Rained all morning so I just lay around and slept. Started reading "Topper Takes a Trip " after lunch and didn't stop till I finished it at 9:30 P.M. It is one of the funniest books I have read.
Sent out my laundry & my boots to be repaired spent a couple of hours trying to get them back for we are finally leaving tomorrow. Thank God for that.
1.20.2008
1.19.2008
Wednesday, January 19
Wallace James Bodker 21
And this was all the Harvest that I reaped, I came like Water and like Wind I go.
Played golf today - one of the most beautiful courses I have ever seen carved out of the jungles up on the far side of the Firestone Plantation.
There are about 40 or 50 white employees including twelve wives who use it. We borrowed some clubs and played nine holes out in the hot African sun - I hit a 66 - about 40 better than my first game at WSC.
And this was all the Harvest that I reaped, I came like Water and like Wind I go.
Played golf today - one of the most beautiful courses I have ever seen carved out of the jungles up on the far side of the Firestone Plantation.
There are about 40 or 50 white employees including twelve wives who use it. We borrowed some clubs and played nine holes out in the hot African sun - I hit a 66 - about 40 better than my first game at WSC.
1.18.2008
Tuesday, January 18
Went on a Safari back up into the hills - walked about 10 miles back and saw a bunch of native villages. Some of them were very crude and dirty but others were very clean and almost modern. The small children - 6 - 10 years old are painted white when they are ready for their jungle schooling. The "country devil" then comes and for a fee takes the kids back in the bush for their education. We saw a 12 year old girl as fully developed as our 20 year olds. We also ran into two girls taking a bath in a stream. They just giggled and didn't mind us at all till I started to take a picture then they screamed and threw mud at us. Played ping pong all evening.
1.17.2008
Monday, January 17
We were finally allowed to go up to the Firestone Plantation - about 5 miles up in the hills from here. A naval Lt. who is stationed there picked us up in his car and showed us everything. They have several thousand acres with about 100 trees/acre. We saw the big tank trucks bringing the liquid latex into the plants and then we tapped a tree ourselves and watched the white liquid drip into the cups. It hardens into a good quality rubber immediately. We then went up to this Lt's. house - leased from Firestone - it is a beautiful brick house with beautiful lawns & flowers right on the edge of the most beautiful golf course I have seen.
Then we went over to a huge native village and saw the bunches of native huts - they are all round, made of mud with thatched roofs. They have a bed room & parlor - the whole thing about 15 feet in diameter. They were cooking up some "palm oil" - a horrible smell -and cassava - the native potato which they live on. We bought a half stem of bananas for 15c and saw the half naked men and women bartering for goods at the trading post. We saw the witch doctor with all his hocus pocus and he did a very mystifying dance with a small boy contortionist helping him. They were both painted up & had head dresses and bells and bracelets all over them. The children and women smear mud over their faces to make them beautiful.
Then we went over to a huge native village and saw the bunches of native huts - they are all round, made of mud with thatched roofs. They have a bed room & parlor - the whole thing about 15 feet in diameter. They were cooking up some "palm oil" - a horrible smell -and cassava - the native potato which they live on. We bought a half stem of bananas for 15c and saw the half naked men and women bartering for goods at the trading post. We saw the witch doctor with all his hocus pocus and he did a very mystifying dance with a small boy contortionist helping him. They were both painted up & had head dresses and bells and bracelets all over them. The children and women smear mud over their faces to make them beautiful.
1.16.2008
Sunday, January 16
Betty Darlene is 17 years old today.
For some we loved, the loveliest and the best, That from his Vintage rolling time
hast prest.
Happy birthday Betty - wish I were there but I guess this is war. Spent a very uninteresting day doing absolutely nothing except hiring a native to take us for a ride down the river in his dugout canoe. Nice boat. Saw "Man From Down Under" this evening.
This hot climate & nothing to do is just making one rot. Sleep 14 hours a day and just too lazy to write letters or anything. Some of the boys went across the river (court martial offense) last night and watched the native dance.
One of them even got to beat the Tom Tom. They all got "jig jig" - black variety. Just shows decaying effect of climate & locale & inactivity.
For some we loved, the loveliest and the best, That from his Vintage rolling time
hast prest.
Happy birthday Betty - wish I were there but I guess this is war. Spent a very uninteresting day doing absolutely nothing except hiring a native to take us for a ride down the river in his dugout canoe. Nice boat. Saw "Man From Down Under" this evening.
This hot climate & nothing to do is just making one rot. Sleep 14 hours a day and just too lazy to write letters or anything. Some of the boys went across the river (court martial offense) last night and watched the native dance.
One of them even got to beat the Tom Tom. They all got "jig jig" - black variety. Just shows decaying effect of climate & locale & inactivity.
