until until I got involved in the church and and I

15:43 It became obvious to me that that was more important than trying to build up another car or something like that. They idea that they can do.

15:58 Berks anythin. They want to do within reason by applying themselves in hell if you want to lead organizations, or if you want to start a business or something like that. That's that is definitely possible and it's just you you want to have that passion to do it. And and I believe that you can do that. At least they can because of the

16:30 Situations. I am really good with a life. I think that the older ones have already started out well and that's for me, that was meaningful that you've encouraged all of us so much because there was a time when I didn't think I would go back to school and I really had wanted to teach College children for a long time, but I wanted to teach teachers and it look like I couldn't go back there with you. And Mom is your encouragement. I was able to go back and see and now I teach teachers, I do what I love to do everyday.

17:13 Has a dentist.

17:16 You are. If you want to be a dentist, a good dentist.

17:22 You've got this continuing to be educated. You have to go to continuing education. What time?

17:31 And without doing that, you fall behind and you are not providing your patience with the best care or the care that they need to have. I always thought that was important to keep getting an education and one time I got a little burned out on dentistry and I took a two-year course if University of Florida and and comprehensive dentistry and every fire me up. And I went for another guy graduate of Florida State. So is one of the grandchildren and about to be another grandchild. Got that rivalry games are on today.

18:17 And your brother and all your might as well do that. I can't sell. Are there in a recession. Anyway?

18:38 So,

18:40 Your mama been together, 59-58 59 years, a long time. So what do you have for for the future? More on the again on relationships? I don't want to know I'm excited about the new baby coming. That's going to make me break. And I never thought I'd make it by the time we have left.

19:21 I remember when you first retired during that next year and a half. You got a puppy and a Miata and your last new car and a motorhome and you bought a campsite down in the Everglades using the condo ugly. Now. It's like I told you before, if you don't own anything, that's all owns you. And so now, I've got the phone down there. I love being in the, the wild like that. It reminds me of

20:06 Because there's very little Florida left.

20:16 And when you,

20:18 Nile sometimes you'll take your boat and goes around the islands where you don't see people for a long time. And he stay in the cities. They have set up has a GPS device on your body when you go.

20:34 Have fun.

20:38 God, that you have another adventure. Coming on, December 13th to repair a dog's most of our time. We had a German Shepherd, the grew up with you guys. And that was one of the most fantastic and arrows at your balance between protection and loving and part of the family wrestling on the floor, in the dog comes in the raffle with us.

21:20 And we're so excited because the dog was so excitable and the dog can open and close doors and can do either one.

21:36 Exciting. You going to have new puppy and great-grand baby clothes together. Ameribest, in Marin. We have your brother and his four boys here now, and the other brother, and I'll be here.

22:02 Tomorrow, so that's exciting to have her but kind of like that. Lots of people, I know that sucks.

22:17 Marriage signing.

22:22 I really was a real important part of my life was.

22:29 Challenger.

22:32 Realization that there's a higher power than myself in and and I wasn't raised in the church environment inside. Whenever I used to drop you off at church and go play tennis, you know, I did my be good daddy thing and

22:52 By the time I got interested in religion and Christianity and you are, there might have been baptized.

23:15 To a lot of different Adventures that led to mission trips and it led to Bible study classes for quite some time quite a while. My sister asked me when I was in college. What do I want to do with my life? And I told her that I really didn't want to just breathe out the air.

23:52 What I want, I have some function in there to do some things that would have proved a lot of other people and an Dentistry allow me to do that. I was able to get involved with other organizations like for the homeless and for the Children's Home, things like that and that that he'll live out.

24:20 My desired to do something that would be meaning for be helpful and and then the church led to that because that's the main thrust of love your neighbor as you love yourself.

24:37 And so that helped a lot and it provides the first to go to church for my family. Amazon on a boat, doing Dentistry on the news, the New Hampton Dentistry.

25:10 My mother has rocks in the back of the truck as we're going through the mountains and Oaxaca Mexico and that it was but I am serving other people and and that was what I wanted to be able to do that and fish and alcohol. So one of the trips you took was to Tanzania and you spend some time with a, my side and it in Nairobi, and they picked us up.

