Story bilong Kami Kesen bliong Manus (Interview)
(Indigenous perspective)
This interview was conducted by Dr Iwamoto Hiromitsu and transcribed/translated by Pastor Jacob Aramans

Dr Iwamoto: Wanem nem bilong yu? Kami: Nem bilong mi Kami Kesen na mi bilong ples Pitulu Island klostu long Lorengau.Mi laikim turu ol pasin bilong Japan taim ol ikam long Manus. Mi lukim tenpela balus long Sande, ol i palai antap long Pitulu na ikam na dropim bom long Lorengau. Ol i go na narapela fivepela line bilong Japan i kam gen na i dropim bom tupela taim. Bihain ol igo bek. Wan wik bihain six pela sip ikam (war ship) , two pela ikam long Pitilo, two pela igo long Lorengau na two pela igo long Lombrum. Ol ikam, ol soldia bilong ol tu wantaim. Ol ino mekim wanpela samting, ol istap gut tasol. Mipela tu ino poret, mipela stap long na lukluk tasol. Taim ol igo pinis, bihain long baksite blong disla, six pela sip ol igo bek, ol bikpela sip i karim ol soldia ikam sampela lain igo long Momote, sampela lain ol ikam long Lorengau, sampela lain istap long Pitilo. Mi no wokim wanpela wok tasol Japan i kisim mipela long kamap carrier bilong ol. Japan i kisim mipela ol pipel bilong Pitulu long wokim bikpela hole bilong kar na bipela hole blong ol bai hait. Mipela wokim ol dispela hatpela wok bilong ol tasol ol Japan i no baim mipela. Nem bilong bikpela man husait igo pas long lukautim ol Japan na ol carriers em Tosang. Pinis long dispela mipela i kam bek long Lorengau ananit long narapela bikman bilong Japan, nem bilong em Yosta. Em i kisim mipela long wokim ples balus. Ples balus istap klostu long Lorengau. Mipela i katim mountain, rausim ol kokonas, na mipela wokim bikpela hole, karim ol ston, kokonas igo antap, waisen, na balus i kam insait. Fivepela balus ikam insait. Na bikpela wok tru mipela i wokim. Japan i no baim mipela tasol ol i tok long helpim mipela bihain long war sapos Japan i win. Bihain gen ol i kisim mipela go gen long Momote long wokim narapela ples balus. Em bikpela wok na nogat pei. Long dispela taim Yosta ibin igo pas long Japan. Mipela ino pinisim yet na bikpela war i kamap. Bikpela war long Amerika na Australia i kamap na mipela i buruk nau. Mipela ino save ol Japan bai igo we na ol pipel bilong Manus igo olsem wanem. Tasol ol i kam bek gen. Mi lukim log eye bilong mi stret ol Amerika kilim ol Japan na mi wari stret. Dr Iwamoto: Taim ol Japanis i kam, yu bin liklik mangi or yu bin bikpela man pinis? Kami: Mi bikpela man na mi no marit yet, na mi wok olsem carrier bilong Japan. Na bihain gen mi wok olsem navy. Mi bin kamap olsem man bilong sutim balun igo antap bilong panimm win na ren. Dr Iwamoto: So yu kamap carrier bilong Japanese? Kami: Mi kamap carrier long wok long ples balus long Lorengau, Momote na Pitulu wantaim.Em ol Pitulu tasol na olgeta Manus nogat. Mipela Pitulu istap klostu long eye bilong ol Japan klostu long lorengau taun. Dr Iwamoto: Na olgeta man bilong Pitulu i wok? Kami: Ye olgeta man bilong Pitulu i wok wankain. Dr Iwamoto: Ol i yangpela man tasol or ibin igat ol lapun man wantaim tu? Kami: Ol sampela man olem mi i dai pinis na mipela igat tripela kain man olsem mi i stap yet. Dr Iwamoto: Yu save long hamaspela man bilong Pitulu i wok olsem? Kami: I luk olsem mipela 40 pela man ibin wok. Dr Iwamoto: Ol man tasol ibin wok na nogat mmeri? Kami: Yes ol man tasol. Dr Iwamoto: So ol i kamap carrier olsem yu? Kami: Ol i karim cargo, waisen,na ol i katim diwai na rausim igo long long mekim ples balus. Dr Iwamoto: So dispela hour bilong wok igo olsem, yu bin wok sotpela hour or sotpela hour tru? Kami: Japan i katim liklik namel long wok, ol i tok yasmin, yasminose. Yasmin nau, mins mipela malolo na yasminose mins mipela wok. Dr Iwamoto: Yupela wok long moning na apinun olgeta taim? Kami: Mipela i wok dei, moning, 12 mipela igo kaikai long 1:00 na kam bek na wok inap igo inap 5:00 apinun. Ol japanese i hariapim mipela long wok na pinis long 5:00 bikos long war. Dr Iwamoto: Yu tok ol Japanese ol gutpela or ol i no paitim