Coolest story I've read all year...

[Number23]

All five days of it!

'French photographer documents PNG tribesman's journey across the US'
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-04/french-photographer-captures-png-tribesman-journey-usa/7065514

...The Huli people are an indigenous tribe who live in the southern highlands of Papua New Guinea.

They are known for their striking traditional dress, known as bilas, featuring painted faces, huge wigs and woven clothing.

"I would be worried first of the reaction the American people, if they would make fun of him or have silly comments," Mr Dozier said.

"But it was totally different, when Mundiya would put on his body decoration, his bilas, everyone would come to see him and ask him questions and be very curious. Say, 'where are you from and can I take pictures of you?'"

By far, the photo that truly encapsulates the spirit of the story:



I have been fortunate enough to spend some time in PNG among the most gorgeous, generous people in the world. I haven't felt "at home" like that in a long time. There is alot of horrible stuff going on there now (gender based violence there is out of this world) but like everywhere else, there is also alot of beauty and joy.

[lovemydog]

1. Yes 'there is also a lot of beauty and joy.'

Thank you for sharing this, Number23. I'm always looking for stories that uplift our spirits. You made my day with this one my friend. I love the full story and all the photos.

From the photographer Marc Dozier: "What seems to be very interesting for me, with the work we are doing with Mundiya, is he is giving us the chance to correct the point of view that we have, realise that maybe our point of view is not the only one," Mr Dozier said. "We can learn many things from other people, especially people from Papua New Guinea." So cool you've spent time there.

All the photos are a trip. Hanging with tattooed dudes in Tucson. Taking a selfie in front of the Statue of Liberty. Here's "Huli chief Mundiya Kepanga with young navajos wearing ceremonial wearing ceremonial clothes during a Pow Wow, or traditional dance, at Festival Navajo Nation Fair in Arizona."

[Number23]

4. Oh, I MELTED when I saw that one

I should have known you'd love it too.

[randys1]

6. I have to tell you, pictures and stories like this reinforce my belief that I am on

the right side.

I think that will make sense to those who are also.

Something about this picture that says more than a thousand

[sheshe2]

2. Those pictures are fantastic!

What a wonderful story they tell. I especially like the selfie.



Thanks so much for sharing Number23, you brightened my day.

[Number23]

5. Wasn't that one a hoot??!

His joy at his surroundings is evident in every photo. He was having an absolute blast and I'm sure has told everyone in his tribe back home about his "adventure in America" a billion times by now.

[sheshe2]

9. Would you just look at that grin.

Ha, ya he will become the tribes story teller. Bet he embellishes the stories each time he tells them. I have to say that I love how he was treated here as he made his way across the USA. This country truly amazes me at times, there still is a lot of good in us.

Cool you spent some time in PNG, you seem to be well traveled. I bet you have some interesting stories to tell, Number23.

Again, thank you~

she

[brer cat]

3. I love it!

He seems to fit right in! Thanks, Number 23.

[lovemydog]

10. He sure does.

That's probably my favorite thing about these photos. He seems to fit right in. The people he's with, they fit right in with him too. They make me laugh and they make me more understanding that there's really great people in this country and in others too.

Here's another where he fits right in. I love this one at the Burning Man festival.

[Hekate]

7. Thanks for this, Number23

Happy new year, and see ya later.

[Number23]

8. Happy New Year to you too!!

I saw this story and laughed my head off at the pictures. That man is LOVING LIFE and I thought it was wonderful.

I mentioned in the OP that PNG has alot of bad things going on. There is alot of violence, poverty and disease. It is a developing nation after all. But there is so much warmth and life there. If you're an adventurous person who's all caught up on your malaria shots (even though they don't really do much) I'd highly recommend it.

[Kind of Blue]

11. Thank You, Number23!

I've only been able to see videos of tribal people so this is indeed an upclose and personal trip for everyone who got a chance to meet Mr. Mundiya.

Oh wow! what a trip to PNG that must have been. I wonder if you've got any photos or stories to tell, any of them including the beauty and joy.

Happy New Year to you and yours, Number23! Very, very nice way to start off our New Year

[Number23]

13. You're welcome! I just love the joy on his face in those pictures

PNG is an incredibly poor country and there are the usual charges of corruption and cronyism at the folks in charge.

Like I said to Hekate, there is alot of disease there. Violence against women is a major problem and the potholes on the road are OUT OF THIS WORLD. You could drive a Mac truck through some of those things.

But seeing all of those gorgeous brown faces, like I said I haven't felt "home" like that in a long time.

Happy New Year to you too, my sweet girl.

[Stellar]

12. Whoa, thanks for sharing! nt

[BumRushDaShow]

14. That's pretty cool!

I always encourage people to travel - somehow, some way. The only way to stave off the isolation and fear/misunderstanding that is so rampant in the world today. And I expect people who he did encounter probably had absolutely no idea where he was from as they would most likely make all sorts of assumptions based on his native dress. Aussies know but here...?? Ha! And probably a tiny fraction could point out the island out on a map. My father was in WWII in the Pacific Theater (army) and served in that area.

