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WILLIAM ABBOTT BUTLER, SR.
a pictorial biography
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| Born in the Anglo
American Hospital in the Vedado neighborhood of Havana,
Cuba, Billy, as I was soon dubbed, moved into the apartment rented by my mother
and father, “But” and “Sally” Butler, at “M” Street and Linea Avenue in Havana.
A third story walk-up with rooftop access, it housed us until 1935. |
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My dad quickly
learned the art of diapering |
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The roof provided a safe walle d-in
play yard complete with sand box
While
I spent much time sunning on the roof
In
1931 my brother Kenny was born.
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| In
1933?? Batista attacked to oust the Machado government. Soldiers came to mount
machine guns on our roof playground. We had to evacuate to a friends home, 5
blocks away. |
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In
1935 we moved to our new home in La Sierra, in the suburbs.
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| Those
were great years. |
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Visited
Cousin Helen and cousins in Cincinnati |
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 We
joined “Jaimanitas”, the Havana Biltmore Yacht and Country Club”, known by all
of us as the “beach” |
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 I
made bunches of friends both in our “barrio” and at the beach. |
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| In
1940 my mother, tired of my antics, got me to crew on a “Snorky”, a 12 foot scow
type boat, owned by a friend of hers. |
| This
was the start of my life at sea. |
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| Soon
after, Dad bought me my first boat, a Snorky called Pallas, #31 I
sailed Pallas all over. |
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 Raced. |
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With
all my buddies. |
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Ponzo
was a close friend |
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And
Joe Duys. |
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Great
years. |
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We
even managed to go to school. Ruston Academy was tops. It taught me everything I
needed to know. |
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Lots of girlfriends! 
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I
burst into the Arts with my performance in the Irma Hart Carrier School of dance
recital at Havana’s largest theater, “Fausto”. My part was as a drunken
sailor!!! |
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later in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” I starred as Caliban, the monster on a
deserted island upon which King Prosper was shipwrecked.What
great years. |
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Sailed Mirta C a.k.a Paco Prieto all over. |
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| To
Cojimar |
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To
Cayo Paraiso in Bahia La Mulata
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| In
1946 sailed with Bob Harras, a.k.a. Hari-Hari, in my Snipe, Bluebird, to
Matanzas for the Cuban National Snipe Championships. 120 miles up wind. In
Matanzas we “hit the town” (censored). |
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| On a
whim we sailed 20 miles upwind to Varadero and took these pictures to prove that
we made it. In the background, the main pier of the Varadero Yacht Club, soon
after destroyed by a hurricane. |
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| Later
we stopped by the Cora home for lunch, ate them out of house and home.. we were
hungry!!! napped and headed home. |
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Stopped in Tarara on the way back |
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| June 1947 it was all
over.. I graduated. |
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headed for Purdue to study Electrical Engineering (in those days the daddy’s
decided)More
great years.. I studied hard.. |
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Played
Sailed Rowed |
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Traveled to see family |
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and
Wooed Elsie Covell1951
was the BIG year... I married Elsie June 9
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| And
graduated June 10..My
Dad exclaimed.. I never expected you to make it!!! |
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| All
of our relatives came |
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Aunt
Nell |
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| All
of Elsie’s sisters from AngolaA
great time was held by all |
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 We
honeymooned in Cuba |
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| Then
started to work for GE in Pittsfield |
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| Our
first Apartment was great |
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| A
blissful honeymoon |
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| Uncle
Benito and Encarnita came to visit |
| We
searched and found the tomb of James Goodrich Covell just north of Pittsfield. |
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| Three
months later we moved to Syracuse |
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| What
a Cold winter |
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| I
worked on the first stages of the early warning system radar installed in Canada |
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In
March 1952 we moved to Schenectady and into a nice apartment in Ballston Lake
I
worked on Steam turbine test..
Great
times..
We
traveled..
Then
in April 1952 GE sent us to Key West, me on a top secret acoustic torpedo
project at the Navy base
90
miles and $20 round trip from Havana we went often.
Built
a boat in the bedroom
Had
to remove the window to get it out
Sailed
Fished..
In
January 1953 we moved into an apartment in to New Rochelle.
I
commuted to Manhattan daily
Uncle
Sam sent me “greetings” in 1954 and on June 6 I became Private Butler at Fort
Dix, NJ.
Basic
lasted 8 weeks.
Elsie
and I went to Nantucket on my leave.
On to
Ft. Bliss in El Paso. Elsie soon followed, driven out by Lyman.
Great
studio apartment.
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Along came Susie in 1955 |
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 Then, Billy |
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| Then, we all moved to Cuba and along came Jimmy |
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| In 1960 Fidel came along and we left Cuba. We lost our beautiful
home and many of our things. |
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 We moved to the Philippines. |
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| Along came Sally
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And Joe (I'll find pictures)  |
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| In 1967, Elsie and I along with Billy, Jimmy and Susie survived Typhoon
Wilma in Siboney. |
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| Other Butler Pics |
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