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re: French Speaking Cajun Soldiers in WWII...
Posted on 11/23/19 at 6:23 am to WWII Collector
Posted on 11/23/19 at 6:23 am to WWII Collector
Had 4 uncles that severed. And yes, if they spoke French in school or even in front of their Dad, their arse got busted. 
That was how it was back in the day.
That was how it was back in the day. 
0
Posted on 11/23/19 at 6:28 am to LSUAngelHere1
I’m live in Avoyelles also and my grandparents spoke it fluently as did my mom and dad. I know enough to get me trouble.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 6:40 am to WWII Collector
My grandfather grew up between Lafayette and Breaux Bridge. He served in Europe during WWII (involved in D-Day and The Battle of the Bulge) and he talked about acting as a translator when they'd come into some small French or Belgium village.
He said he was chosen because he was Cajun, but it wasn't always easy to get the locals to understand him due to the differences in Cajun French and the French spoken in these places.
Also, he never really felt comfortable speaking the language due the shaming he experienced attending English speaking schools as a child in Louisiana (kneeling in the corner on corn kernels, being whipped by the nuns, etc.).
All my Cajun French speaking relatives have passed away. When they died, the language died in my family. I miss hearing my mom, grandmother and great grandmother spending time together speaking freely in the language they were most comfortable with.
Beyond a few cuss words, I never learned to speak Cajun French. I regret that very much.
He said he was chosen because he was Cajun, but it wasn't always easy to get the locals to understand him due to the differences in Cajun French and the French spoken in these places.
Also, he never really felt comfortable speaking the language due the shaming he experienced attending English speaking schools as a child in Louisiana (kneeling in the corner on corn kernels, being whipped by the nuns, etc.).
All my Cajun French speaking relatives have passed away. When they died, the language died in my family. I miss hearing my mom, grandmother and great grandmother spending time together speaking freely in the language they were most comfortable with.
Beyond a few cuss words, I never learned to speak Cajun French. I regret that very much.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 7:12 am to WWII Collector
not many left. I remember when my brother and i would go to our grandparents house for a few days. My grandparents would have friends over for coffee and would speak cajun french the whole time . We were so lost as to what they were saying I guess kids these days will never get that memory.
I guess kids these days will never get that memory.This post was edited on 11/23/19 at 7:13 am
Posted on 11/23/19 at 7:12 am to WWII Collector
Had a college professor tell me the origin of the word coonass started during WWII from these very folks. Connais was a rejoinder they used for the folks from LA that knew French; then the dough boys bastardized it and boom coonass was born. Or at least that's how I remember what he told me.
Not sure if that's accurate but it sure sounded good at the time.
Not sure if that's accurate but it sure sounded good at the time.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 7:17 am to PacoPicopiedra
The Exxon at the Henderson exit used to have a group of older men meet every morning in the cafe area for coffee and breakfast. They would all converse in Cajun French. I would order a biscuit and coffee and listen to them. Two years of French in college and I hardly ever understood a word they were saying.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 7:21 am to WWII Collector
My Paw Paw was one of those cajuns.
He grew up in Masura and didn't learn english until he went to school.
He was drafted at 18 and was in an artillery unit as a cook. He was in 5 major invasions in Europe including North Africa and Anzio.
The colonel he served under was Colonel Clark. When Clark found out that Private Juneau spoke fluent french, he made my Paw Paw his personal driver and translator.
Merlin Juneau, who until drafted had never spent a night under any roof other than the house he was born in, traveled through war torn Europe translating for his colonel, meeting with French resistance fighters, and being privy to some of the greatest secrets of the war.
The Cajuns and the Indian Wind Talkers are a unique part of winning WWII that not enough people know about.
He grew up in Masura and didn't learn english until he went to school.
He was drafted at 18 and was in an artillery unit as a cook. He was in 5 major invasions in Europe including North Africa and Anzio.
The colonel he served under was Colonel Clark. When Clark found out that Private Juneau spoke fluent french, he made my Paw Paw his personal driver and translator.
Merlin Juneau, who until drafted had never spent a night under any roof other than the house he was born in, traveled through war torn Europe translating for his colonel, meeting with French resistance fighters, and being privy to some of the greatest secrets of the war.