Thanks for posting!

[Number23]

15. How cool!

My father was in WWII in the Pacific Theater (army) and served in that area.

Where was your dad stationed? The Northern Territory (of Australia) is now full of U.S. Marines!!

I always encourage people to travel - somehow, some way.

Me too but I am PARTICULARLY encouraging of black folks to do so. I don't know a black person that's gone somewhere yet that didn't come back absolutely shaken with how much love we get in so many other parts of the world.

And not just to Jamaica!! I don't how many black folks I have known over the years that are like "yes, I'm well traveled. I've been to the Bahamas twice."

[BumRushDaShow]

16. From what I remember

him telling us - and pointing out on a globe we had when I was little (before he died), he was stationed in what was then called the New Hebrides (now called Vanuatu). He had a couple old photos of himself, kneeling and holding a coconut in the midst a palm trees. Have to dig up the old photocopy of his discharge papers but I think he was in one of the transportation companies (which is where they usually put black soldiers, along with the quartermasters). He was in the "baby" group of WW2 draftees - literally drafted out of college at 19 in 1943 when the U.S was getting its butt beat and they grabbed whoever they could. About 10 years ago, I was finally able to "translate" his service bar (campaigns/medals), and if I remember correctly, he had a bronze star, WW2 Victory medal, Good Conduct medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign medal, & American Campaign medal (which was surprising to me trying to figure that one out regarding where he was to get that).

And you are right - when we travel abroad, the red carpet gets rolled out.. and notably if they discover you are American. And what's even more ironic is if you are a black American tourist in another country and run into some white Americans there - suddenly we are "all Americans" and you get clung to by them like it's safety in numbers. Yet I expect that if you had run into them here, they wouldn't have given you the time of day.

[MADem]

17. He did something BIG to get a Bronze Star--they did not hand those out like popcorn.

Check his DD214--there might be a Purple Heart on there too.

[BumRushDaShow]

19. All we have left of his WW2 mementos

were the service bars with the ribbons - I believe there were 2 - one longer than the other (where on one, a couple tiny bronze stars - am thinking they were campaign ones - had fallen off) and an old photocopy of the discharge papers. I don't recall a purple heart listed on there and if I remember correctly, he was discharged as a Tech (T/5 - Corporal) who served 1943 - 1946. I was still stumped at the "American Campaign" reference though... lol My mother was in high school during WW2 and she always talked about the U-boat scares off the Jersey coast so perhaps he did some of U-boat hunting before heading out to the Pacific! The "Good Conduct" one made me chuckle too...

The internet is an amazing thing that allowed me to even figure out what all the stripes represented - there are many websites out there with pictures of all of the campaign and battle medal ribbon designs, right through to the present campaigns.

My mother said my father didn't talk about it much (like many of his generation) but that brief moment when he pointed out the little "funny shaped" (to a kid) island out in the Pacific on our globe, was pretty powerful for me. She did say that he had told her that many in his unit came down with dengue fever.

[MADem]

21. Oh, ok--those "stars" attached to that medal have a specific meaning--see below....

Here's some more on that medal:

The requirements for the American Campaign Medal were for service within the American Theater between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946 under any of the following conditions:[1]

On permanent assignment outside the continental limits of the United States.
Permanently assigned as a member of a crew of a vessel sailing ocean waters for a period of 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days.
Outside the continental limits of the United States in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days.
In active combat against the enemy and was awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the Soldier actually participated in combat.
Within the continental limits of the United States for an aggregate period of 1 year.
The boundaries of American Theater are as follows: The eastern boundary is located from the North Pole, south along the 75th meridian west longitude to the 77th parallel north latitude, thence southeast through Davis Strait to the intersection of the 40th parallel north latitude and the 35th meridian west longitude, thence south along the meridian to the 10th parallel north latitude, thence southeast to the intersection of the Equator and the 20th meridian west longitude, thence south along the 20th meridian west longitude to the South Pole.

The western boundary is located from the North Pole, south along the 141st meridian west longitude to the east boundary of Alaska, thence south and southeast along the Alaska boundary to the Pacific Ocean, thence south along the 130th meridian to its intersection with the 30th parallel north latitude, thence southeast to the intersection of the Equator and the 100th meridian west longitude, thence south to the South Pole.
.......

3/16 inch service stars were authorized to service members who participated in combat with Axis forces within the American theater. This primarily applied to those service members whose units participated in anti-U-Boat patrols (Anti-submarine warfare) in the Atlantic.[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Campaign_Medal

ASW isn't for the faint of heart--it's a bit safer in a P-3, but when you're doing it from a surface or subsurface platform, you've got to have fortitude of steel!


You can write away to St. Louis and get a copy of his service record for purposes of genealogy and history, if you'd like. A whole shitload of (I want to say ARMY, I'm pretty sure) records did burn up in a fire, but many survive. USN, USMC and Army Air Corps (USAF) records I believe were spared. You may be able to learn if he was engaged in sinking any particular submarines--some of those stories are fascinating.

