Two new books have come out recently that I have found to be both historical and delightful. One is by Jane M. Goodsill, whose father, Marshall Goodsill, was a well-known Hawaii lawyer.
She interviewed dozens of her father’s clients, associates and friends to produce “Voices of Hawai‘i: Life Stories From the Generation That Shaped the Aloha State” two years ago. A second volume, “Voices of Hawaii 2: Preserving Island Culture One Story at a Time,” just came out. Here’s an excerpt:
‘Voices of Hawai‘i 2’
Frank De Lima is a special kind of storyteller. In 1980 he founded a student enrichment program to provide drug abuse education and prevention services to Hawaii’s youth.
“His gift is comedy,” Goodsill wrote. “Generations of island children met Frank in person as he traveled from one end of the state to the other, visiting elementary and middle schools. Completing a full circuit took two years.”
De Lima told Goodsill: “I have a special place in my heart for children, possibly because I was a shy boy with an active imagination. Since I can be childlike myself, I have a way of reaching children.
“I use a different kind of humor for the kindergartners than for the third graders. I ask them to sing with me and mimic my movements, as we imagine we are ‘going on a buta hunt’ (going for a pig hunt).” A short video of De Lima’s buta hunt can be found on YouTube.
“With fourth through eighth graders, I dress up as a sumo wrestler and come out to the rhythm and music of ‘Boom, boom, pow. Boom, boom.’ And they begin giggling.
“I have created characters like the Shy Guy, the Bully, the Imp and the Strong Guy. I use humor to teach them about the kinds of children they will run into and how to deal with them. The kids seem to respond well to this method of teaching.
“Whenever I get to wondering what kind of an impact I am having on children, something like this happens: I pull up to a stop sign and there are workmen digging a hole. They are big local boys with the hard hats.
“One of them looks at me and says, ‘Frank De Lima?’ I say, ‘Yes.’
“He sings out, ‘Going on a buta hunt!’ And the crew working with him all chime in, grown men singing this children’s song!”
Another time De Lima went to Straub Clinic to get a blood test. The phlebotomist recognized him.
“He puts the needle in my arm, and when the blood is flowing, he breaks into song: ‘Peanut, peanut butter. Jelly.’
“He said, ‘I remember you from kindergarten, first grade, second grade.’ And then he started doing the skits I did for his classes, all the way to eighth grade!
“One day on an Island Air flight to Kona on the Big Island, I was in the front seat, and the flight attendant pulled out the jump seat and sat facing us.
“The plane is taking off, and she starts quietly singing and clapping her legs, ‘Going on a buta hunt.’
“She was good! My assistant and I cracked up laughing. Every single time that it happens, and it happens a lot, I just don’t expect it and then, bam, there it is.”
“Voices of Hawaii 2” is available at all local bookstores and through Amazon in hardcover and digital versions. It has stories about Rap Reiplinger, Elvis Presley, Alfred Apaka, Roy Kelley, Grace Guslander, Sen. Daniel Inouye, Gov. John Burns, Haunani Kahalewai, Robert Cazimero, Jack de Mello, Henry Berger, Jack and Cha Thompson, Jim Nabors, Beverly Noa, Sterling Mossman and many more.
‘Life and Times of “Little Johnny Corboy”’
John Corboy, who founded the Hawaiian Eye Center, has written a new book, “Life and Times of ‘Little Johnny Corboy,’” about growing up on Oahu. Corboy moved to Hawaii as a child during World War II. He turns 85 this year.
He attended but was kicked out of Punahou School — that’s a good story — and graduated as class president from Saint Louis School. He learned pidgin and surfing, took up hula and worked as a deejay at local radio stations.
His book focuses on his younger years and has many well-written stories that illustrate life in postwar Hawaii. Here’s one about “Boat Days.”
‘Boat Days’
Before the 1960s nearly everyone came to Hawaii by boat, and it was a big deal when the Lurline or other ships arrived at Aloha Tower. They were called Boat Days.
The Royal Hawaiian Band would regularly perform, and thousands would turn out to greet or bid aloha to their friends.
Today only ticketed passengers can board these huge cruise liners, but back in the day, anyone could come aboard until it was time for the ship to depart.
Corboy wrote about visiting family friends on one such occasion and the anxiety he and his brother, Rob, felt as departure time neared.
“Boarding was permitted about 2:00 p.m., and on several occasions Mom brought Rob and me down to see the ship, while saying goodbye to her friends.
“Once we came aboard and found the proper cabin, we squeezed in with other well-wishers giving small gifts, while the adults passed around champagne and pupu.
“At about 3:30 p.m., there was a loud blast from the ship’s horn, which was a thirty-minute warning for guests to depart. Rob and I would get a little impatient because nobody seemed to move. They just kept chatting, sipping champagne, and passing pupu.
“Very soon came two blasts of the horn, signaling the final fifteen-minute warning, and at that point some people stood up and moved toward the door, only to find the hallway already crowded with departing guests.
“We pulled at Mom’s jacket to get her moving, but there were so many goodbye hugs and kisses all around that we got increasingly nervous, fearing that we would be left behind and have to sail away with the ship.
“Looking back, I think that trip might have been a grand adventure, but we didn’t see it that way at the time.
“We pulled Mom from the final hug, but in the hall way we could hardly move! It was packed with a mass of departing visitors, moving so very slowly that Rob and I became almost frantic.
“When we reached the crowded stairs, there were two or three jammed flights yet to climb! Suddenly there came three thundering final blasts of the horn. We almost panicked: ‘Mom, Mom, the ship is leaving! We can’t get off!’
“Mom was always completely calm, knowing that the slowest visitor always gets off, but Rob and I were never quite so certain of that. We were relieved to finally reach the pier when, with another big toot, the lines were cast off.
“The band played ‘Aloha ‘Oe’ as the ship slowly slipped away from the pier, with more confetti flying from the rails.
“Passengers would toss their lei down to the sea while passing Diamond Head. If their lei floated ashore, it was said, they’d return. The ship reached California in five days, returning in two weeks with another seven hundred passengers.”
Corboy also writes about martial law during WWII; VJ Day, victory over Japan, Aug. 15, 1945; becoming a radio deejay at the age of 14; English Standard schools; coming of age in Honolulu; (several) brushes with the law; wrestling matches at the Civic Auditorium; stock car “destruction derbies” at the old Honolulu Stadium; hanging out at drive-ins; and more.
It seems he made a lot of mistakes but learned from them to become the accomplished guy that he is.
“Life and Times of ‘Little Johnny Corboy’” focuses on the first 18 years of his life. He’s working on a second book in the series. You can find it at Amazon.
These books preserve valuable first-person accounts of a Hawaii that has passed into our rearview mirrors.
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