WHITAKER HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHY
-CLIFFORD WHITAKER, SR-

Delroi's parents started their own business before he was born. After they had moved to Compton, they lived within a few miles of his uncle Melvin Cash, Sr. and his wife Ruth Cash. His parents were very close to them. His father Clifford, uncle Clarence Lucas, and uncle Melvin Cash, Sr. were all in WWII. Delroi recalls his uncle Melvin being in the war in Korea. Sadly, his uncle Melvin made his transition but is still in the hearts of his family and friends. Ruth Cash and Hazel Whitaker are sisters and they worked together for the County School B for over 30 years. Clifford built his own waste management route in Compton & Gardenia, CA and made his personal bins for his customer. All throughout Delroi's and his brother's wonder years their father used to take his kids on a route that he built and he was also very smart with working with all types of tools, machinery, etc.





  

One time Clifford building a tow truck aka "Boom" truck and the long pieces of metal looked like a rocket with wings on the side. Delroi's brothers Clifford Jr. and Erik were told for fun by their dad that he was building a rocket to go to the moon. Clifford Jr and Erik and another friend who lived around the corner, went to the friend's house to ask his mother could he go with the Whitaker's to the moon. :o) So the friend's mother told all of the kids that going to the moon wasn't true. Delroi was very young at the time so this story was told to him by his brother and they really had a good laugh from it.

Eventually, both families (The Cash's and The Whitaker's) moved to the west side of Los Angeles. At this time, Clifford, Sr was very successful with his own business. He got together with a Jewish family who owned a sign company and taught Clifford everything there was to know about building plastic signs and repairing neon signs. Delroi's dad was a natrla with his God given talent working with his hands. During the Civil Rights movements, Martin Luther King helped to open so many doors for his people and others as well, Clifford became the first black american to be handed his UL license to build his own plastic signs. Hence, his own sign service company was born.

Today, many of Clifford's personal works are still standing. Delroi perfers to call them landmarks. Clifford once said that he would like to write a book about his life from his hometown of Texarcana, TX. Delroi would love for his father to make the decision to do it. Clifford never had anyone to thank him. Just this past year, Delroi's grandmother Ruth Swiggett sent Veteran's Metals to Clifford, Clarence Lucas, and Melvin Cash Sr. for Veteran's Memorial Day. She did that twice in one year. Melvin Cash, Jr received his father's metal on his behalf. Clifford told Delroi that no one ever thanked him until the medals were given to him. Delroi and the entire Whitaker family would like to thank their dad, Clifford Whitaker Sr for all he's done for his family and for putting his life on the line for his country.


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