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APRIL 4, 1968

The evening of April 4, 1968 was another of the few evenings I took off from work at my drug store, Smith Pharmacy, at 2518 14th Street, N.W.which I had purchased nine years earlier. My work schedule there generally ran between 60 and 70 hours a week, rather than the then standard 40-hour week.
That evening, I took my two sons, Steve,13, and Stan, who had just celebrated his ninth birthday a month before out to Leoni’s, a popular Italian restaurant in Adelphi, Maryland. After enjoying the well-liked Veal Parmigian, we stopped into Standard Drug, next door to say hello to Doc Lawrence, a pharmacist acquaintance.
Doc’s first greeting was, “Did you hear the news,
Doctor King was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee tonight.”
I was stunned by this sad news, but didn’t anticipate any violence. After exchanging a few words with Doc,we headed home to my Silver Spring, Maryland, residence.
Arriving home, I turned on the TV. As I expected, every station was running the sad story of the unexpected assassination.
Suddenly, a news flash reported that a window at People’s Drug Store at 14th and U Street, N.W. was smashed, and rioting, and looting had begun.
Realizing that the mentioned People’s drug was only around six blocks south of my pharmacy, I became alarmed and called Raymond Flowers, my soda fountain manager, and inquired about the announced rioting.He responded that my drug store, Smith’s Pharmacy, 2518 14th Street, N.W. was indeed being looted.
I quickly dialed my neighborhood police station, on Park Road,screaming “Myy drug store is being destroyed”.
Although,the riot occurred over 41 years ago,
I recall clearly the police response, “Sorry, sir,
there is nothing we can do. There is rioting and looting all up and down 14th Street.”
I recall feeling a sense of complete helplessness, and bewilderment. We merchants had nothing to do with Doctor King’s murder. Why were our businesses being looted? Where was our police protection?
In spite of visions of my drug store, where I had worked for nine years, being destroyed, I remembered that on the morning of April 4, 1968, I had gone to the Riggs Bank, on 14th and Park Road,N.W., and removed some important documents from my safety deposit box and placed them in a file cabinet. Once again, I phoned Raymond, gave him the file cabinet location, and asked him if he could locate a brown envelope.
Fortunately, Raymond located the documents, which would have been very difficult to replace. Again, Ray said that the store was a mess.
I thanked him and returned to the TV to view the ongoing destruction, which had now spread to businesses on 7th Street,N.W.and H Street,N.E. According to the TV news, some businesses were already on fire.
It was difficult to sleep that night, as I wondered what the future would bring. I knew I had some store insurance, but wondered if I would be compensated for my losses.
Despite many occasional problems that occurred during my nine years of operation, I enjoyed operating and developing this run down drug store into becoming a successful business.
It was very difficult to realize how my nine years of owning Smith’s Pharmacy had suddenly taken an unexpected change.

 On September 14, 2009, I posted memories of my brother’s three drug stores–Standard Pharmacy 7th and S Street,N.W., Economy Pharmacy, 9th and U Street,N.W., and Boyd’s Pharmacy, Georgia and Kenyon Street,N.W., and Dox Liquor on 7th and S Street,N.W., across the street from the previous drug-liquor store.

  As previously mentioned, the original Standard Pharmacy, 7th and S Street,N.W., also had a liquor department. However, when my brother decided to build across the street, a D.C. governing department, informed him, he could not combine the pharmacy items with the liquor.

   Because my brother as a pharmacist was always addressed as “DOC”, he called the liquor store, “DOX LIQUOR.”

 On one sales promotion, my brother invited the former heavy weight boxing champion of the world, Joe Louis. His photos appear.

Links to the photos of my brother’s drug stores and “DOX” liquor follow:

Picture of Phil, Joe Louis and wife Lil

Picture of Phil in front of Dox Liquor

Picture of Phil’s wife Lil working the cash register

Picture of Joe Louis at Dox Liquor

Picture of Joe Louis and Phil at Dox Liquor

Pictures of Dox Liquor Advertisements

Picture of Doc’s employees at Boyd’s Pharmacy

Picture of Boyd’s Pharmacy (outside)

Picture of Boyd’s Pharmacy (inside)

Picture of Standard Pharmacy 7th and S Street

Sixty-five years ago, January 6, 1945,as a member of the 542d Field Artillery Battalion,42d Infantry Rainbow Division, I boarded a ship with the rest of my veterans at the Fort Dix, New York port of embarkation,to sail to some European city, destination unknown.

I remember some details of my journey,such as not long after our ship had department, many of army buddies,began throwing up in their helmets. Somehow,I was able not to join them.We were assigned to bunks, three(3) high.

 We were aware that our three Infantry  Regiments had already been rushed overseas in the autumn of 1944,but most of us were not aware that our Infantry units had already engaged in combat,with no artillery or back up support..Besides our artillery battalions, we were joined by the division Engineers,Signal Company,Ordnance Company,Quartermaster company and some other division units.

 We were fed only two meals a day, breakfast and dinner.Occasionally,some sailors would “bootleg”sandwiches at lunch time for about a dollar,(not a cheap price in 1945.)

There was time spent for guard duty,kp,,and as expected there were poker and crap games available for those who had the funds and wished to participate.I don’t recall much reading material.A few times while eating breakfast or dinner,our eating utensils would slide downward on the dining tables,if not held properly. It was difficult to relax completely,when we had heard that some ships were attacked by enemy submarines.

Finally, on January 18th,our ship anchored,and there was an announcement that we had arrived in Marseilles,France. We all rushed out on deck and were greeted by many french kids,on the shore, with their hands out asking for candy.. Those of us who had extra candy or snacks threw them down to the many outstretched hands.   Finally we disembarked and were driven by trucks to a large empty lot  of land,known as CP 2 , and told to pitch pup  tents,in the bitter cold. My assigned pup tent companion,was a battery cook who came from China. I recall our 155mm howitzers ,and other vehicles being unloaded. It was cold, especially in the morning,when we had to walk to the large,busy,”Men’s Room”,and occasinally sitting on a long cold board.(No flushing equipment available)  I remember eating pancakes,one cold morning, outdoors, and not minding the rain splashing in my  delicious breakfast.

An enemy airplane that occasionally flew over CP2,was known as “Bedcheck Charlie”,that did not drop bombs,but surveyed our activities. On several occasions,we were granted passes to Marseilles which was quite an interesting city.

  On February 5, 1945,my artillery personnel unit, left CP2,arrived in Harricourt,France,on February  8th,and then left Harricourt, and arrived in Cirey,France on February 9th, 1945 where we remained until March 28th,1945.                   MORE WORLD WAR II MEMORIES TO FOLLOW