Memories of war : Micronesians in the Pacific War / Suzanne Falgout, Lin Poyer, Laurence M. Carucci.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Falgout, Suzanne.

Contributor:

Poyer, Lin, 1953-

Carucci, Laurence Marshall, 1949-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Micronesia (Federated States).

World War, 1939-1945.

Memory--Social aspects--Micronesia (Federated States).

Memory.

Memory--Social aspects.

Micronesia (Federated States).

World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Micronesian.

Oral history.

Micronesia--History.

Micronesia.

History.

Genre:

Personal narratives.

Physical Description:

x, 275 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Honolulu : University of Hawai'i Press, [2008]

Summary:

Micronesians often liken the Pacific War to a typhoon, one that swept away their former lives and brought dramatic changes to their understanding of the world and their place in it. Whether they spent the war in bomb shelters, in sweet potato fields under the guns of Japanese soldiers, or in their homes on atolls sheltered from the war, Micronesians who survived those years know that their peoples passed through a major historical transformation. Yet Pacific War histories scarcely mention the Islanders across whose lands and seas the fighting waged.

Memories of War sets out to fill that historical gap by presenting the missing voices of Micronesians and by viewing those years from their perspectives. The focus is on Micronesian remembrances-the ritual commemorations, features of the landscape, stories, dances, and songs that keep their memories of the conflict alive. The inclusion of numerous and extensive interviews and songs is an important feature of this book, allowing Micronesians to speak for themselves about their experiences. In addition, they also reveal distinctively Micronesian cultural memories of war.

Memories of War preserves powerful and poignant memories for Micronesians; it also demonstrates to students of history and culture the extent to which cultural practices and values shape the remembrance of personal experience.

Contents:

Island Names ix

Part I Backgrounds

Chapter 1 "Micronesia" 9

Chapter 2 Cultural Memories and the Pacific War 20

Part II Micronesian Understandings of the Pacific War

Chapter 3 The Meaning of War 39

Chapter 4 The Shock of War 44

Chapter 5 Hardship and Suffering 72

Chapter 6 Combat Experiences 88

Part III Micronesian Vantage Points

Chapter 7 "It Was Not Our War" 103

Chapter 8 The Typhoon of War 118

Chapter 9 Questions of Loyalty 127

Chapter 10 Micronesian Responses to Wartime Pressures 152

Part IV Cultural Themes in Micronesian Wartime Narratives

Chapter 11 Some Micronesian Preoccupations 169

Chapter 12 Greetings and Farewells 186

Chapter 13 Wartime Memories in the Modern World 219

Chapter 14 "The Great Airplane" 228

Appendix List of Participants in Oral History Interviews 241.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 257-265) and index.

ISBN:

9780824831301

0824831306

OCLC:

137305850