Mister Allen Ortego, 93, Speaks about Pearl Harbor, French in Ville Platte Schools and La Francophonie
Charlie: Bonjour, qui qu'parle? (Who's speaking?)
Allen Ortego: Ça c'est Allen Ortego. (It's Allen Ortego)
C: Monsieur Allen Ortego! Ça c'était un autre àyou pour apprendre à parler en anglais quand i' était à lécole. (Mister Allen Ortego! That was another one who had to learn English when he went to school.)
AO: That's right.
C: Uh, huh. et, veux, vous a bien réussi, eh? (And well, you succeeded well, huh?)
AO: Mais, J'ai réussi manière. (I sotra succeeded.)
C: Well, a roulé tout dans tout partout dedans pays, ça fait, ça doit être travailler! (Well, she rolled you in and all around the whole country, so that must have worked!)
AO: oh ouais. (oh yeah)
C: uh huh.
AO: J'ai parlé en français à la France, à la Belgique, Switzerland, Africa, New Caledonia. Partout. ( I spoke in French in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Africa, New Caledonia. Everywhere.)
C: Tout partout ça parlait français! (Everywhere they spoke French!)
AO: Ouais. (yeah)
C: Uh-huh.
AO: Ça j'voulais dire, quand ils ont annoncé pour Pearl Harbor...J'travaillais à Oakdale, j'té gone le dimanche l'après-midi dans mon char, je l'attrapait dessus radio. (What I wanted to say, when they announced about Pearl Harbor... I was working in Oakdale. I was gone Sunday afternoon in my car and I caught it on the radio.)
C: Aww, yeah?
AO: Deux mois après, j'ai join les Marines. (Two months later, I joined the Marines.)
C: Deux mois après! (Two months later!)
Mark: Wow
AO: Et, j'dis à Mom, mais j'dis, "J'crois je vas join in les Marines. et je dis, c'est une branche de ça...y'a pas d'danger.
Mais, cher, j't'blâme pas, a dit.
(And I said to Mom, well I say, "I think I will join the Marines...it's a branch where...there's no danger.
Well, dear, I don't blame you, she said.)
M: Aww!
C: Y'avait pas d'danger, eh? (There's no danger, eh?)
AO: -Non. (No)
M: Mister Allen, I wonder if you knew anybody that- or anyone from this area that was there at Pearl Harbor that served, was in the military...
-Tape Cuts-
AO: ...he (an officer) said what's your name...I said "Ortego". Eh, "Ortego? You Gotta-Go now."
C: Ortego, Gotta-Go!
AO: He looked like a Bulldog, he was about six feet six...
C: Oh yaille! Il faisait peur!
M: Wow. He was a big son of a gun, eh?
AO: Then, you didn't ask why, no, when they'd tole you, give you an order, you had to do what they told you.
C: It was all "yes sir"
AO: 'Specially in boot camp, you know?
C: Uh-huh, and that guy had a bulldog face but I'm sure he could be a bulldog on training as well, though.
AO: Oh yeah.
C:Uh huh! So uh, you learn how to take orders in a hurry.
AO: Talkin about the French... I started school in Ville Platte. Miss Estelle Dardeau was my teacher.
C: Uh huh.
AO: And I wanted to go to the bathroom and I didn't know how to ask her. So I ask her in French. And she said next time, you say, "May I be excused please*?"
C :Uh-huh..
AO: But that was too complicated, so I... my hand and I said "be 'xcused please?"
M: Kinda shorten it down a lil' bit...
AO: Oh yeah...
C: But she understood...
AO: Yeah...
C: at least you didn't ask in French!
AO: That's right...
C: Alright Mister Allen!
AO: I enjoyed talkin' to yall.
C: I appreciate you calling and uh...
M: Thank you for your memories!
C:And uh, we'll be looking forward to you calling again next week.
AO: Next week I might tell you about my experience in New Zealand...
C: Ok, We'll be lookin' forward to it. Thank you Mister Allen!
AO: Thank you.
C: Alright.
*On a side note, I once asked a group of older Ville Plattians how to say, "May I go to the restroom" in Cajun French. They said, "May I be 'xcused please."
