LEVINE:

This is Janet Levine for the National Park Service. I'm here today in Walburn, Massachusetts, with Mr. Philip Pavles. He came from Cyprus in 1920 when he was twenty-one years old. Well, I want to say I'm very happy I got a chance to see you.

PAVLES:

Thank you.

LEVINE:

And I'm looking forward to hearing what you can remember about your life.

PAVLES:

Thank you.

LEVINE:

Tell me first your birth date.

PAVLES:

Birth date? Fourteenth, the eighth . . .

LEVINE:

August 14 . . .

PAVLES:

1899.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. And where were you born in Cyprus?

PAVLES:

I was born in Claudia.

LEVINE:

Can you spell that?

PAVLES:

C-R-A-U-S-I-A [ph]. Crausia. And that's the village, and that -- the Paphos is the capitol o — of that territory.

LEVINE:

What? Paph--?

PAVLES:

Paphos.

LEVINE:

How do you spell that?

PAVLES:

Paphos. Rivers – after a [not understood (rivers?)] , you know. Paphos. P-A-P-H-O-S. Paphos.

LEVINE:

Paphos. Okay. Now, did you live in the same village. ( disturbance to the microphone ) Wait. Wait, we're going to stop here for a . . . ( break in tape ) Now, after fixing the microphone.

PAVLES:

My – my family was farmers. Has cows, horses, mules, donkeys, sheep, pigs.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

PAVLES:

And every Sunday went to church.

LEVINE:

What church? What church did you go to?

PAVLES:

[not understood (Did she ask me what church?)] church? St. Fabius. St. Fabius, yeah. When I was -- when I was about ten years, they sent me to Limmassol for a better education.

LEVINE:

Where did they send you?

PAVLES:

To Limmassol.

LEVINE:

How do you spell that?

PAVLES:

Limmassol is a the big city Cyprus. L-I-M-M-A-S-S-O-L. Limmassol. It's a very big, [ (for a [not understood])not understood] town.

LEVINE:

Did you start out in school in your village?

PAVLES:

I – I went to the village in school, and I went to Limmassol to school for a while.

LEVINE:

How old were you when you went off to the city to go to school?

PAVLES:

I was about, maybe about twelve years old.

LEVINE:

And did you go by yourself? Did you . . .

PAVLES:

No. I went to Paphos. By that time was no communication. No streets, no bridges, no – no cars. Every time you – you meet a river, you got to – to go through, wait the water is less.

LEVINE:

To the low tide?

PAVLES:

Yeah. And after I work in Limmassol, in the school, and the baker's son, my uncle has a bakery, then 1916 I joined the British Army.

LEVINE:

Oh. Okay. Well, let's start out by telling, talking about your early life. Then we'll talk about the army. What was your mother's name?

PAVLES:

Huh?

LEVINE:

Your mother's name?

PAVLES:

(long gap)Harriet.

LEVINE:

Harriet. And your father?

PAVLES:

Harry.

LEVINE:

Harry. ( she laughs ) And your mother's maiden name?

PAVLES:

Who?

LEVINE:

Your mother's name before she married your father?

PAVLES:

Mamesse, Mamesse. M-A-M-E-S-S-E. Mamesse.

LEVINE:

And was your mother, your mother and father were born in Cyprus?

PAVLES:

Yeah, born in Cyprus.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh, uh-huh. Now, did you have brothers and sisters?

PAVLES:

Yeah. I have brothers and sisters. Five sisters and four brothers. But in the end – we--we got three brothers and one sister. All of the others passed away.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Did they all come to the United States?

PAVLES:

Nobody. Just one of my brother.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Which brother came here?

PAVLES:

George.

LEVINE:

George. Uh-huh. I see. Well, uh, were you closest to any particular brother or sister? Was there a brother or sister that you were more close to?

PAVLES:

The younger ones, the younger, because we were a lovely family, (?(we was close)). I love them both.

LEVINE:

You love them both. Okay. Did you have grandparents around when you were, when you were growing up? Did you know your grandparents in Cyprus?

PAVLES:

My grandparents?

LEVINE:

Yes.

PAVLES:

I know them by sight.

LEVINE:

What do you remember about them?

PAVLES:

I remember about them? I see them every day, when they st-- go the – go the coffee house.

