10/13 Pago Pago, American Samoa (3)
>> All right. My name is [INAUDIBLE]. This is my sister, Hannah. She’s the youngest of our siblings.
>> The youngest of 11.
>> My niece, Sa, named after my grandmother and my niece, which is her daughter, named Elena. We are from … We are all relatives of our uncle that was killed in the Korean War, and his name is [INAUDIBLE] …
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>> [INAUDIBLE]. He’s from … He has many villages from [INAUDIBLE] and [INAUDIBLE]. Yeah.
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>> So we weren’t there when he was alive because he died in 1950 in the Korean War, and I was born in 1956. My daughter … My sister is 1965.
>> 1965.
>> So we didn’t see him, but we know from our dad’s stories about his brother. My dad is … He’s the one … The uncle, my uncle died in Korea, and he’s older than my dad. My dad is the youngest of the siblings, so based on his story, he joined the military and the armed forces, and then he went off island because of that, and he … When he left, he didn’t marry, but he has a girlfriend that he was suppose to marry before he left, but that didn’t happen, and based on our dad’s story, word arrived from off island that he was killed. He was killed, and they waited for 7 to 9 months, I think 7 months, before his body was found and …
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>> … transferred down here to the islands, so he was brought in with the word that they’re not supposed to open up the coffin, so they haven’t seen if he was really in there, and he was buried in Pago Pago, his mother’s land in Pago Pago, so that’s all we know about him, but when he died late in 1950, my mother gave birth to one of my brothers and because of uncle was passed away, he was named after my uncle. Yeah. That’s how we remember him because we did not see him in-person. He passed away before we were born.
>> Do you know which battle he passed …
>> The Korean War.
>> I know, which battle?
>> During the war, which battle? Like, where did he die?
>> I don’t know.
>> I don’t remember.
>> We don’t remember, and I …
>> What … Do you know what date …
>> Date?
>> … he died, what date?
>> Yes, it’s in the sheet of … and on the tombstone. It’s August 23, 1950.
>> August 23rd, 1950.
>> Yes.
>> Oh, that’s during the beginning of the war. That was the most difficult time of the war.
>> And we were told … My dad told us that he’s … where he was doing on the … Through he war was he the operator of a tank, the machine, and he was killed right there.
>> Oh.
>> He was operating the tank.
>> Oh.
>> The big gun, yeah.
>> How old was he?
>> I think he was … Because he was born in July 12th, 1933.
>> He was baby. He was 18.
>> Yeah.
>> Eighteen.
>> He just turned 18, so he joined the army right when he turned 18?
>> Yeah. Who?
>> Your uncle.
>> I think so.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> When did he join the army?
>> I’m not sure.
>> Yeah.
>> We don’t have that.
>> Seventeen, 18.
>> Yes.
>> Yeah. He was a baby, so what does it mean for you to honor him here today?
>> Very much important to us because ever since he passed away in the war doing what … I think it was discussed during my dad’s time, but during our time, we never speak of him because we know very little about him. Yeah. We haven’t seen him. If only we can find a picture of him, but we don’t have it.
>> No picture?
>> No.
>> No picture.
>> I think those times …
>> Not even his baby picture?
>> I think those times, there were no camera on the island.
>> Oh.
>> Yeah, so …
>> But I knew he was planned to get married when he comes back.
>> Yeah, but that didn’t happening.
>> Oh, but no picture, so nobody knows how he looks like.
>> Maybe my dad is the one who only knows how he looks like because …
>> They made a song. They made a song about him.
>> Yeah. There’s a song about him.
>> Really?
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>> It’s on the Internet.
>> Yeah.
>> Do you sing it?
>> I forgot the words to that song.
>> I used to sing it with my grandmother, and that’s long ago.
[Lyrics]
[INAUDIBLE]
>> Come on. Sing it. Sing it. Sing it.
>> I forgot it.
>> Yes. It’s … I forgot because …
>> Sing it. Sing it. Try. Try.
>> … it’s been 40 years.
>> Okay.
[Lyrics]
[INAUDIBLE]
>> It’s going to make me make tears.
>> What does it mean?
>> But that’s how the song goes.
>> What does the song mean?
[Lyrics]
[INAUDIBLE]
>> [INAUDIBLE]. Oh.
>> Oh.
>> Asking about where he is.
>> Oh.
>> It’s …
[Lyrics]
[INAUDIBLE]
>> Who made the song?
[Lyrics]
[INAUDIBLE]
>> That’s the name of the song. That’s how we would remember him.
>> Sorry, very emotional.
>> Well, I’m here to honor him and his memory.
>> I mean, it’s a happy feeling to … for today to remember him again.
>> Yes.
>> But it totally forgot the whole song, the whole lyrics, but that’s how …
>> I used to sing it.
>> But that’s how I could remember.
>> I used to sing the song with my grandma, but it’s 40 years ago now, 40 years.
>> But it’s amazing that you’re … All of you are here to honor him. I mean, I don’t know know him, but I know where he is. He’s with the Lord.
>> Yeah.
>> And he’s watching over all of your family. Yes, and I think …
>> And he’s at peace.
>> … he appreciates it very much that you remember him.
>> Yeah.
>> Thank you. Thank you.
>> Thank you. If only we could see a picture of him, it’s …
>> Maybe [INAUDIBLE] because our dad and his brother [INAUDIBLE]. They only have one sister. Maybe she has some photos, but she pass away too.
>> Oh. I think that’s why it’s so important that we remember and we record the history.
>> I don’t know if she were … Of his record when he join the offices if there’s any picture.
>> There has to be.
>> I know.
>> Oh, I hope we can find it.
>> Let’s try to find it.
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>> Yes, let’s try to find it.
>> Pictures of him, we didn’t even see his face.
>> Okay. Okay. Thank you so much. Okay, everybody say …
>> Thank you so much for your time.
>> … bye.
>> Thank you.