26:05 But that was we went into Tanzania and they went out and Savannah and just out of Nissan truck. You need to go out looking for that, my side and the Savannah.

26:44 And the Serengeti or whatever.

26:48 When we examine Dennis friend and I were on the strip and examine about 60, 60, young children, elementary school children, found one small, cavity of all the

27:10 Which is a whole lot different than that at that time in the United States or in the thing like that. Babe, curdled milk and some vegetables, and deliver, their culture and deal with some of that way, have them go for us and black mamba that was in the in the area with a chance to go out and find that.

27:55 There was some place that you went on missions, where you had to sort of collaborate with a medicine person with a my sign, all our troops were medical, don't trip.

28:18 A little trouble in Ecuador way down river, and Ecuador, and we had a little trouble there where he was.

28:33 And in that ended because the chief in the village.

28:45 You know why he didn't come into our medical and finally his son.

28:53 Spirited Away a physician.

28:57 Medicine Man wouldn't see it. And they determined he had pneumonia and so there are nearest to the medicine or whatever. It is in good conditions, people that had ten years earlier had killed the missionary and the year before. And we didn't find this out until the end of the trip. Are we different?

29:46 Situation, when we came, we had to Lug all our equipment up. When we left. They wouldn't let you touch anything. They made it. They I don't know where they trying to get rid of the problem or something else, get sick, or they get worms when you take worm medicine to take for parasites.

30:27 So I'm coming towards and what I know my brother Bob is business. My brother Bryce is in the art world including working at the district level employee further doing arts in the county here. I'm at the University of South Carolina. What are your hopes for us?

30:48 Now, they're being realized my goals for you. We're all realized.

30:57 I haven't had this Fortune. I haven't had to you seem to have a

31:05 A lot, a lot, a lot of interest in lot of things, which I wanted you to have, you seen them be happy and that's good. I'm thrilled about what you're all are doing. You're very make me very proud. We never asked for a thing, was talking to one grandson about, but he's working at vet veterinarian office and he would like to be concerned about the time.

31:54 Anna pointed out to him since he graduated from college and wants to do something that's going to take him 5 or 6 years or 7 years to gain enough to become a manager or whatever. So that's the same time to taste you and whenever you got her undergraduate school and then you have to work your way up. So other than that, I work, I work all week long and went to school at the same time. Dental schools is an 8 to 4 job. Semesters your round.

32:44 But I also was able to work at night after that and I could have a job that I can study. So I was able to get through that.

32:56 That would help a lot of people.

33:02 And I think to an extent.

33:06 People running up huge bills in college and there is plenty of time.

33:18 Do you have a job and offset some of those costs at work?

33:26 Every all I want to work and pay for my schooling but I work all the time. I was in college and I was a science major and I was at a residence to know if I can do that. He said he's there was a particular statistics course that I was struggling with and Shepard with an A and that particular class, but I remember walking with you on the beach and I told you, I am a c student. I just work hard and you're telling me welcome to the club.

34:07 Hard-working. Smart watch.

34:13 But it's all part of having your own business, or whatever opportunity to.

34:31 Do-it-yourself conference Building self esteem. If you want, I learn.

34:47 In my marriage and my business and my life. When I got married, I have made a decision that I was going to be your faithful to your mother.

35:00 And I have I made a decision that this is why mother and I've been tempted by the business as a dentist. You have very little way of telling if I'm telling you the truth or not.

35:21 So I decided that I was going to. I was going to lay out the problems. I was going to show you how I can solve your problems. Tell you what, it cost you and then I would do it.

35:38 Something came up that changed it a little bit. I did that for the same price as well. So I wanted to be as honest as I could, and I want to force myself to make the right diagnosis by giving a price for that wouldn't change. And so that and doing that, it's not like I get in there and I find out you need a root canal or something. And then I have to

36:15 I just did and and so it made me.

36:20 They're my diagnosis is a lot better.

