Remembering the war in New Guinea - Interview with Joe Leleng

Story bilong Joe Leleng (Interview)
(Indigenous perspective)
This interview was conducted by Dr Hiromitsu Iwamoto and transcribed/translated by Pastor Jacob Aramans

Joe: Taim woa bin kam, yia bilong mi olsem 8 0 9 yias. Mi lukim ol Japan i kamap, woa ikamap long hia. Ol Japan bin stap long hia ol i givim wok long olgeta papa long wokim dispela run wei. So run wei ino bilong ol America, em bilong ol Japan wokim. Ol papa ol karim stick kokonas, diwai na ol karim sand putim long ples where malumalum. Em olgeta papa long hia ol wok wantaim olgeta Manus. Ol narapela man we mi lukim em ol Buka, ol Nissan na mi lukim ol stap gut taim tu na ol stap wantaim ol papa na ol wok wantaim.

Ol wokim airport pinis na taim woa kamap ol Siapan olgeta kam, ol gat tripela gun mi lukim. Bikpela gun turu mi lukim ol putim long Taben na ikam liklik we notis bod istap. Narapela liklik em dabol hol. Dabol ai long Telesa istap mi lukim na narapela ol putim long Poloka em village bilong mipela na haus balang bilong mipela tu istap. Mi blong Poloka wantaim mama, papa na mipela olgeta blong Poloka side na igat Papitala side. Ol man long Papitala wantaim Poloka ol bung wantaim na wok long airport, wok long ol Siapan. Taim war kam na bik man o boss blong Siapan tok olsem sapos wo ikam bai yupela move aut igo long bus. Bai mi noken save, gun bai kisim yupela o balus em tokim ol papa, mama orait mipela wantaim papa, mama go long mangoro. Taim woa ikam strong mipela hait inap woa i pinis mipela go bek long village wantaim ol Japan bung wantaim. Japan na mipela stap wantaim long Poloka that's why na mi lukim olgeta bikpela na liklik woa kamap, mi lukim olgeta.

Mi save ol man we ol carrier blong Japan em olgeta wok wantaim long airport tasol ol man helpim ol Japan long karim ol samting blong ol igo long side we igat wara long namel, ol kisim ol long kanu na go long side. Ol papa olsem, Weion, Dipon, Amai,Aloise em ol bikpela blong mipela em ol wok wantaim ol nau. Ol papa blong mipela em ol wok long hia tasol olsem carrier long Japan go long hap. Japan tok yupela lapun na stap mipela laik ol yangpela tasol wok. Olgeta em mi lukim. Inap wo i pinis long wanem yia nau em mi no save bikos ol movim mipela go na go aut olgeta na kam bek mipela stap wantem America long Mokori. Na olgeta balus blong Japan liklik, bikpela wanem kain mi lukiim.

Dr Iwamoto: Yu tok yu go long skul blong Japanese?

Joe: Yes, ol Japan bin kam na ol putim skul na mipela go skul na mipela liklik tumas, na ol yangpela man long mipela nau mi kolim ol ya. Em olgeta, Japan kisim ol bai ol go skul na kamap soldia.

Ol katim diwai olsem gun na ol save lainim ol long wanem Japan go olim wanem ol tanim. Ol putim malo disla hap laplap wait na ol pasim long nek na ol tanim het kam bek olsem. Japan putim pens long ol na bihain ol putim trausis. Em ol putim disla na mipela liklik stap long skul. Ol bikpela skul pinis ol kisim ol igo lainim ol ken long wok blong soldia. Em nau wo kam nau mipela buruk, buruk nambaut nau, mipela liklik ronwei wantem papa go na ol bikpela go stap wantem ol Japan nau.

Dr Iwamoto: So dispela skul istap long we?

Joe: Ol statim long Poloka em ples blong mipela, wokim haus olsem. Ol Japan tok wokim bikpela haus olsem, mipela kolim "haus boi" na mipela skul. Igat wanpela long pela Japan nau i skulim mipela, na mi olsem mi no save tumas mi kauntim namba igo inap ten but mi laik go twenty nau mi no save nau. Mi arere em mi save nau mi putim long het nau, na mi no moa go long twenty na thirty em nogat.