LEVINE:

Your grandfather.

PAVLES:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

PAVLES:

The only grandfather I remember has a farm, and they raised fruit, vegetables, apples and peaches[sic] and cheeses. (?)

LEVINE:

Did you spend time with your grandfather who was on the farm?

PAVLES:

Yeah, I spent time and I love it.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. What was he like? What was he like with you, your grandfather, the farmer one?

PAVLES:

One of my grandfather looks like that, like a Greek, the other one looks like a Polish, was blonde.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Now, did you do things with your grandfather when you would go to the farm? What would you do there?

PAVLES:

Well, I go, bring fresh water from the spring. And I pick up the red tomatoes, and the – and the ripe figs, from the fig tree. He has two fig tree. And the spring, he has a spring water in his farm. The water come from the, from the mountains.

LEVINE:

What did his farm look like?

PAVLES:

His farm looked like a wonderful place. He has about twenty olive trees, olive trees.

LEVINE:

Olive trees.

PAVLES:

Yeah. And Mom – and Mom go there, ocean has this way.

LEVINE:

Oh.

PAVLES:

Because Cyprus was island – was always sea.

LEVINE:

Was your grandmother there when you would visit?

PAVLES:

Huh?

LEVINE:

Was your grandmother on the farm too, when you would visit?

PAVLES:

My – my grandmother was on the farm? Was blind. She said, she stood in a (mazola) cape, and bring him a little doggie (baby). She said, "How you like my (baby)?" I can remember that as a three-legged horse. (And Pania said) But I (? Hear her say), no, you, my doggie (baby) have a, in the morning, she'll see. She tell that story all the time, and all the farm is yours. She said the dream was a (PANIA or Παναγία ). You know, badaia (PANIA), (?) mazola,

LEVINE:

Oh, yes

PAVLES:

same way. Its a baby with a horse's feet

LEVINE:

Oh, yes.

PAVLES:

The same way. He has a doggie with the horse's feet. I lost one of the baby, one of my grandmother.

LEVINE:

How about your other grandmother? ( there is a knock on the door ) ( break in tape ) Resume, after this interruption. Just, you were saying about your grandmother being blind, what was, were the people in Cyprus very superstitious? Do you remember that from being a child there?

PAVLES:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

What kind of superstitions did they have?

PAVLES:

Oh, they, they didn't have superstitions. They think it's a little one. They think it's a little one, Madonna come now.

LEVINE:

Wait, I'm sorry. Say it again. I didn't catch what you said.

PAVLES:

The people believed she saw Madonna. All the time, tell (?). ( voices off mike )

LEVINE:

Um, as far as superstitions . . .

PAVLES:

No superstitions.

LEVINE:

No? No, okay. Now, we're then going to talk about your other grandmother, the one that wasn't blind. What do you remember about her from when you were in Cyprus.

LEVINE:

I don't remember nothing because she, she died when my mother was fifteen years old.

PAVLES:

And your other grandfather? Do you remember him?

LEVINE:

Yeah. My grandfather look like a Greek. I remember him going to the coffee house. And the other fellow has a big farm, and brought us all kind of fruit, vegetables, smoked chicken, smoked cheese.

LEVINE:

Do you remember going to the coffee house with your grandfather?

PAVLES:

Huh?

LEVINE:

Did you ever go to the coffee house with your grandfather?

PAVLES:

Sometimes I help him hold the (?), but I never go in the coffee house because children aren't allowed.

LEVINE:

Just men.

PAVLES:

In the coffee house.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh, uh-huh. What did people do for enjoyment? When you were growing up, what were people doing for fun?

PAVLES:

Because the village is only four hundred people. They have a three, four weddings a year, and they have a, you go there, they have about twenty baptisms, and name, name place, celebrate, and bring a lot of cheese and beer in the schoolyard, and this was all night.

LEVINE:

This was on a name day? Would this be on a name day?

PAVLES:

A name day. Sometimes they charge name day. Sometimes St. George, St. Constantine, or St. (?), you know.

LEVINE:

What was the saint that your, the church you went to? What saint was that named after?

PAVLES:

St. Ebefanios. Ebefanios.

LEVINE:

Ebefanios.

