Tag: Veteran

Leon Hunter Handley, I was born in Lakeland and after 30 months in the service and seven academic years at the University of Florida, I came to Orlando and I've been here ever since. Leon Hunter Handley holding a photo taken of him getting off the ship ... Read more

Charlie Hayes, I am from Pine Castle, Florida. I was born and raised here. What was a typical Sunday like for you growing up? Not getting caught in mischief. If you had energy to burn you had to expel it which mostly centered around the lakes here. ... Read more

Charlie Hayes, I am from Pine Castle, Florida. I was born and raised here. What was a typical Sunday like for you growing up? Not getting caught in mischief. If you had energy to burn you had to expel it which mostly centered around the lakes here. ... Read more

Domineck Monell volunteered for service in WWII and entered the Air Force. His  military  service  included a visit to Fort Myers where he fell in love with Florida. He served  as  a  mechanic working on P-51's. When the war ended he went home to   ... Read more

ABOVE: Photo of World War II Veteran Michael A. Monell at Saint James Cathedral in downtown Orlando, November 9, 2011. Michael Monell was drafted in 1943 and sent to St. Petersburg, FL to experience "The Jungle" in preparation for service in the South Pa ... Read more

Fran Abeel came to Orlando in 1947, because her husband, a disabled veteran, needed to live in a warm climate. Housing was scarce so for their first 2-3 years in Orlando, the Abeels lived in the Veterans Trailer Park. In this excerpt from an oral histo ... Read more