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- September 4, 1943 envelope
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- September 4, 1943, p. 1
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- September 4, 1943, p. 2
Letter transcription:
Sept. 4, 1943
Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran. Cal.
Dear Mother,
Your air mail written Aug. 17 and v-mail written Aug. 18 came yesterday – Those were a day behind the letter received yesterday. We seem to be in one of those periods when mail comes in very regular and I’ve gotten my fingers crossed about the next few days but maybe it won’t be so bad – we hope.
Yesterday I had occasion to see and go thru a native village. I had been to one before but not as thorough as yesterday. Before they were more sky and it was only when leaving did any of the women show up but they in the village we visited yesterday went on about their affairs. The amusing thing to me was the humaness of these people. Little boys about 5-10 years old – running around laughing just like any other kids – and girls in their early teens giggling just like in the U.S.A. All men & women of course clothed only to
[page 2] the waist line but a perfect indifference relative to breasts. The only inhibition I saw was in a woman was her quick removal of her pipe from her mouth when the chief of the tribe asked her to show her baby to us. This she inserted dagger like between her skin and the belt of her skirt. Life in that village seems simple and free. Those people are free from worry but I have a feeling that only half of them are there. I mean the death rate is probably very high and only the fittest survive. Their 24 hours seems to be divided into two parts dark & daylight. Fruits growing wild, wild sweet potatoes, fish and a meager garden are their industries. They don’t like to work and will not unless forced to do so and they aren’t forced at present. A few of the most enterprising make grass skirts and mats to sell to gullible service men – So far I haven’t bought any because too much uncleaniless to suit me and dust collectors later on – or would you like to wear a grass skirt?
It seems I went native today
Love Daddy
Russell Islands
Image by Kelisi at Wikipedia.com (Wikipedia Commons license)
©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/01/22/going-native-roscoe/
Genealogy Lady 
“Before they were more sky” should read “shy”
Nice insights for the boy from Indiana: “The amusing thing to me was the humaness of these people. Little boys about 5-10 years old – running around laughing just like any other kids – and girls in their early teens giggling just like in the U.S.A.”
“Those people are free from worry but I have a feeling that only half of them are there. I mean the death rate is probably very high and only the fittest survive.” Realism here, and idealization: with high death rates they could hardly have been free from worry.
“They don’t like to work….” As defined by Westerners. Foraging and surviving were work.
“So far I haven’t bought any because too much uncleaniless to suit me and dust collectors later on – or would you like to wear a grass skirt?” Very much my father speaking here! 🙂