PAVLES:

Ebefanios. Like in America.

LEVINE:

And what was that saint, what was the story connected with that saint? Do you remember?

PAVLES:

Oh, St. Ebefanios was a bishop, and he went in the meeting of the ecumenical, (?) Constantinople when he was alive. You know, ecumenical? I think they had two or three ecumenicals. The first one, Constantine the Great organized. And I used to Ebefanios was there. I didn't eat a whole lot, and I know.

LEVINE:

Were you religious? Was your family religious?

PAVLES:

Yeah. We were religious. And I went over to Cyprus. I visit a broken-down church. And I walk up and down the floor. I stop in a (?). I bend down, I pick him up, it was the St. George, St. George.

LEVINE:

The statue? A statue.

PAVLES:

Yeah. And I promise, I was twenty years old. And I promise when I got money, I'd fix the church. After eighty years, 1990, I put twelve thousand dollars to fix the church. It looks beautiful, and the bishop came, and make a big, established the church. The church is a monastery. It has about twelve or thirteen place for the monks to sleep. But the Turks, 1821, they spoiled the church. And it was, since 1821 the church was no church. The people use as a stable, use it for anything else. But now the church has trees inside, has a wall, doors, it's beautiful. And I promised it, and I did it.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Yeah. Was St. George particularly important saint to you?

PAVLES:

For me St. George is very important.

LEVINE:

Yeah. What is it about St. George that . . .

PAVLES:

St. George, one time (?), drink water. And St. George came, and (?) his mouth, to (?). ( he laughs )

LEVINE:

Wow. That's wonderful. So you were responsible for reconstructing the church.

PAVLES:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

Wonderful. Uh, what about food? Do you remember any food that your mother or your grandmother made that you particularly liked when you were a boy growing up?

PAVLES:

Was it, the biggest beans, and I find out that the beans, I cook, the next day it tastes better. Beans.

LEVINE:

Beans?

PAVLES:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. All kind of beans. Because they have a farm, there's all kind of beans. But this kind of beans (?). We had watermelons, cantaloupes.

LEVINE:

Was your mother a good cook?

PAVLES:

Huh?

LEVINE:

Did your, was your mother a good cook?

PAVLES:

My mother a good cook?

LEVINE:

Yeah.

PAVLES:

Well, that's a good (?) cook.

LEVINE:

What a cook. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Yeah. Uh, what other, what kinds of, uh, customs, what kinds of things did people do in Cyprus that they don't do in this country? Can you think of any things that people do as a daily routine, maybe, that we don't do in this country?

PAVLES:

You see, this country, when I found out it was too (?). It's civilized. In my country maybe was a hundred years behind.

LEVINE:

So were you always a reader? Did you read a lot from the time you were a little bit?

PAVLES:

Yeah. I read the (?), (?), and (?). That was his (?). You know.

LEVINE:

What did you want to do when you grew up? When you were a little bit, did you have an idea of what you wanted?

PAVLES:

I wanted to be a soldier, and I joined the army fourteen years old.

LEVINE:

Fourteen?

PAVLES:

Yeah, 1916. And I was a soldier for two-and-a-half years.

LEVINE:

And where were you when you were a soldier?

PAVLES:

First World War.

LEVINE:

Where were you sent?

PAVLES:

(?). And I make enough money, I have my palace, enough I bought the ticket for United States. And I come right in New York, in Jamaica.

LEVINE:

Did you, did you, what did you know about the United States, before you came here? What made you want to come?

PAVLES:

My mother has a brother here, and I think he came out illegal, because I never find his name, and he died. You understand? I know that Ellis Island, go to (?), New York, they never know he was there. But my mother told me her brother George was in New York. And when I come here to buy the ticket, he asked me, "Do you want to go to North America, or South America?" I said, "I want to go to New York." I thought it was South America. ( he laughs )

LEVINE:

So do you remember, did you think you would return to Cyprus when you left for the United States?

PAVLES:

Yes. I make enough money and go back. After I make good money, I make more money, after come the Depression, after came the war, after come the education. Then I studied there for seventy years.

LEVINE:

So when you set out, where did you leave from?

PAVLES:

I leave from Paphos, Cyprus.

LEVINE:

That's where the ship left from for the United States?