I had (he's long gone, now) a "German Uncle" (that's in quotes because he was no relation to me, he was a friend of my grandfather and we were the type of family that called elders Uncle and Auntie even if they weren't any blood to us, and we tended to adopt people for life) who was US born of German parents, and he served in the Coast Guard during the war. He was often called upon to translate for captured German prisoners who had been plucked from the sea after their vessels were depth-charged. Wouldn't it be an odd circumstance if your father rang their bell, and my uncle read them the riot act? Oddly enough--or maybe not so oddly--my uncle said that they were all happy as hell that the "war was over" for them, and that they never ate so well as they did as prisoners!

[BumRushDaShow]

22. I did see that description

and I found the national archives website where you can do an online request using their "eVetRecs" system (with mail or FAX signature). May just do that once I gather the info! He was in the army though so wonder if anything is left of that.

A bigger enigma for me would be his father (my grandfather) who was in WWI. We had a couple pictures of him in his WWI uniform. He would have been one of the younger WWI draftees (he was born in 1899 I believe). One of the genealogical sites (or archives) actually made WWI draft registrations available for a time within the past 10 years or so... I found all sorts of relatives searching through those including that grandfather, my mother's grandfather (who oddly enough would have been 41 years old then) and one of her younger uncles who was like 17)! Don't get me started...lol Every once in awhile, I go through these types of searches and grab "new" info that's uploaded out there and try to save it. Trying to find time to organize it all is the hassle.

[MADem]

23. For the 2 World Wars, they did what was called an "Old Man's Draft."

These were cards--front and back--that registered older people to serve, if needs must--in a last-ditch "home guard" should the enemy come over the hill!! It was a "just in case" measure to make everyone feel a part of the effort and have those names, 'just in case.'

I have elderly relatives who filled out those cards, too--they are a treasure trove of information. From them, you can find out who was designated Next Of Kin, and where your ancestors lived, and then use the google maps to look at their houses!

The draft board makes annotations on the cards, which is how I found out one relative had a broken arm when he filled out the form, and another was designated as "crippled" (how un-PC!!). Great resource!!

One of these days I do intend to get serious and organize the material I have, too. What I've done to this point is fling it out to my family, by email and that facebook, so they will have the material if they want to have fun with it.


As for that fire, here's the details on that--if you can get your relative's details, that would be wonderful, but a lot was lost. Some of the records were reconstructed after the fact from other sources (Pentagon files) but much was lost--you might have the bulk of his records that still exist, yourself. It's worth trying, though--he might have been one of the lucky ones.


http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/fire-1973.html

[Number23]

18. Your father must be one ass kicking US soldier

Wow, just look at those medals! Your family must be so incredibly proud of all that he accomplished.

And what's even more ironic is if you are a black American tourist in another country and run into some white Americans there - suddenly we are "all Americans" and you get clung to by them like it's safety in numbers. Yet I expect that if you had run into them here, they wouldn't have given you the time of day.

You are so NOT lying there.

[BumRushDaShow]

20. I expect he was

although that did disrupt his college studies at the time (he was a sophomore at Lincoln when he was pulled out). He and his father used to go moose hunting and fly fishing in upstate PA (all of this before I was born) so he could certainly handle a gun. After he died (just over 40 years ago), my mother gave his rifle (with scope - she called it a "30-08&quot to her uncle (who had also served in WW2 but in Europe).

Regarding travel - one bizarre phenomena that we would run into is that wherever we went, there was ALWAYS someone from Jersey there. ALWAYS! In fact, just this past summer when my sisters and I took a short vacay to Nassau (hadn't been there since the mid-70s) - who did we run into? New Jersey folks.

I don't know how that state does it but people from there are everywhere in the world at once.

[Number23]

24. To your dad, BumRush. One incredibly inspiring, butt kicking fellow

wherever we went, there was ALWAYS someone from Jersey there.

No offence to my girl JAG, one of my most beloved DUers and a resident of the esteemed Garden State, but um if you was in Jersey wouldn't you be looking to be someplace, ANYPLACE else too??!

[Cha]

25. Thank you for this, Number23! Just another day on the subway..

Photo: Mundiya Kepanga lights a cigarette in front of the Reflecting Pool, Washington DC. (Supplied: Marc Dozier)

Such riveting pictures with Mundiya Kepanga and I like what the French photographer Marc Dozier had to say..

"This book is not about Papua New Guinea itself. It's more about ourselves," he said.

"Because it shows that we can see western culture from another point of view. And Mundiya is very clever and very funny. He sees the western world from another perspective and it gives us the opportunity to think about it and change our own point of view."

Glad you got to go there and see their culture for yourself. Now I'm wondering if my son ever made it to Papua New Guinea since he's spent so much time in Indonesia throughout his traveling life.

[Number23]

26. If your son has been through Indonesia then there's probably a good chance he'd have stopped

by PNG at least once.

Alot of the names of the islands/areas out here are easily confused. There's West Papua (in Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea. There's East Timor and Timor Leste.

And the best part... Fiji is a hop skip and a jump away!