36:23 Rather than just one one number at you, to get you to accept treatment as long as you can and keep your word. When you say you're going to do something to do it and and that puts the responsibility on you so that you aren't too glib about promising, everybody. Something that you have no intention of delivering to work. And said none. You don't have the time or you don't have the answers for the ability or whatever other things I think that has helped me in my life, a lot a lot.

37:10 I only have to make a decision. Once I don't have to sign out every patient, if I'm going to do it and keep that up there in front of you all the time.

37:27 And that's how I know that I still. I still look at you at mama like the compass and I know when we would go boating, you would tell us. Don't watch the compass, guess it's heading. Find a clown and go that way if you keep looking at the colors, you're going to be all over the water, but I still come back to you with my questions and during the past two years. We've had this covid thing going on and I remember calling you several times early on to say, okay. What is this mean? Because you understand the medical all the medical terminology know and so still changed so much in our lives. We've been fortunate to be able to get together sometimes as a family. But, you know, there was things that change for you to like the traveling that plan.

38:13 This is a unique time. This is a it's a unique time and and everybody's trying to handle it any way they can where they think they should.

38:28 It was a simpler time during the Spanish flu, but

38:37 This is something we're living through that. We've never had and and we're going to

38:45 And be able to read it a whole lot better on Monday morning that we can today balance of this much as you can, then we overdo it sometimes and sometimes I don't do enough.

39:11 So you never had asked me much about the Bahamas. And I have to say that first time you took us over in the small boat. We were coming back and we broke down in the Gulf Stream and we really did think later. Maybe you were trying to reduce the size of your family or something like that. Cuz it was really scary. Go out over there in a small boat and with too much because I had far too much stuff in it.

40:11 Fortunately, we didn't understand the danger until later, but I was too obsessed with the bomb. Is a dive trip to the dark clubs Nolan and then we drove off and had a great time. Two times. I came closest to Diane blose and dive accident.

40:58 And when I first started and fortunately, I had a dive partner.

41:08 I don't know, my way out of the cave cuz I was about to have a problem with that. And then the second time is in the Bahamas from the tank for this tank. And apparently it was dirty inside and it shut my air off and I was down about 85 and they are stopped is all the trash when up and blocked it out. So I had to surface from 85 ft and

41:42 Not going to blow out on a fair but not too much are and I'll try not to breathe, but that was two times for. I'm not going to talk about the time with breaking down the Gulf Stream.

42:05 I have a lot of fun doing that.

42:09 Have a great great time. We sat through a hurricane or to a little mama.

42:16 In with the children and I flew out. When I got back to the States, I heard about the hurricane. I was like, they don't know this or even find out until that day, that it was like the next day. I think so, but not much you can do about her having been from Miami and a hurricane.

42:54 But that was in, I guess I was too young to realize how bad

43:03 If you've been a fantastic leader for a family, you've provided an example of integrity and adventure and taught us to find what we like to do and make it our career sad. When people work their lives and don't enjoy it. And don't enjoy being at work and I told you about find enjoyment Wherever You Are.

43:43 I don't I don't mean it's like, do, do you do what you're supposed to do? But find your Android do something out. Go somewhere else.

43:58 And on the other thing is, if like my dad told me, my dad worked real hard and he had

44:07 No dreams would like to do this or that and and he is a wonderful Dad. My mom is wonderful mom, but later on in life you said when you when you want to do something do it then because when you can do it you want to or you won't be able to install a lot of the stuff we did was because that was what I wanted and we wanted to do and you know, we didn't get to return for kids and the traveling we did Growing Up.

44:57 My mother is a saint because she would take my two brothers and me, and in the motorhome and my mom's a little person. She's a little shorter than me. She's small little woman and Seed would take this family and drive out a week. And then, we pick you up at some airport. So you could be with us and then we drop you off in the airport and we take another week to get home and I wouldn't be more than two weeks at a time.

45:24 The first time with you in the motor and the first time he went out west, your mother had trouble backing out of the driveway.

45:34 That was scary comes up to me and she pulls up in the motorhome and I

46:09 Thanks for sharing. Thank you so much, and thank you for sharing all that you made me so proud.