PAVLES:

Yeah, yeah. From that, (?) Athens.

LEVINE:

Athens, uh-huh.

PAVLES:

And the Athens to get the bigger ship. The ship, his name is Themosticles, Themosticles.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Okay. And, uh, what was the voyage like for you?

PAVLES:

What?

LEVINE:

What was it like, the voyage, on the ship?

PAVLES:

I was a young fellow make (?). When (?) laughing, yeah.

LEVINE:

Were you in steerage? Were you in the bottom of the ship?

PAVLES:

No, I was in the top. I had a nice, a nice place.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. A little cabin?

PAVLES:

I had a nice place, because I (?) in the morning, yeah. And when I arrived here, I saw ice, I saw snow. They put us in Ellis Island for one door, and the (?) in the other door. The (?) door, he brought us, in Ellis Island, another (?) he brought to us at Ellis Island, he, Staten Island is a tax store, tax-free store, the Ellis Island owns it, and we stayed there.

LEVINE:

Um, when you went to Ellis Island, did you, did you get examined there? Were you examined?

PAVLES:

Just the eyes. Just the eyes, because there was too many people.

LEVINE:

And so you were then ferried back to Battery Park in New York? You went by ferry back to New York.

PAVLES:

Yeah, back to New York. We had the Staten Island ferryboat.

LEVINE:

So did someone have to meet you?

PAVLES:

No. I have (?), some coffee house. And the, and the man was the Ellis Island, it took for the coffee house. The Ellis Island, people would give twenty cents for the subway. He stopped a taxi driver and tell him, "You can make a buck." And he comes to tell me subway no good, taxi is all right, five dollars. But I was (?) and I speak English. And somebody give us twenty cents for the subway. They didn't want to take us to the taxi, if you pay for the taxi, all right. And I turned, like I said, the taxi, none of them speak English, get out of here. You (?)?

LEVINE:

So you learned to speak English because you were in the English Army.

PAVLES:

Yeah.

LEVINE:

You were in England during World War One? When were you in the English Army?

PAVLES:

The English Army in Macedonia in the war.

LEVINE:

In World War One?

PAVLES:

Yeah. And I go in the ambulance, ambulance.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

PAVLES:

67th Fleet Ambulance, 22nd Division, British Armed Forces in Macedonia. Yeah. And after the Turkey surrendered, I went to Constantinople for occupational army, and from Constantinople sends us back to Cyprus, and from Cyprus comes to the United States.

LEVINE:

I see. Uh-huh. Okay. So, so did you take the subway, then, after you left Ellis Island?

PAVLES:

Huh?

LEVINE:

After you left Ellis Island, did you take the subway? Where were you going?

PAVLES:

We were going . . .

LEVINE:

When you left Ellis Island?

PAVLES:

We take the subway, and we go to (?) Street, down to 67th.

LEVINE:

And who was there? Your uncle?

PAVLES:

No. (?), from Cyprus. And (?), it took me, it take care of me for three days until I find a job, yeah.

LEVINE:

So you found a job in three days?

PAVLES:

I found a job in the speakeasy.

LEVINE:

What did you do?

PAVLES:

I watched, when the authorities come, they hide the whiskey. And I, I do it so fast, they never catch me.

LEVINE:

So, in other words, you were sort of the lookout to see if the authorities were coming?

PAVLES:

Yeah. (?) corrupt. You know what I mean, corrupt? The people sell the whiskey, they give you money to (?). They (?) to somebody every week, they (?) eat every day, and any time they are (?), the police call here, they say, "Better watch yourself. They coming after you."

LEVINE:

So how long did you work at the speakeasy?

PAVLES:

About three years. And after I opened my restaurant in Jamaica, Long Island.

LEVINE:

And what kind of restaurant was it?

PAVLES:

American restaurant. We were very good.

LEVINE:

What was the name of it?

PAVLES:

Star restaurant.

LEVINE:

Star, huh. And did you stay there? How long were you there?

PAVLES:

Six years. And after I took the trip to Cyprus to marry my daughter, my sister.

LEVINE:

Your sister was getting married?

PAVLES:

She was getting married, I went to Cyprus. And that's the first time I went, 1928. And the next time, in 1970.