1.15.2008
Saturday, January 15
Sweated out "Ben the Barber" today - he is a native who does the barbering here. Surprising as it sounds, he did an excellent job with a pair of scissors and hand powered clippers. Two of us sent a native boy with $5 across the river to buy a quart of Scotch. We never saw him or the money again - this is worse than New York for being a clip joint.
Time is beginning to drag terribly - just laying around & it looks like we will be here several days yet. Spent the evening trying to see the native dance with their drums across the river but couldn't see much.
Played hearts with the gang for an hour or so.
Time is beginning to drag terribly - just laying around & it looks like we will be here several days yet. Spent the evening trying to see the native dance with their drums across the river but couldn't see much.
Played hearts with the gang for an hour or so.
1.14.2008
1.13.2008
Thursday, January 13
Have to lay over here a day so just looked around and slept. Went thru a British Wellington, a Grumman Goose, and a Lockheed Hudson. Talked to a boy from Scotland who is stationed here and he told us all about where we are going. His Scottish dialect was really quite 'different'. The natives here are still the surprising element though. We walked over along the river today and saw Jacob there he is the chief of the tribe across the river. He had brought one of his wives across with him - he has two and he was telling us all about his love life. "I've got two wives and one girl friend," he laughed as he told us. "I sure hope my wife doesn't find out about the girl friend though or I will sure be in the dog house." He is always popping out with some expression such as "What's cooking, Doc," or "I'm cooking with gas on the front burners now," or "Get on the ball, youse guys." He is the foreman over about 28 boys who work here on the post. In spite of their still primitive practices they are quite highly educated though. Most of them speak almost perfect English. They were selling this liquor at $8 a quart - not one penny less. They apparently paid $6 a quart and thus made a $2 profit. Tonite they brought over some White Horse Scotch and Three Feathers. Someone asked them for Canadian Club and was told they were all out. They said it cost too much. They said it cost them $8 a quart and if they sold it for $8 a quart they couldn't make a profit so they would have to sell it for $10 a quart and no-one wanted to pay that much. They are really quite shrewd. Jacob was also telling us that wives cost 8 lbs. each (about $35) but if he caught anyone making love to his wife, he could take it to court and sue him for 10 lbs. However, the working man's wage is 20c. to 35c. a day.
Elrod and I were talking to our barracks orderly and he was in the 8th grade up at the Catholic mission they have near here. At the mission, there are about 200 negro boys going to school - they can go clear thru college if they can afford it. It costs $32 per year for grade and high school and $18 a month for college. They earn this money by working during their vacation here on the army base. We asked the boy if he had some shoe shining equipment and he didn't because he didn't have the 35c. necessary to buy it. We knew he could make 50c. a day by shining the shoes of the fellows in his barracks so we went up to the PX and bought him the stuff and gave it to him. The first day, he earned 50c. and he was the happiest boy you have ever seen. We also had him invest some of his new money in Liberian coins which the fellows bought lc & 2c pieces for a nickel or dime each as curios. He has made more money than he knows what to do with. Every time he sees Elrod or I he runs over and tells us all about it. He shows his appreciation more than any white kid you have ever seen. If our American boys had the ambition & guts these kids have, each and every one could have a college education.
This little orderly said that some of the boys gambled or spent their money on girls but that he saved every penny. He couldn't understand why we would pay lOc. for a 2c. Liberian piece. He couldn't see any profit in it for us. We have to lay over several days here now so today, Friday, I had my laundry done and did more resting up. The base company here has a 2 year old chimpanzee - it weighs only about 25 lbs. - when it is full grown it will weigh about 125. This chimp is almost human in intelligence and everyone spent at least 2 hours watching his antics I have never seen anything so comical. They also have a grey gibbon here - about 10 lbs. - and a small dog. This gibbon and dog play together constantly - the monk always having the upper hand in their wrestling matches - his human like hands lets him grab on to the dogs legs and trip him or pull his ears. I took pictures with both the gibbon and chimp wrapped around my neck. The rest of the squadron anyway about half of them - have caught up with us so it isn't so lonesome now - so far I have been traveling with another squadron and didn't know a soul. They have a swell day room here with a small library and a short wave radio - we were listening to good old American jive - playing records, ping pony, Chinese checkers, and reading most of afternoon. Went to a show - "Assignment in Brittany" - in the evening. It was a story of the French underground - it was quite interesting.
Elrod and I were talking to our barracks orderly and he was in the 8th grade up at the Catholic mission they have near here. At the mission, there are about 200 negro boys going to school - they can go clear thru college if they can afford it. It costs $32 per year for grade and high school and $18 a month for college. They earn this money by working during their vacation here on the army base. We asked the boy if he had some shoe shining equipment and he didn't because he didn't have the 35c. necessary to buy it. We knew he could make 50c. a day by shining the shoes of the fellows in his barracks so we went up to the PX and bought him the stuff and gave it to him. The first day, he earned 50c. and he was the happiest boy you have ever seen. We also had him invest some of his new money in Liberian coins which the fellows bought lc & 2c pieces for a nickel or dime each as curios. He has made more money than he knows what to do with. Every time he sees Elrod or I he runs over and tells us all about it. He shows his appreciation more than any white kid you have ever seen. If our American boys had the ambition & guts these kids have, each and every one could have a college education.