yupela? Kami: First taim ol i kam kamap ol bin paitim sampela man bilong mipela nating olsem ol pasin bilong pik. Na bihain ol pasin bilong mipela i senis na ol ino paitim mipela moa.Ol i kilim wanpela man bilong mipela. Dr Iwamoto: Bilong wanem ol Japanese i kilim em? Kami: Ol i kilim em long sakim tok long les long wok.Em i kisim pasin bilong Ausralia i bihainim na na ino bringim people na ol i kilim olgeta. Mipela i wok na mipela i lukim tru long eye bilong mi, ol i kukim em ling paia na ol i pasim lek na hhan bilong em igo baksait. Dr Iwamoto: Yu save long nem bilong em? Kami: Yes, nem bilong em i Kebog na em i luluai. Dr Iwamoto: Ol Japanese i bin kilim em olsem wanem stret. ol i bin katim nek bilong em or ? Kami: Ol i no katim nek, ol i kukim ston long paia na ol i putim long skin bilong em igo long leva bilong em na en i dai nating tasol na ol i karamapim em long lip bilong grass na istap na sting nating. Dr Iwamoto: Ol i kukim em long ston? Kami: Ol i kukim ston igo ret tru na ol i kukim em. Dr Iwamoto: Tasol dispela police still istap? kami: Mi lukim long eye blong mi stret. Dr Iwamoto: I bin planti man na meri lukim tu? Kami: Mipela Manus tasol, ol meri bilong mipela istap orait na ol ino mekim wanpela samting long ol meri bilong mipela, ol i no kilim planti man bilong mipela. Dr Iwamoto: Ol Japanis i appointim sampela boss boy or police boy blong yupela. Kami: Ol Japanese ol appointim ol luluai tasol na ol tasol i bos. Bikpela boss ol yet i tok long wok mipela mas wok na malolo tu. Dr Iwamoto: Sampela man bilong yupela i kamap soldier wantaim J Japanis? Kami: Nogat. Japanis ikam napela iken kisim tasol ino longpela time na ino kisim, ol tasol. Dr Iwamoto: Ol ino openim skul long here? Kami: Inogat skul, em ol i wok tasol na toktok liklik tasol olsem long toktok blong Japan ol i wok long kauntim tasol. Tasol mipela no clear long tokples Japan i hat tru ya. Dr Iwamoto: Sampela Japanis inap long tokpisin? Kami: Nogat, disla time ol ikam nogat wanpela Japanese inap tok pisin. Bihain long disla na planti rong blong kebo i kamap. Ol i salim tok igo long ples igat wanpela blong bifo bilong Japan em ikam. Nem bilong em Katosang. Bikos em wanpela pren blong ol Pitulu long bifo long Germany ol i bihainim ol na kam labour wok blong ol. Ikam ino long time istap long ol long Lorengau na bikpela war i kamap ol i ronowe igo long Tamak. Em igo istap long em na ol dropim bomb na kilim em. Dr Iwamoto: Em idai? Kami: Japan tok winsep. Winsep em olsem gutpela time. Olsem kiap, man i rong go long yu stretim rong bilong ol man. Dr Iwamoto: Ol tritim yupela gutpela or nogat ol Katosang? Kami: Ino kam long taim, ikam tasol wan moon, em nau bikpela samting i kamap long Pitilu. Na bikpela war nau na mipela olgeta ronowei. Long ples blong mi tu long Pitilu. Ol Japan mipela stap long ples, ol i gutpela. Ol Japan ol gat rong long sampela hap. Mipela ol Manus long ples blong mi Pitilu inogat wanpela rong ol Japan i mekim. Disla yangpela man pastaim mi kolim nem blong em. Em skulim English. Ating skul long America or tasol em skulim English na em i gutpela man. Dr Iwamoto: Taim bikpela pait ikam yupela igo long we? Kami: Bikpela pait ikam ol i kilim wanpela man wantaim tupela pikinini long gun. Ol America. Em disla balus sutim man ya wantaim pikinini blong em ol i kolim "lightning" nem bilong disla balus. Em mipela i kisim igo ikam. Em istap long point i lukim bikpela birua i kamap ikam na tok planim pinis, maski haus, maski wanem yupela olgeta igo. Go na hait mipela tasol istap. Dr Iwamoto: So nau yupela istap long bus? Kami: Ye, mipela istap long bus. Nogat kaikai tu bai yu painim long we. Bai hat wok tru long painim kaikai olsem yu ken steal long katen blong ol narapela man. Mi tu save steal long katen bilong ol man bikos mi painim hat long painim kaikai. Mipela istap wan wik pinis i laik wan wik ol soldia i kam insait. Dr Iwamoto: Bihain America i winim Japan? Kami: Bihain long disla America winim Japanese ikam bek na igat ol manboss bilong disla war blong America na Australia. Bilong America nem bilong em General MacAuthor na bilong Australia Genera Macathy em tupela ya. Igat ol man olsem police (Papua New Guineans) ol bihainim ol. Ol ikam na ol soldier i pait na ol igo long bus long painim mipela na singautim mipela ikam bek. Mipela ikam bek, mi nau bai mi kam pas ken long carrier blong America na Australia bikos skin blong mi i smat tru long painim samting hariap. First time mi carrier blong Australia na mi lukim ol Japan ol America kilim. Mipela 300 long disla taim ol i kisim mipela kam stap long Lorengau na ol i brukim mipela. 