The Cajuns and the Indian Wind Talkers are a unique part of winning WWII that not enough people know about.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 7:33 am to UnitedFruitCompany
was told a similar yet slightly different origin of the term coonass, enlisted soldiers from south Louisiana that spoke French were used as interpreters for Allied Forces officers. they knew the best hotels, night clubs and brothels as they traveled with these high ranking officers. Word got around the troops to seek out these interpretators for advice as the soldiers had limited time while on leave.
The French term for “one of knowledge” is “un de connaissance” or “connoisseur”. In short “connaiss” with a rough English translation for those soldiers seeking these interpretators who were not fluent in French to “coonass”.
As Paul Harvey would say, now you know the rest of the story...
The term coonass should be considered an honor by all Cajuns, most non-Cajuns and Cajuns understand incorrectly that is a negative connotation rather than a compliment...
The French term for “one of knowledge” is “un de connaissance” or “connoisseur”. In short “connaiss” with a rough English translation for those soldiers seeking these interpretators who were not fluent in French to “coonass”.
As Paul Harvey would say, now you know the rest of the story...
The term coonass should be considered an honor by all Cajuns, most non-Cajuns and Cajuns understand incorrectly that is a negative connotation rather than a compliment...
This post was edited on 11/23/19 at 7:45 am
Posted on 11/23/19 at 7:34 am to KJS
My brother’s grandmother-in-law grew up speaking nothing but Cajun French, and says didn’t learn English until High School. She claims she can’t speak it anymore, but when she visits and my nephews get rowdy she yells at them in Cajun French without thinking.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 8:04 am to WWII Collector
My grandpa spoke Cajun French and during ww2 fought in Europe with the construction battalion. If my dad, who reads TD as much as I do sees this I will have outed my username to him, but it’s a cool story so I’ll share with you guys.
Grandpa was a great man, best one I know, got a Purple Heart from a grenade and wrote all about his exploits during the war, both during battle and during r&r after being hospitalized. Really great stories he wrote in his memoirs, which I still have. This is one of them...
He was the leader of his construction battalion (lieutenant I believe) and as the allies were starting to liberate France his team was just ahead of the army making sure they could access their equipment and troops from location to location. The Germans were starting to fall back and these small French towns were being liberated. As they cam upon one town the streets were lined with the French people, young women, children, families, mayor, etc all cheering, smiles,etc you get the idea. The mayor comes up to grandpa and thanks him and gp thanks him back in French and proceeds to tells him the real army is right behind him and it’s being led by the very famous General Nookie. He proceeds to tell the mayor that when the army arrives all the people should pay homage to the generals great victories by having all the townspeople cheer “VIVE LA NOOKIE - VIVE LA NOOKIE!” when the army arrives.
Well the army finally showed up a few hours later and the mayor did as he was instructed, much to the enjoyment of a bunch of hard leg troops. The actual general himself did not appreciate grandpas sense of style and let him know all about it when he finally caught up with him a week later. :lol:
Grandpa was a big tiger fan too, and was a professor there for many, many years.
Grandpa was a great man, best one I know, got a Purple Heart from a grenade and wrote all about his exploits during the war, both during battle and during r&r after being hospitalized. Really great stories he wrote in his memoirs, which I still have. This is one of them...
He was the leader of his construction battalion (lieutenant I believe) and as the allies were starting to liberate France his team was just ahead of the army making sure they could access their equipment and troops from location to location. The Germans were starting to fall back and these small French towns were being liberated. As they cam upon one town the streets were lined with the French people, young women, children, families, mayor, etc all cheering, smiles,etc you get the idea. The mayor comes up to grandpa and thanks him and gp thanks him back in French and proceeds to tells him the real army is right behind him and it’s being led by the very famous General Nookie. He proceeds to tell the mayor that when the army arrives all the people should pay homage to the generals great victories by having all the townspeople cheer “VIVE LA NOOKIE - VIVE LA NOOKIE!” when the army arrives.
Well the army finally showed up a few hours later and the mayor did as he was instructed, much to the enjoyment of a bunch of hard leg troops. The actual general himself did not appreciate grandpas sense of style and let him know all about it when he finally caught up with him a week later. :lol:
Grandpa was a big tiger fan too, and was a professor there for many, many years.
