This is why records matter, and why opposition to authoritarian censorship matters. Historians looking at contemporaneous accounts of 2020 will be hard-pressed not to come to the conclusions the favored narrative, shamefully supported by Legacy Media and Big Tech, wishes.
This brought a smile to my face, remembering the most astounding conversation in my life. It was 1991, I was on contract to the US military to write the Area Handbook on the newly-independent Republic of the Marshall Islands, whose 20th Century history was a real-world game of hide-the-clue. It had been part of the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific, along with most of the rest of the islands and now-independent countries in the area. Previous ruler was Japan; before Japan, Germany. I needed access to the German colonial records, which were housed at the Library of the Community College of Micronesia, on Pohnpei, part of the Federated States of Micronesia.
On arrival I sought out the Librarian, Iris Falcum. She denied me access to the records because they had never been indexed. I asked her to teach me how to index them, and promised to do so for every record I touched. I apparently was the only German speaker within a thousand miles. I spent a week in the library, at the end of which I asked Iris if she would allow me to take her to lunch at the best restaurant open during the day. She asked if her husband could join us; I said yes. Courtesy demanded I engage with him.
His name was Leo Falcum. He knew everything about Pohnpei. I don't mean sound bites or superficial knowledge, he knew more about his homeland than anyone I had ever met knew about hers or his. Details of history, mythology, government, medicine, magic, religion, Nan Madol (a largely-unexplored inexplicable ancient city), and everything else. Two hours after we sat Iris left to return to work. Leo and I talked on, I asked about rule and law pre-Colonial period. There were twelve clans, each with a Chief. The twelve Chiefs elected an Emperor for life, called the Luc Pohnpei. No honors attach to the Luc's relatives.
I have always loved the area handbooks (recognizing the publisher motives but they are the best). I have never met a writer of one. This makes the Taibbi sub 100x worth it. A real area handbook author. right here.
Glad you see all this so whole...not sure that many do... the records are not 100% ever.
The Emperor.
You could dine out forever on that story. I think you should write about it at your Substack.
A couple of years ago my brother, a retired Federal government guy, and I drove from DC to the FDR Library in Hyde Park. My brother has been researching the relationship between FDR and Churchill during the war timeframe and he was looking for some specific communications; I went along for the ride.
We were given access to the upstairs portion of the library and while my brother did his research I was able to check documents related to activities in the Solomon Islands where our father had been a P39 Aerocobra pilot, eventually crashing on Guadalcanal.
My brother didn’t find what he had hoped to find, but I came across documents related to the shooting down of Yamamoto by the P38’s and the communications related to the B25’s bombing Tokyo off the Hornet. Interesting stuff!
I doubt they allow, assuming they exist, much if any access to communications about Hess, but I sure wish I had known what I think I know now, I would have made an effort to find any references, just in case.
This is why records matter, and why opposition to authoritarian censorship matters. Historians looking at contemporaneous accounts of 2020 will be hard-pressed not to come to the conclusions the favored narrative, shamefully supported by Legacy Media and Big Tech, wishes.
This brought a smile to my face, remembering the most astounding conversation in my life. It was 1991, I was on contract to the US military to write the Area Handbook on the newly-independent Republic of the Marshall Islands, whose 20th Century history was a real-world game of hide-the-clue. It had been part of the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific, along with most of the rest of the islands and now-independent countries in the area. Previous ruler was Japan; before Japan, Germany. I needed access to the German colonial records, which were housed at the Library of the Community College of Micronesia, on Pohnpei, part of the Federated States of Micronesia.
On arrival I sought out the Librarian, Iris Falcum. She denied me access to the records because they had never been indexed. I asked her to teach me how to index them, and promised to do so for every record I touched. I apparently was the only German speaker within a thousand miles. I spent a week in the library, at the end of which I asked Iris if she would allow me to take her to lunch at the best restaurant open during the day. She asked if her husband could join us; I said yes. Courtesy demanded I engage with him.
His name was Leo Falcum. He knew everything about Pohnpei. I don't mean sound bites or superficial knowledge, he knew more about his homeland than anyone I had ever met knew about hers or his. Details of history, mythology, government, medicine, magic, religion, Nan Madol (a largely-unexplored inexplicable ancient city), and everything else. Two hours after we sat Iris left to return to work. Leo and I talked on, I asked about rule and law pre-Colonial period. There were twelve clans, each with a Chief. The twelve Chiefs elected an Emperor for life, called the Luc Pohnpei. No honors attach to the Luc's relatives.
Finally, I asked. "What do you do?"
He replied, "I'm the Emperor."
I have always loved the area handbooks (recognizing the publisher motives but they are the best). I have never met a writer of one. This makes the Taibbi sub 100x worth it. A real area handbook author. right here.
Glad you see all this so whole...not sure that many do... the records are not 100% ever.
The Emperor.
You could dine out forever on that story. I think you should write about it at your Substack.
Thanks to both of you for this.
A couple of years ago my brother, a retired Federal government guy, and I drove from DC to the FDR Library in Hyde Park. My brother has been researching the relationship between FDR and Churchill during the war timeframe and he was looking for some specific communications; I went along for the ride.
We were given access to the upstairs portion of the library and while my brother did his research I was able to check documents related to activities in the Solomon Islands where our father had been a P39 Aerocobra pilot, eventually crashing on Guadalcanal.
My brother didn’t find what he had hoped to find, but I came across documents related to the shooting down of Yamamoto by the P38’s and the communications related to the B25’s bombing Tokyo off the Hornet. Interesting stuff!
I doubt they allow, assuming they exist, much if any access to communications about Hess, but I sure wish I had known what I think I know now, I would have made an effort to find any references, just in case.
Thanks again!