2021-12-15 39:33

#23【ゲスト:Donald Wayne Tackett】U.S. Navy Veteran

Haitai beautiful humans!

今年の夏に収録していた秘蔵エピソード(笑)、あかねの義理父ダンさんのゲスト回です。

1969年にカリフォルニアからベトナムへ行く間に寄った沖縄が初めての来沖だったそう。

ベトナムからアメリカに戻り数年、PTSDに悩まされトラブルが絶えなかったダンさんに判事から軍に戻るか、刑務所に行くかの選択肢を与えられ(その当時は所在基地が選べたらしい)、かつて沖縄が大好きな軍の友人が言っていた”I love Okinawa because people are nice, and there is no violence(人々は優しいし、暴力のない島)”言葉と、海や料理などを思い出し沖縄に戻ることを希望しました。

そこから始まる奥さんHisakoさんとの出会い、一度は離れて結婚に至った経緯やその後の生活など。
まるで映画のようなRomantic Storyに感動〜〜〜〜💕

PS:収録はVery Americanなダンさん部屋で行われました。

This time Akane's stepfather Dan-san was a guest!
We heard the days in the military, how he choose Okinawa to live, romantic episode of how he met his wife Hisako in Okinawa.
Thank you so so much for coming to our show!!!

#Okinawa#America#UnitedStatesOfAmerica#Japan#Military#LivingInOkinawa#Narratives#Bilingual#InternationalMarriage#InternationalCouple#RedNeck#IkeiIsland#Uehara#GoodFamily#Love#Podcast#Spotify#Radio#iyasasaradio#culturalexchange