150 mipela istap long Lorengau na 150 igo long Momote bai ol kilim ol Japan long hap. Na mipela stap long hia, mipela carrier long hia kisim cargo long wasim ol Japan long Lorengau long ronim ol go antap. Ol Japan ol istap long Lukos mission. Ol i wok long kilim ol ikam ikam inap ol i ronim ol igo long bus na ol igo dai long angere. Dr Iwamoto: Ol America paim yupela long karim cargo? Kami: America ino paim mipela wankain olsem ol Japan. Ples blong mipela ol i bagarapim , kukim haus, ol i rausim diwai long ples blong mipela. Dr Iwamoto: Long bikpela pait i kamap Japanese stap long Pitulu so ol i kaikai wantaim yupela? Kami: Ol blong ol yet, ol keepim room bilong ol yet, bikos ol soldier nogat people igo. Ol luluai na tultul ya i pasim mipela noken bikos ol em man blong pait, ol istap redi tasol long pait. Na tasol long wok mipela wokim wok blong ol helpim ol long wok mipela ino less. Tasol ol Japan ol i givim mipela drink. Taim wok i pinis ol givim mipela drink putim wanpela shaki putim long bucket wara igo na mipela drink. Em sain olsem amamas blong mipela wantaim. Dr Iwamoto: So tritim yupela oolsem? Kami: America long taim blong wok nogat ol no save wokim olsem bikos mipela i pait na planti kaikai. Mipela kisim planti kaikai nogat moni. Dr Iwamoto: Yupela kaikai wantaim ol America? Kami: Yes mipela kaikai wantem ol, bikos ol serim kaikai wantem inapim ol, so pelo bai go long ol Japan blong yu or Australia blong yu na mipela kam olsem mipela yet. Mipela gat kuk bilong mipela yet. Em rot nau istap hia go long Momote nogat. Em ol America kam ol wokim rot na mi wanpela man tu seveim. Mipela katim rot na mark olsem na tractor igo na rausim diwai nau bigpela rot igo long pasis long bris long Loliu na go. Before nogat rot bai yumi i kisim ship igo long Momote. Dr Iwamoto: Ol Japanis i mekim pasin nogut long meri blong yupela? Kami: Nogat. Mi wanpela igo pas long disla long lukim, inogat, mipela Manus nogat. Dr Iwamoto: Olsem wanem long ol America na Australia? Kami: America tu ol i wankain bikos ol gat spes blong ol na mipela igat spes bikos law blong Australia em strong. Bikos man ya lidim Australia bipo mi kolim , em wanpela kiap bipo bipo em istap long Rabaul, Mr Macathy. Helpim wok, mipela helpim ol tasol long bagarapim mipela nogat. War long Manus, bikpela war en i raun ikam ikam stap long Manus em 1942 war pinis. 1943 ol balus, ship, soldier ol imas go long Japan. Disla mi carrier yet ol igo mipela istap ananit long Australia mipela stap yet inap war pinis. Na Japan long Manus nogat man i ronowe ol indai olgeta Japan long Rabaul an blong Kavieng. Inap war igo long Japan i pinis General MacAuther wantem General Macathy tupela ron ikam long Rabaul passim rot na bikpela ship blong Japan ikam long Rabaul na Kavieng kisim ol igo long ples. Dr Iwamoto: Bihain long war i pinis America i wokim wanpela kalabus sampela Japanese istap insait long em. Yu lukim dispela kalabus tu long Manus? Kami: Nogat mi no lukim, mi no lukim wanpela Japan ol kalabusim em. Turu ol man tasol ronowe stap long bus ol angere, wisket bilong ol i longpela miplea kisim ikam na ikam long ol na mipela no save ol kisim ol igo long Japan , America or Australia or ol i kilim ol or mi no save. Dr Iwamoto: Bihain long war i pinis yupela kisim compensation long ol tu or nogat? Kami: War pinis mipela wait igo na nogat compensation ikam Japan or America na Australia. ---- THE END ----