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by Leopold J. Cimino (Author)
The Last Zonian, Here's Where the Story Ends, is a compilation of twenty family stories, snippets, of life in the Panama Canal Zone, referred to as, "a slice of paradise." Numerous authors have written books about the Panama Canal Zone and prominent Zonians. The Last Zonian is about ordinary people. The book's ending will intrigue readers with the revelation of The Last Zonian.
The stories portray earlier times with love, adventure, sadness, and continuance. They provide some history, and a written record, of a few Zonians to assist in answering the question, "What is a Zonian?"
A simplistic definition is "a United States citizen who lived, worked, or was born in the Panama Canal Zone." However, there is more to the story of identifying a Zonian. On May 4, 1904, the Panama Canal Zone became a US unincorporated territory. Hence, the first Zonians came to be.
On September 7, 1977, two treaties were signed between the United States and the Republic of Panama. First, the Neutrality Treaty ensured the neutrality of the Panama Canal and that the US military could defend the Canal to assure that stance. Second, the Panama Canal Treaty specified that on October 1, 1979, the territory known as the Panama Canal Zone would be abolished and cease to exist. The second treaty also stated that on December 31, 1999, complete control of the Canal would pass to Panama.
The execution of the treaty commencing in 1979 is referred to as "The End of an American Era." The US assisted Panama with Canal operations for the next 20 years, between October 1, 1979, and December 31, 1999. However, since the US territory ceased to exist, US citizens born in the former Canal Zone or who received employment during that period are not Zonians. Therefore, the commencement of the treaty in 1979 was the end of US persons truly being identified as a Zonian.
Zonians are a diverse group of people from different cultural backgrounds, races, and religions. If you encounter a Zonian, you will likely sense a pleasant and good-natured person.
Zonians are fading away. Many are no longer with us, and the list of entire Zonian families who are deceased continues to grow yearly. The Zonian families in this book are a small representation of a legacy to the tens of thousands of workers who kept the world's shortcut across the Isthmus of Panama operational for three-quarters of a century.