00:00
What's up guys, this is IYASASA RADIO by Akane and Minami.
In this radio, we are going to talk about random topics in Okinawan Japanese and English.
はいたい、ぐすーよーちゅーがなびら。 イヤササレディオのアカネとミナミーやいびん。
うぬレディオでぐすーよーんかい。 イエーイ語とウチナーグチさんにいっぺーうむさるはらしつづけやーりちうむとおいびん。
イエーイ。はいたい。
So, today we invite the guest, Dan-san.
今日は私の義理のお父さん、旦那のお父さんのダンさんを呼んでいます。
He is my father-in-law. He is my husband's dad.
And he is from Tupelo, Mississippi.
And he came to Okinawa in 1969 as a military.
And now he is happily married his wife for 40 years.
Wow, 40 years.
Longer than our life.
Right, so today we want to ask him about his life story.
And I am very interested in his life story.
Hai.
Dan-san, can you say hello to the...
Yes, I am sorry.
MINA-SAN, HAJIMEMASHITE.
HAJIMEMASHITE.
Okay, so first, how you came to Okinawa first?
Okay, and I had a good friend when we went to high school together.
His name was Eddie Sullivan.
We played high school football.
We double dated.
We were really good friends.
When we finished high school, Eddie joined the Air Force.
I joined the Navy.
So we split up.
So in 1969, I left California to go to Vietnam.
On the way to Vietnam, we had to stop in Okinawa to change planes.
So during that time, I had to go to Camp Hanson and then sleep, then come back to Kadena Air
Force Base to catch a plane to Vietnam.
Well, as I was walking out the terminal, I saw a big guy standing there, full military
uniform, helmet, air police, guns, everything.
03:00
And I looked, and I said, that's impressive.
I looked again, and it was Eddie Sullivan.
So I told him what was happening.
He says, okay, I'll take you to Camp Hanson, and then the next day, I'll pick you up and
bring you back to Kadena.
I said, great.
So on the way up to Camp Hanson, which was a long drive back then, he showed me Okinawa.
We stopped at a Japanese restaurant, had dinner, had a good time.
The next day, he came back to Camp Hanson, picked me up.
This is in a police car.
And this time, it's daytime, so we drove the coastline.
I got to see the ocean and see the beaches.
And he told me about how much he loved Okinawa.
How old were you at the time?
I was 19.
Wow, you were young.
So he took me back to Kadena.
I got on the plane and went to Vietnam.
Then I came back to the States after my tour in Vietnam.
Well, at that time, I was suffering from very serious PTSD, but I didn't know that.
I thought I was just a mean drunk.
I thought when I got drinking, I wanted to fight.
I thought that was it.
I didn't realize all the other stuff.
So anyway, after two and a half years, three years in the States, I got in lots of trouble.
And so I had to go to jail.
But the judge said, I'll give you choice.
You can go back in the military or you can go to jail.
I said, I'll go back in the military.
So at that time, when you re-enlisted in the military, you got your choice of where you
wanted to go.
So I remembered Okinawa.
So I said, that's where I want to go, Okinawa.
So I came to Okinawa in 1974.
I spent almost a year here.
And then, I did a good job, in a way.
They gave me a, they let me have four days free time.
In Okinawa.
In Okinawa.
So I said, what am I going to do for four days?
So I says, I'm going to go to Naha.
So I go out the gate, base gate, and I caught a bus going south.
06:03
So I got on the bus, I asked the driver, he says, Naha?
So I sat down.
So I got almost all the way down to Naha, but I didn't know where to get off.
I didn't know the bus station, I didn't know anything.
So I said, I just stood up on the bus, and I says, does anybody on this bus speak English?
And a little voice came from the back, it says, I speak a little bit.
And it was Hisako.
So we got to talking.
We need to translate in Japanese first.
So.
So.
What was his name, your friend?
Eddie Sullivan.
Eddie Sullivan.
Eddie Sullivan.
Eddie Sullivan.
Eddie Sullivan.
Eddie Sullivan.
Eddie Sullivan.
He joined the Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
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Air Force.
Air Force.
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Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
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Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Fire.
Air Force.
Air Force.
Fire.
Yes.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
And no weapons?
No guns.
No guns.
Um...
Um...
So, she said, you know, I speak a little bit. So, I walked back and started talking to her,
asking where I could get off on Kokusai-dori. I'd heard about Kokusai-dori.
Yeah. So, I wanted to go to Kokusai-dori. Mm-hmm. And also Naminoe. Naminoe? Back then, it was a big
difference. It's like Matsuyama. Yeah. It was like Matsuyama then. Naminoe? Yeah, Naminoe was like Matsuyama.
Like how? It was the red light district. Okay. I get it. I'm a sailor. Okay. So, anyway, Hisako took me to
12:00
Kokusai-dori. Yeah. So, I said, okay, thank you. Let's have dinner. So, we went to Kobe Beef Steak.
You asked her out. Yeah. So, the Kobe Beef restaurant was on Heiwa-dori. Mm-hmm. So,
when we finished dinner, she says, I want to take you someplace. She took me into Heiwa-dori. Yeah.
And she introduced me to her mother. Her mother had a little shop there selling military stuff.
Mm-hmm. Military gear. Mm-hmm. So, she introduced me and everything. I said, hi, you know, all that kind of stuff.
Hisako went home. I went to Kokusai-dori party. Yeah. I partied for two days. Kokusai-dori and Naminoe. Yeah.
Then I go back. Well. Which base were you in at that time? At that time, I was at Camp Hansen.
No, no, I was at Camp Schwab. Camp Schwab. Yeah. Hinoko. Hinoko. Hinoko. So, it was a long bus ride.
So, anyway, she introduced me to her mother and showed me her little shop and stuff. She went home.
So, I go back and I go back to the States again. Mm-hmm. You know, this is 74. In 1978, I came back
and I was stationed at Camp Kinzer. Kinzer. Four years later. Four years later. Okay.
And my friend, we had, I had a roommate. He wanted to go buy some military, what they call tiger shorts, what we wore in Vietnam.
Very special shorts. He says, you know where I can buy some? And I remembered this little shop.