LEVINE:

Oh. So what did you do? Did you still have your restaurant when you went to Cyprus?

PAVLES:

No, the restaurant finished six years.

LEVINE:

Did you sell it, or what did you do?

PAVLES:

No, the lease was six years.

LEVINE:

Oh, the lease.

PAVLES:

When I go back, I find the restaurant in Brooklyn. And I stay twenty-two years.

LEVINE:

Hmm. And where in Brooklyn was your restaurant?

PAVLES:

Borough Park. Borough Park, a Jewish community, has a Hospital, Zion Hospital, near Utica Avenue, Tewell Avenue. Jews Masonic Temple, you know. It's a Jewish community there. A lot of rabbis. The rabbis with the hair, and rabbis without hair.

LEVINE:

So what kind of food did you serve there? American food?

PAVLES:

American food. Beef stew, clam chowder, corned beef and cabbage, pasta fagiole.

LEVINE:

And did, what was the name of that restaurant?

PAVLES:

Soldier's Restaurant.

LEVINE:

Soldier's? Yeah. So you spent most of your working life in, on, doing that?

PAVLES:

And after the twenty-two years, I got the restaurant in Jamaica again. I bought a diner in the, and his name was monarch. Another fellow owned it. He give it the name of the monarch.

LEVINE:

And (?)?

PAVLES:

Monarch, monarch. You know?

LEVINE:

I don't know.

PAVLES:

You know, they have the emperor, the German emperor.

LEVINE:

Oh, monarch.

PAVLES:

Monarch. Give me the water, please. And I stayed there twenty years.

LEVINE:

Oh!

PAVLES:

( he drinks ) Thank you.

LEVINE:

You're welcome. So, uh, when did you meet your wife?

PAVLES:

Huh?

LEVINE:

At what point did you meet your wife? When did you meet your wife?

PAVLES:

Oh, I meet my wife 1928 in the, in the Star Restaurant. And I married her in the Soldiers Restaurant.

LEVINE:

Amazing. Uh, did, how did you meet? Did she just come in? Was she a customer?

PAVLES:

Huh? I got her work in the restaurant, too. And she (?) the granddaughter. Italian. My wife was Italian. And I have three daughters.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh. Why don't you say your wife's name and her maiden name. What was your wife's name?

PAVLES:

Nellie.

LEVINE:

And her maiden name? What was her name before she married you, her last?

PAVLES:

Someses.

LEVINE:

S-O-M . . .

PAVLES:

S-O-M-E-S-E-S. Someses.

LEVINE:

Someses. And your daughters' names?

PAVLES:

The first one Harriet, the second Marina, and the last one Diana. END OF SIDE ONE BEGINNING OF SIDE TWO

LEVINE:

And can you think of any, uh, well, what happened during the second World War? Did you, were you in the service at that time?

PAVLES:

Well, they dropped me there, too. But (?) was born in December 1942, and because I have three children, they took me off. They draft me in the second war, too.

LEVINE:

Were there any events of, world events or events of the United States, that affected you particularly?

PAVLES:

Well, you see, because (?) in the (?) army, I don't think of the benefits. Because in the first World War One, there's the British. And British, big community, because all volunteer.

LEVINE:

Do you think that the fact that you came to the United States, when you came to the United States as an immigrant in 19, uh, '20, do you think that the fact that you came here from someplace else made a big difference . . .

PAVLES:

Oh, a big difference.

LEVINE:

In the kind of person you are?

PAVLES:

A big difference. The first thing I saw, in Jamaica had no electricity, and Paphos has electricity.

LEVINE:

Huh. Uh-huh.

PAVLES:

My God. You (?). I have no electricity, and Paphos has electricity. Because the United States at best, 240, before they got to put electricity in America.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

PAVLES:

And in Jamaica I found farms, cows, horses. It was all farms. The (?) was a vacation for the people. There were no cities, no towns. There was the railroad, it was running at you. The Lugana Railroad. And the Lugana Railroad was the most prosperous. Millions of people come to work every day. By 1920, maybe ten passengers travel it.

LEVINE:

You must have seen a lot of changes.

PAVLES:

A lot of changes.

LEVINE:

Can you think of some of the things that have changed over your lifetime that you particularly noticed?