Dr Iwamoto: Yu save hamas pela pikinini istap long dispela skul?

Joe: Meri ino go long skul, mipela ol man tasol. Ol man olsem ol yangpela man mi kolim ol pinis ya, Amwe, Alois, Benedict, Weion em disla lain ating em ol bikpela inap ten na mipela liklik ating mipela tu o tri tasol em bikos ol laikim taim wo ikam mipela planti ol liklik pikinini ol poret na mi tasol olsem ol stap long olsem haus olsem na skul haus olsem na haus bilong mipela olsem, em nau mi liklik na mi save go wantem ol that's how na mi save, mi lukim hamas man, mi save husait.

Dr Iwamoto: Amaspela tisa istap long dispela skul?

Joe: Wanpela tisa tasol nem bilong em mi lus tingting.

Dr Iwamoto: So em yangpela man o lapun man?

Joe: Em yangpela man, em longpela man, mi lukim em.

Dr Iwamoto: Em inap long tok long tok pisin?

Joe: English nogat, em tok Japan tasol.

Dr Iwamoto: Tok ples Japan tasol?

Joe: Yes, tok ples Japan. Em tok ples Japan bikos em laikim ol lain igo soldia that's why na em tok ples Japan tasol na ino English, ino pisin, em Japan tasol. Em laikim ol lain ya igo kamap soldia, na pisin ol save tasol ol laik skulim ol long tok Japan.

Dr Iwamoto: So em tisim yupela hunting na singsing tu?

Joe: Yes, singsing tu.

Dr Iwamoto: Yu save long sampela singsing bilong ol?

Joe: Wanpela singsing tasol mi save na planti mi lusim. Na wanpela mi save em olsem: "mosi" em disla, ating em singsing blong wo o blong ol em mi no save tasol mi harim na mi kisim. Em olselm: Mosi (song) em tasol mi harim na mi save.

Dr Iwamoto: Dispela skul istap hamaspela mun?

Joe: Mi noken giamanim yu long wanem mi, yu ken save olsem mi tok ol Japan kam ol statim na ino long taim em wo i kamap, ino long taim tumas ating igo olsem wan mun o tu mun o olsem mi no save, ino long taim tu.

Dr Iwamoto: So ol pikini i hamamas long go long disla skul?

Joe: Yes, ol pikini hamamas tasol long go long skul, na mi tokim yu em ol bik man long Japan ol strongpela man ol givim strongpela tok long ol soldia noken koros long ol man long ples. Yu laikim kaikai yu tok ol bai helpim yu givim ya em mi harim olsem. Ol ikam long ples na ol toktok na ol bigman tok na mi harim. Ol Japan hamamas, so turu long hapsait ol kolim ol narapela kain. Japan em ol wokim sampela rong ating long hap. Long mipela em nogat.

Dr Iwamoto: Dispela tisa em gutpela man o nogat?

Joe: Tisa em gutpela man

Dr Iwamoto: So em ino paitim yupela?

Joe: Nogat, em ino save paitim. Wanem samting wrong em tok no wokim olsem olsem na em ino paitim, em ino koros nogat em gutpela man.

Dr Iwamoto: Yu save dispela tisa igo bek long Japan o em dai pinis long hia?

Joe: Em tasol mi no save, em go bek long Japan o em stap long wo em indai pinis o em mi no save long wanem wo ikaam strong na mipela ronowei nambaut.

Dr Iwamoto: Taim wo ikam strong, yupela ronowei na bihain yupela ikam bek long ples o nogat?

Joe: Yes, mipela ikam bek taim America kisim ples orait kapten bilong America ol kolim General MacThur sindaun long Muguren na singautim mipela olgeta igo bek na stap long Muguren. Taim wo long hia i wok long go long bik Manus long Lorengau na igo ol singautim mipela igo stap long hap.

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This page was last updated on 1 June 2004.
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