She had tiger shorts. Mm-hmm. So, I said, yeah, I know a place. So, we walked from Kinzer down to
Hawaii Dory. So, I'm trying to find this shop, you know. It's been four years, but we walked
right up on it and who was sitting at the counter? His uncle. His uncle. Oh, yeah.
He has a big old set up. What? It's like a movie. Yeah, it was. And so, anyway, this was 78.
So, we. Also, I can translate in Japanese. Yeah.
15:08
So, I can translate in Japanese. Yeah.
What was the name of the short again? Tiger shorts.
I can't. You guys are destiny. That's exactly right. Yeah. So, we started dating.
And then, we decided to move in together.
So, I says, you know, I don't have much money, you know. And I know you don't. You just got out of
college, you know. What are we going to do? And she says, I'll find us a place. I said, okay.
So, she found us an apartment over here. So, we moved in together.
So, after there for a couple of months, I was short on money. I didn't have no money.
So, I says, you know, what are we going to do? Because we don't have no money to pay the rent.
She says, don't worry about it. I own the apartment.
So, anyway, I made friends with our father and mother.
And so, we decided to get married. So, we got married in 1981.
How old were you?
I don't know, 40. No, 20.
How long have you guys been dating? We were dating two and a half years.
And, well, two, we dated a year. And then, a year and a half, we moved in the apartment.
So, we got married, and we knew we had to go back to the States for three years. Then, we could come back.
Well, during that period, she wanted to learn to speak English better. She could speak pretty good English.
She wanted to speak English better.
18:01
How did she learn English before she met you?
High school.
High school.
She's a very smart woman.
Yeah, she told me about it because she went to...
So, she wanted to learn to speak English.
So, all of our conversations were in English. Our little TV was American Station.
And, she learned English pretty good, but I didn't learn any Japanese. I didn't learn none.
So, we go to the States, and we were in Gulfport, Mississippi.
And, she went to one of the junior colleges there. She got her GED. She learned to play the guitar,
and she learned to play the organ, all in three years.
Wow!
Yeah.
So, anyway, we came back in 1985, April 1st, April Fool's Day.
Came back to Okinawa, and I've been here ever since.
After that, we lived in the U.S. together for about a year and a half.
After that, we had to go to the U.S. for three years.
Why did you have to go to the U.S.?
Every...
You stay overseas for one to two years.
Oh, okay.
Then, you go back to the States for three years. Then, you come back overseas.
I could have gone to the Philippines. I could have gone to Italy.
I could have gone to England, but I decided to come back to Okinawa.
I have some good stories about that time in Gulfport, too.
But, anyway, that's what happened in 1985. We came back.
21:03
I've heard about you guys a little bit before, but it's the first time I knew the details.
Now, I feel like your relationship with Hisako-san and then...
What do you call it? This bond?
Family bond is very strong, and I'm so happy to be in your family.
Thank you very much. We're happy to have you, too.
You're a welcome addition. Norman's a very lucky boy.
Yeah, he's really nice.
Norman is the best.
That's his mother teaching him, not me.
But, yeah, that's why. In 1985, I came back. I was working in the military at Camp Courtney.
Agina. And we decided to move to Ikejima. So, we moved to Ikejima and had a little apartment there.
You know, it was really nice, really super nice. Had my little boat there. It was nice.
I'd go scuba diving, skin diving, fishing. It was great for five years.
Why did you go to Ikejima?
Because when we were dating...
Oh.
She took me to Ikejima.
Yeah.
That's where her ancestors are from. Her father was from Ikejima.
So, she would stay at her cousin's house. I went to the beach, and I had a hammock.
And I slept in this hammock for two or three days.
And the fishermen would come by and give me fish. The farmers would come by and give me vegetables.
Oh, that's cool.
And I just lived on the beach in a hammock. It was great.
Yeah.
Then, once we got married, we decided to move there permanently.
And then, you know, her father got sick and stuff, so we had to come back.
But, yeah, that's how it happened.
How long did you live in Ikejima?
Almost five years.
Five years? Cool.
We had a beautiful apartment up on... I don't know if you know Ikejima, but...
I've been there before.
It's beautiful.
Yeah.
Yeah, we had an apartment way up on top. We could overlook the whole island.
Oh, nice. It's like Okinawa, slow life.
It's on the map, but...
It's on the map, right?
You can go by car.
Yeah, this was before the bridge.
24:01
Wow, so you guys have to...
Her uncle, her uncle had the ferry boat from the mainland to Ikejima.
So every time you go, you have to take a boat.
Yeah.
You can go by car, right?
Yeah, now they got a bridge.
I'm going to translate in Japanese.
So, after that, she came back to Japan and lived in Ikejima with her husband for five years.
And Ikejima is where Hisako's grandparents, I think?
Ancestors?
Yeah, her father was a mayor of Ikejima.
I mean, her uncle, her uncle, the one that had the ferry boat.
And then after he retired, his son took over and he was the mayor.
That's the reason they treated me so nice.
Did they welcome you as a, you know...
Is there any struggle or conflict to be an international couple?
No, never had any problem, never.
Because I'm not the type of guy to take that.
I'm not that type of guy.
You say something about her, you say something about me, you got trouble.
And everybody knows that.
There's never, never, ever anything.
And I was the only American on Ikejima for five years.
Special.
Yeah, everybody knew me.
Now we are recording this radio at Dan-san's room, aka men's cave.
Vintage American style.
There's nothing feminine in this room.
Nothing feminine?
Nothing feminine.
27:00
Oh, yes.
What I thought it was really interesting that you guys having a separate room,