PAVLES:

The Lugano farms become the Lugano city. I saw the, this railroad, three dollar, Triboro Bridge, Whitestone Bridge. The subway, it's up the subway. All that stuff, I saw.

LEVINE:

Had you ever seen an automobile when you first came? Were you, when you were in Cyprus, did you have automobiles at that time?

PAVLES:

Yeah. I saw the automobile of the officers, of the army. But in the army you have an automobile, you have all the horses. And I showed the first (?), too, with the stickers (?). You know, the German officer, Christmas. And (?).

LEVINE:

How about radio? Do you remember when radio came in?

PAVLES:

When I came, I live in a house. Used to work for the Lugano Railroad, and made the radio took the Australia. And the radio didn't come, after a while. And sometime I, I put that thing in my ears, and I go home, they find him in another, steam heater, and I hear voices. And my mother start selling phony radios, you know. (?). After comes the radios, come big business. And I have a radios, big (?) combination in my house, yeah. And after a while, it started coming television.

LEVINE:

How about moving pictures, going to movies or films? Did you ever do that before you came to this country?

PAVLES:

Go to moving pictures?

LEVINE:

Yeah.

PAVLES:

I never went. (?) never allowed you to go to the movies in Cyprus. Cyprus now has a, all kind of armies. Greek Army, Turkish Army, British Army, United Nations Army, everybody's army's there. Because it's so very good place, everybody want it. Prosperity.

LEVINE:

What is it, what is it about Cyprus that is so prosperous?

PAVLES:

The weather.

LEVINE:

The weather.

PAVLES:

Tourists. A million-and-a-half tourists come. The population is six hundred thousand. That's why it's so rich. Everybody got ticket when they get over. Social security. Everybody has social security. Everybody, the children, the woman have a baby, stay home three months with all (?). There's a, we have a wonderful love, protecting the families, the children, the people. Except the Republic made the island povertized. When was there, it was poor.

LEVINE:

So it became prosperous after it became a republic.

PAVLES:

Afterwards, yeah. When it was England, it was poor. That's why I come to the United States, because it was poor. But now nobody come from Cyprus to the United States.

LEVINE:

Did you ever consider going back to Cyprus?

PAVLES:

Huh?

LEVINE:

Did you ever consider going back there at any time? I mean, to stay?

PAVLES:

I like the, to go back in Cyprus and stay, until I miss United States. Because you go there, afterward miss, will all be the same.

LEVINE:

What is it that you like about this country that you miss if you would be away?

PAVLES:

The best thing I like is the beautiful girls.

LEVINE:

The beautiful girls? ( she laughs ) I see. What do you think, what do you feel most proud of that you, that you've done in your life? What makes you feel proud?

PAVLES:

I can't understand you now.

LEVINE:

I'm sorry, say it again.

PAVLES:

I didn't understand you.

LEVINE:

What makes you feel proud of yourself? What have you done in your life that you feel proud of?

PAVLES:

I feel now because so much education, education my three daughters, my grandchildren all educated, too, and they got good jobs in United States. I'm proud of myself because I become one of the million American people.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh, uh-huh.

PAVLES:

See? With a good education, I got better families than the youngest American people. My daughter and my son-in-law, they are judges. They got six children, three lawyers, and the other three (?). My Marina has a son, he top man for the Exxon. You know Exxon?k

LEVINE:

Oh, uh-huh, Exxon, uh-huh.

PAVLES:

Marina's son is the top man for Exxon in Europe. Yeah. Diana has a daughter, work for the Toyota. You know Toyota? He work in that company where (?). The (?) Toyota.

LEVINE:

Taiedro?

PAVLES:

The state that makes the potatoes. She has a big job there. She has a son, he's in the (?). (?). Soon after the war, he have an education as a (?).

LEVINE:

Well, what have been some of your interests while you were working in the restaurants and running the restaurants? Did you do other things that were of interest to you?

PAVLES:

I bought real estate. I bought real estate, house. Instead of house, I bought a house, and make the money real estate, not much from the restaurant.

LEVINE:

Oh, uh-huh. Where was the real estate?

PAVLES:

In Long Island.