This little orderly said that some of the boys gambled or spent their money on girls but that he saved every penny. He couldn't understand why we would pay lOc. for a 2c. Liberian piece. He couldn't see any profit in it for us. We have to lay over several days here now so today, Friday, I had my laundry done and did more resting up. The base company here has a 2 year old chimpanzee - it weighs only about 25 lbs. - when it is full grown it will weigh about 125. This chimp is almost human in intelligence and everyone spent at least 2 hours watching his antics I have never seen anything so comical. They also have a grey gibbon here - about 10 lbs. - and a small dog. This gibbon and dog play together constantly - the monk always having the upper hand in their wrestling matches - his human like hands lets him grab on to the dogs legs and trip him or pull his ears. I took pictures with both the gibbon and chimp wrapped around my neck. The rest of the squadron anyway about half of them - have caught up with us so it isn't so lonesome now - so far I have been traveling with another squadron and didn't know a soul. They have a swell day room here with a small library and a short wave radio - we were listening to good old American jive - playing records, ping pony, Chinese checkers, and reading most of afternoon. Went to a show - "Assignment in Brittany" - in the evening. It was a story of the French underground - it was quite interesting.
1.12.2008
Wednesday, January 12
Africa - the land of dense jungles and vast deserts. Landed in Liberia on the African Gold Coast today in 96 degrees of sultriest weather possible. The field is hacked out of jungles just a few miles from the coast on a large river. Up the river is a huge Firestone Rubber Plantation but the rest is all jungles inhabited by natives who are the blackest Negroes I have ever seen.
We went to a beautiful brick building with a tin roof all covered with about 1 foot of thatch - for mess. Had the best meal since I left the U.S. Had a cold shower and slept till briefing then walked over to the bank of the river. The Negroes there were selling Nigerian 2 c. pieces for lOc., gibbon monkeys which they caught wild in the jungles for $3, and of all things - 1st grade whiskey, scotch, or anything you wanted made in U.S. but absolutely unobtainable there. Where the natives got it we couldn't find out but they sold 14 qts. in just a few minutes for $8 a quart and they had all anyone could ask for across the river at their village.
They speak English almost perfectly and some have been educated at a mission nearby. Tonite they are having a native tribal dance beating their drums and all - it is an eerie sound. They have dugout canoes which they race up and down the river in. The boys who come across the river and said native "jig jig" would come across river that night for those who wanted a prostitute. One little boy was blonde headed and only half black. They are 100% infected with malaria and venereal diseases.
We went to a beautiful brick building with a tin roof all covered with about 1 foot of thatch - for mess. Had the best meal since I left the U.S. Had a cold shower and slept till briefing then walked over to the bank of the river. The Negroes there were selling Nigerian 2 c. pieces for lOc., gibbon monkeys which they caught wild in the jungles for $3, and of all things - 1st grade whiskey, scotch, or anything you wanted made in U.S. but absolutely unobtainable there. Where the natives got it we couldn't find out but they sold 14 qts. in just a few minutes for $8 a quart and they had all anyone could ask for across the river at their village.
They speak English almost perfectly and some have been educated at a mission nearby. Tonite they are having a native tribal dance beating their drums and all - it is an eerie sound. They have dugout canoes which they race up and down the river in. The boys who come across the river and said native "jig jig" would come across river that night for those who wanted a prostitute. One little boy was blonde headed and only half black. They are 100% infected with malaria and venereal diseases.
1.11.2008
Tuesday, January 11
Off to "The Rock" as Ascension Island is called. I was the only one of our squadron to get off - just can't keep my plane grounded - damn it. After 76 hours of flying we hit the tiny island right on the nose - very lucky I guess. Ascension is a very interesting place - it consists entirely of volcanic ash with almost no plant life at all a little being found on "Green Mountain" the center of the island. The base has been blasted out of solid rock and ash and is quite good considering. All the barracks are out on a cliff overlooking the ocean which is very clear & blue at this spot. We went down to the beach but didn't have time for a swim although it was a beautiful little lagoon entirely surrounded by cliffs.
There are about 50-100 natives on island in a small fishing village which is only resource.
Went to a movie in the evening - theatre was carved out of the lee side of one of many caves. They had just carved ledges on slope of hill and this was the gallery. The screen being placed below on a platform built up. Morale is surprisingly high - some men having been there for 18 months.
There are about 50-100 natives on island in a small fishing village which is only resource.
Went to a movie in the evening - theatre was carved out of the lee side of one of many caves. They had just carved ledges on slope of hill and this was the gallery. The screen being placed below on a platform built up. Morale is surprisingly high - some men having been there for 18 months.
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