The Apache sentinel., 1944-11-24


ton. Through prayers and encour-
/ agement 1 still had a few little
fears, my swell new friends and me,
but before we knew it we had reach
ed land again and were told this was
the stopping point. 1t was New
Guinea. 1t was thrilling to know the
Journey was done and not a short
was fired as 1 was expecting. I saw
soldiers, tents and what appeared to
be an army city.
What is here that isn't made? I
thought And what thrilled me more
I than anything was the cocoanut
trees and the cocoanuts. My mouth
began watering. The first chance
we got, we rushed to some of the
trees. "The monkeys have nothing
on us" was the remark I made after
few hours in the cOcoanut para
disc. We climbed the trees. We
knocked down cocoanuts; we ate
/ them We did more with them than
all the monkeys ever did. Finally I
began to get sick again, and it wasn't
sea sick this time. 1t was cocoanuts.
I When the activity started l took
Z OH61 Jl1C WAi1AO OoAACA
members of the unit were doing
other work When all work was fin
/ ished, we got off and mounted We
hicles to join the other New Gui-
means in khaki, which found to be
mighty near all Negro from all parts
of the States. Something tells me
1 am going to like New Guinea" I
said to myself.
In the course of few weeks, when
everything worked down to daily
routine, I began getting around,
meeting the old soldiers who were
pioneers, I might say. They had
seen action in this area and had
/ been overseas for years. While still
enjoying cocoanuts, found that at
| the theaterS, the recreatiOnal areas,
and everywhere something good was
being put down, not failing to men
! ton the Red Cross amusement CEN
ter for the Negro soldiers. I even
! found the best places to fish and
swim. I know the trees the best
cocoanuts come from. And I must
mention the cooperation of the boys
who drive the vehicles.
We call it the Free Taxi Serv-
ice." Five miles, ten miles, no mat
ter when or where, just step to the
roadside and point the direction
/ you want to go and some kind SOL
dier will gladly give you ride.
/ You get a ride in less than ten min
! utes after you flag for it, There's
something passing on the road all
the time, even all night. 1 know,
because I sleep near the road. Some
times when rides are slightly hard
to get and it seems that race pre- elu-
! dice is the cause, a white soldier
who is alone gets with the Negroes.
and when a Negro soldier is alone he
| gets with the white boys, and so they
still ride, regardless of whether the
] driver is colored or white, or from
/ the south or the north. No joke, we
really have our fun here in this area
| of New Guinea. No one could have
told me things were like this over
seas, and I'doubt if half of you be-
lieve my story. One reason it's so
heavenly to me is because I was
/ looking fer action, and lots OF it,
plenty hardsips and foXholeS. So
/ far I've seen it only in the movies.
and I am quite sure you all will
agree that this is a cocoanut para
disc. However, we work like hell!
But we can enjoy ourselves after
wards Electric lights, radios, tents,
the camp type; mess halls, churches,
and everything the camps have in
the states, even beer, coca cola and
ice cream.
really enjoy watchin gthe boys
fish and looking at what they catch,
as they catch some of the damnedeSt
things I ever saw and eat them. /
didn't know there were SO many
different things in the sea.
/ We now have our armed forces
broadcasting station. So we hear
our favorite programs right along,
including some of our talents. The
food is good and there is plenty OF
it. and 1 do mean plenty, even if
the Army cooks have learned that
success comes in cans, since it does
not take much time to prepare can
ned foods.
Well, I could go on and on forever
talking about my vacation in New
Guinea, but I guess I'll go fishing,
plus get a few cocoanutS on the way.
( So this is all from the "Cocoanut
Daro dico I" GOodhUa and T hone to