LEVINE:

Oh, in Long Island. ( disturbance to the microphone ) ( she pauses ) Okay. We'll resume now, after fixing the microphone. Let's see. What haven't we covered? Do you remember any, uh, what have, who have been your heroes in your life? Have you had certain heroes, people you looked up to? Can you think of anyone?

PAVLES:

November 11, 1918, the Wilfreds.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

PAVLES:

I was (?), automobile chain, what you call it, motorcycle chain, and I was on guard in the state of (?). And (?) the war start. And right away, the officers all got drunk. The sergeant (?) the day before. I wanted to punish him. I went in his tent. I took his royal coat and put it in the fire and burned it. You understand?

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

PAVLES:

And the minute he come with the blanket and he covered his head, it was very cold. He was looking for the coat. All the time, we have no food, and the (?) got here. I ordered the (?). (?) the army, the soldiers to eat. Another time we hungry again. I went down the (?), and we have another navy coat. I steal one, I bring the army. You know, I do another thing, other people don't do it. I took a chance.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh, yeah. Do you think your army experience left any . . .

PAVLES:

Army experience very good. Every, every boy, every girl was learn to handle the rifle to defend the country when you become soldier. A woman has the right to fight like a man, to protect the independence of this country. This country need a good government, a good army, a good secretary of state to protect the laws. And stop, and stop this drug addicts, drug users. (?) bring law and order, law and order in the country, to protect the family and our children. Like Senator Helms, he opened his mouth and talked against president, that's very bad. Our president, voted by fifty states, and he only want him for our state. You see? The American people spoiled the country.

LEVINE:

The American people?

PAVLES:

Huh?

LEVINE:

Did you say the American people?

PAVLES:

Yeah, like Helms. ( there is a knock on the door )

LEVINE:

Just a second. ( break in tape ) We're resuming again, after an interruption. You were saying that, uh, the country, the country needs law and order, and that to talk against the president is not a good idea.

LEVINE:

Every time the president anything, he got the respect until he is finished, is four years. He want to stay another four years, let him stay. Well, I think we're finished.

LEVINE:

Well, let's see. Is there anything else that you can think of? Are there any customs, let's say, or attitudes that you feel you hold onto that are from Cyprus that you learned as a boy growing up there?

PAVLES:

I know in Cyprus and United States they're different all the time. Because you know in the states, for the same enemy, like Cyprus, England. Yeah. We fought Hitler four years. The Americans fought seven years. Cyprus, it got to be like the daughter of the United States because Greeks make democracy. Democracy is a Greek (?). That's all.

LEVINE:

Are there any, are there any attitudes that your mother and father tried to instill in you? Were there any values or attitudes that they tried to have you . . .

PAVLES:

When I was a young boy, I was very fresh. My mother, my father never (?). I always (?). I run away and join the army. I was fourteen years old, joined the army. I fooled them, too.

LEVINE:

How about with your own children? Did you try to, did you try to get across any kind of attitudes with them?

PAVLES:

My children, sometimes Marina ask questions, how is it? Ask father, he know everything. That's all. Ask father, he knows everything. My daughters, very well, brought by my wife. My grandchildren probably went by my daughters.

LEVINE:

Do you have great-grandchildren?

PAVLES:

Huh?

LEVINE:

Do you have any great-grandchildren.

PAVLES:

I have thirteen.

LEVINE:

Thirteen?

PAVLES:

Thirteen, yeah, in both countries. Anyhow, thank you very much for came.

LEVINE:

Well, thank you very much.

PAVLES:

And I appreciate it. And I think, I didn't feel very good either, but after I met, you're so beautiful, I got perked up and I feel good.

LEVINE:

Oh, good. Okay. Well, I want to thank you very much. This is Janet Levine, and I've been . . .

PAVLES:

I went to Ellis Island three times.

LEVINE:

Oh.

PAVLES:

To bring my brother out, and to bring out the relatives.

LEVINE:

Oh. Maybe before we stop, can you describe what it was like when you went back those times? What was your experience then?

PAVLES:

It's, I found out no more visitors. People stopped coming (?). And you had to sign out your (?).

LEVINE:

Uh-huh, uh-huh. Okay. Okay. Well, thank you very much. This is Janet Levine for the National Park Service . . .

PAVLES:

Give me that water, please.

LEVINE:

And I'm signing off.