This post was edited on 11/23/19 at 8:06 am
Posted on 11/23/19 at 8:06 am to WWII Collector
My pawpaw was 4F’d out of boot camp during WWII, I think the official reason was because he was flat footed, but it was really because his English wasn’t good enough. He spent his entire life on Bayou Pointe Aux Chene, dropped out of school in the third grade to go to work. He never did learn the English language to any degree, his conversational English was good enough to get by when my mawmaw wasn’t around, and when he was drunk he’d forget even that. Funny thing is he lasted the 90 days or whatever the military required at the time so he got veterans benefits, was a member of the VFW, and received a soldier’s funeral.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 8:10 am to WWII Collector
My grandfather was Cajun and in WW2 as a scout. He was mostly in Italy.
The WW2 museum interviewed him at the VA before he died. I have the videos. They are had to watch for me....and let's say, they are not exactly PC.
The WW2 museum interviewed him at the VA before he died. I have the videos. They are had to watch for me....and let's say, they are not exactly PC.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 8:42 am to WWII Collector
My Paw in Law would qualify... Went to Okinawa in the Army. Still living today.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 8:49 am to WWII Collector
A Cajun from Port Barre was General Omar Bradley's driver. Can't remember the name.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 9:00 am to PacoPicopiedra
quote:
My grandfather grew up between Lafayette and Breaux Bridge.
I knew a couple of vets from that area (all have passed away)that ended up as translators in the war. If your grandfather is from Anse La Butte, I probably know your family.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 9:04 am to Kjun Tiger
This thread reminds me of my Granny. Cajun French was her first language, though she lost some of it after my great grandmother died. My great grandmother couldn't read or write in English or French and spoke very broken English, particularly toward the end of her life. Shed flow in and out of both languages.
About 2 years before she passed my brother had a French course and as a project he got my Granny to make a video of her speaking it.
LINK
It's so awesome to have this video to visit.
About 2 years before she passed my brother had a French course and as a project he got my Granny to make a video of her speaking it.
LINK
It's so awesome to have this video to visit.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 9:23 am to WWII Collector
Although he died a few years ago and would have loved to been a part of this, my paw paw was at the Nuremberg trials as an interpreter.
I have a letter of his. It was his enlistment orders he received, first thing he got in Europe. He wrote on the back of it and sent to back home to his mom. It said for her to save this so he could show his grandchildren when he got back. He was 18 when he wrote that, already thinking about his 13 future grandchildren.
Talk about a great man.
I have a letter of his. It was his enlistment orders he received, first thing he got in Europe. He wrote on the back of it and sent to back home to his mom. It said for her to save this so he could show his grandchildren when he got back. He was 18 when he wrote that, already thinking about his 13 future grandchildren.
Talk about a great man.
This post was edited on 11/23/19 at 9:27 am
Posted on 11/23/19 at 9:28 am to DVinBR
quote:
i fricking hate the dumbass politicians in this state that promoted killing off cajun french
We'll be lucky if they don't kill it off again some day. Just read this board and you'll clearly see that, here in the USA and particularly the South, everything French is pretty much ridiculed and denigrated. Just mention the word "France" and the automatic reply is "cowardly surrender monkeys who surrendered to the Germans after six weeks of war". The French have always been cowards, they always throw down their weapons in battle and run away. And the most well-known Frenchman is PePe LePew.
So, I would not be surprised to see this Cajun French Revival Movement to die off one day, because this minority culture will never be protected like all of the other minorities here in the USA.
Posted on 11/23/19 at 10:22 am to WWII Collector
Wow... After getting up this morning and reading these new stories.. Thanks Fellas.. Great reads...
I hope that some of you guys contact MR. Theriot and share these stories...
I hope that some of you guys contact MR. Theriot and share these stories...
Posted on 11/23/19 at 10:29 am to Kjun Tiger
quote:
I knew a couple of vets from that area (all have passed away)that ended up as translators in the war. If your grandfather is from Anse La Butte, I probably know your family.
Not sure exactly where they lived between Breaux Bridge and Lafayette. Looking at a map it had to be around Anse La Butte, though.
They were living back in the woods then was how I understood it, family story was often told about how my great grandmother once chased a black bear out of the yard with a broom. She was a tough old Cajun woman from the stories I've heard!
My great grandfather "worked" for the Huey P. Long political machine in the area which eventually got him a job working for the city of Lafayette.
His family moved into Lafayette when he was a teen, he got married to my grandmother who was originally from Kaplan, LA, had my mom, and then they, along with my grandmother's family(Sonnier), moved to Beaumont upon his discharge in 1945, where he spent the rest of his life. I never knew his side (Pitre) of the family personally.
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