Interrogating The Montagnard People

This is a poor quality photo. I had an old Kodak Instamatic 104 Camera back 44 years ago! I had to send my film home to mom so she  could have the film developed. This photo was of us parlaying with the “Yards”. You see, this was their custom whenever their friends (mainly us)  arrived to their village. They would bring out the “Old Big Crook of Rice Wine”, which had time to ferment well. The ingredients consisted of Rice, Green Bananas with the green peeling and banana seeds included in their slices and then water. It was their custom to then stir up the congotchum after they finished filling the crock with water. Then they would place a piece of bamboo stick across the top of the crock with a splinter cut into the bamboo. Then it came time for our Company Commander to be the first to sip the Rice Wine. It was their custom to use a hollow bamboo stray to do the sipping. He would have to draw about a pint of the wine or below the splinter before he could pass the straw to the village chief. Then they would top off the crock again with water followed be rigorous stirring after each man did their drinking. Then the talk began. This required using a Montygnard Interpreter. Fortunately, I didn’t have to take a turn with the straw.

Guess What This Animal Is?

If you guessed Pig, you are correct! It is a Vietnamese Potbelly Pig. I snapped this photo one day in a Montygnard Village (pronounced Mountain Yard) for us American Gringos. We on occasions had to interrogate the yards and we didn’t use “water-boarding” as a tactic. Instead, we showed them that we loved them by our medics giving them First Aid and we always gave the little ones some of our “C” rations including some of our Tropical Chocolate Candy. It was always a most wonderful gesture from us to their little ones. The next post I will be posting a photo of our Company Commander Parlaying with a Village Chief.