like a Dan-san's room and Hisako's room, right?
But every night you guys spend the time together.
But at the same time, you guys can enjoy yourself,
like your hobby and her hobby separately.
Yeah.
Does it make you guys, you know, to have a better relationship,
to maintain a better relationship?
I don't know.
All I know is we don't have any problem.
I don't know how it would be if we only had one room or, you know,
shared one room.
I don't know because we've always done this.
The first floor is a house in Okinawa.
There are tatami mats and Buddha statues.
There are Hisako's favorite furniture,
pictures and dolls.
There are a lot of plants.
It's a very at-home Japanese house.
And when you go up to the second floor,
all the furniture is American.
There is a fan on the ceiling.
Ceiling fans.
And the TV is all connected to American TV.
Oh, this is also connected.
Yes.
And there is a vintage clock.
I have a satellite on top so I can watch American TV.
Oh, okay.
Cool.
And there are pictures from the past,
military-designed books and so on.
It was very interesting.
And I really like the fact that there are two cultures
in one house.
It's like Hisako and Dan.
I really like it.
It's very kind.
When we eat together,
we celebrate together.
Sometimes we eat American,
sometimes we eat Japanese.
We do both, right?
Japanese New Year's Day,
Obon,
Okinawa CME,
American Thanksgiving,
Halloween,
4th of July.
We do that too.
On the 4th of July,
we went on base and we watched the show
and fireworks and that kind of stuff.
We do exactly both culture events.
Together?
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's what I like.
That's so cute.
Yeah.
So,
I think it was good
30:01
that I could speak English
and it was good
that I was from Okinawa.
Yeah.
That's amazing.
Do you have any advice
for international couples
or any
older couples
to have good relationship
together?
Patience.
Patience.
Patience.
Why is that?
Well,
sometimes Hisako
makes me mad.
She does things that I don't like.
But,
the next day, it's over.
It's over.
You know.
Okay, it's Hisako, that's her.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Switch.
Switch and patience
are important.
In Japan,
in one house,
the couple lives together
and that's normal,
but if one of them
retires and has too much time,
they might
ruin
their own lifestyle.
But,
even if they get old,
they have their own life
and they respect
their culture.
So,
even though there is a distance,
it's important
to take time
for both of them.
Okay.
I'm the problem.
You want to hear about Hisako's
time in America?
Yeah.
I want to hear about it.
We went to a small town
in southern Mississippi
on the Gulf Coast,
called Gulfport.
I was working there
with a bunch of Marines.
Well, in the daytime,
she didn't have nothing to do
except go to college.
That's all she had to do.
And so, she got a bicycle
and she would ride her little bicycle
from our house to the college
and back.
So, I told her, I said,
this is southern Mississippi.
This is Rednecks.
And she said, I'm okay, okay.
So, my boss
was the
chief of police
for Gulfport, Mississippi.
His boss
was the sheriff
33:01
of this county
and I was their friend.
So, I told them
about me being worried about my wife
riding her bicycle.
He said, don't worry.
We'll take care of it.
So, he says, let's me and you and your wife
go to dinner.
I said, okay.
So, he comes in a
police car.
His driver was decked out
all police uniform, gun,
everything.
So, we take off
and we go
way out into the swamp.
We go up
to the old house.
Inside that house
was a bunch of good old
boys. You know what good old boys are?
Rednecks.
They don't like anybody.
If you're not from the south,
they'll kill you.
So,
we, the
policeman walked first.
I walked and then my wife
walked, Hisako walked,
and then the sheriff walked.
We walked up to the front of everybody.
Everybody was having dinner.
He says, listen.
He says, this is my friend.
This is his wife.
Nobody
messes with her.
So, from then on,
there was no more problems.
Then we left
and went to dinner.
So, now
Hisako-san and Dan-san
talked about when they were in America.
But
Hisako-san always
rode a little bicycle.
Yeah, it was a bicycle.
He always rode a bicycle to and from town.
Mississippi
downtown area.
Yeah, well,
this is back in the sticks.
Very small
town. Very, very small.
Mississippi
was not
safe.
So,
I told them it was dangerous.
But they said it was OK.
So,
I asked my friend
to protect me.
How do you say
redneck in Japanese?
They all hunt.
They all carry guns.
How do you say
the bad guys
in the South?
The farmers
in the South of Mississippi
don't accept
foreigners.
Oh, lower middle class.
Low.
Chuka-ryu
Yankee
Yankee
36:00
American Yankees
All they want to do is drink and fight.
And that's the way I was
when I was 18, 19 years old.
And when I came back from Vietnam
the same thing.
All they want to do is drink and fight.
Drink and fight.
So,
I told them
to protect me
with the police
in my hometown.
So,
they protected me
from the Yankees
in the South.
When was it?
1400's,
1500's
Japan took over Okinawa.
Ok?
So,
Okinawa had kings
and they had samurai.
The Japan,
Japanese
fired all the samurai
that became ronin.
They didn't have any master.
They were just roaming around.
They did nothing.
So, this one guy
we don't even know his name
he ended up
on Ikejima somehow.
He met a woman
over there, an older woman
real old
and her name was Uehara.
Uehara
She adopted him
and that's how
the Uehara's became
on Ikejima.
Amazing.
Yeah.
I didn't know that.
That's how it happened.
That's how we got to Ikejima.
True.
Because I thought Uehara
is not that
popular in Ikejima
I thought so.
There was one
over there, some old woman
she adopted this guy.
We have
an interesting history.
So that's it all for today.
We asked him about
his life story so far
and how
he met
Hisako-san in Okinawa
39:01
and how to
maintain their healthy
relationship
as a good couple.
Dan-san's
life story in Okinawa
and Hisako-san's
life story in Okinawa
we got to hear today.
I hope it was
a good advice for you.
Yes.
See you guys
next time.
Bye.
39:33

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