Interview with David Reed, March 22, 2021

Partial Transcript: Hello. Today is March 22, uh, 2021. My name is Jay Sztuk and I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji in 1974. Today, I'm interviewing David Reed who was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji. Uh, but, he was in the first group who arrived there in late 1967. And I believe he stayed through 1969, right Dave?

Segment Synopsis: Reed's cohort began pre-service training in October 1967 and arrived in Fiji in January 1968. Reed was in an agriculture program. In high school, Reed's altruism had been inspired by President Kennedy. One result was that Reed studied Spanish. As a senior in college, Reed applied to the Peace Corps in April 1967 rather than going into the military. Reed had talked with Peace Corps recruiters at the University of Maryland. A month after he had submitted his application, Reed received his invitation letter.

Keywords: Altruism; Application process; Applying; High schools; Influences; John F. Kennedy; Motivation; Peace Corps recruiters; Spanish (Language); Traveling; Undergraduate education; University of Maryland; Vietnam War

Subjects: International travel; Peace Corps (U.S.)--1960-1970; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji; Universities and colleges; Volunteer workers in horticulture

Partial Transcript: Alright. So, uh, what kind of reaction did you get from your, your parents and, uh, friends and family that, uh--when they heard--

Segment Synopsis: Reed's friends, grandmother, and mother were all supportive. But, Reed's great uncle was unsupportive.

Keywords: Civil rights movements; Family; Friends; Prejudice; Support; University of Maryland; Unsupportive; Vietnam War

Subjects: Families.; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji

Partial Transcript: I got selected for Micronesia VI. And so I flew out to San Francisco in August '67 and started training there. But they found out the paperwork wasn't right for my--I guess it's like a security clearance. So, they--I had to go back to, to Maryland after a week.

Segment Synopsis: Originally, Reed was assigned to Micronesia. In August 1967, Reed flew to San Francisco to start pre-service training. However, there was a problem with Reed's paperwork. So, after a week, Reed was sent back to his home in Maryland. In October 1967, Peace Corps gave Reed a choice between a community development program in Colombia and an agriculture program in Fiji. Reed had an interest in Spanish but thought community development was too vague. So, Reed opted for Fiji.

Keywords: Choices; Civil rights movements; Community development; Inoculations; Interests; Maryland; Paperwork; Pre-service training; Problems; Returning; San Francisco (Calif.); Spanish (Language); Traveling; Vaccinations

Subjects: Colombia; Fiji; Micronesia; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji

Partial Transcript: Did you know anything about Fiji?

Segment Synopsis: Reed did some reading about Fiji before going to staging in San Francisco and pre-service training near Hilo, Hawaii. The trainees were housed in shacks previously used by plantation workers. Training included physical fitness and there was a demonstration vegetable garden. Reed's cohort started with 88, of which 56 actually were sent to Fiji. Reed disapproves of the "sensitivity sessions" with the staff psychologist which were used, in part, to de-select trainees. Because he had been relatively sheltered, Reed was relieved to make it to the end of pre-service training. Reed bonded with others in his cohort.

Keywords: Criticism; Food; Friends; Hilo (Hawaii); Language training; New York City (N.Y.); Peace Corps staff; Preparation; San Francisco (Calif.); Staging; Technical training; Traveling; Uncertainty; Waipio Valley (Hawaii)

Subjects: Emotions; Fiji; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji

Partial Transcript: Do you recall your first impressions when you, uh, when you flew into Fiji?

Segment Synopsis: Reed's cohort first flew into Nandi and then flew to Suva, where they had training. Reed found the scenery beautiful and the infrastructure primitive. Soon after his arrival, Reed came down with dysentery for a week but recovered.

Keywords: Cakaudrove (Fiji); Differences; Excited; Illness; Nandi (Fiji); Problems; Sickness; Suva (Fiji); Traveling

Subjects: Emotions; Fiji; Health; International travel; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji

Partial Transcript: And your, uh, assignment site was where?

Segment Synopsis: Reed was assigned to a village close to Savusavu. Reed describes Savusavu. Reed spent much of his time in the field traveling to local villages doing an agricultural survey. Reed had some contact with other Volunteers on his island.

Keywords: Contact; Medicine; Savusavu (Fiji); Villages

Subjects: Health; Interpersonal relations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji; United Nations; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, uh, tell me about settling in there.

Segment Synopsis: Reed describes the conditions in his thatched hut. At times, the roof leaked and there was a problem with rats and tarantulas. Initially, Reed cooked for himself. Then, Reed's neighbors started to invite him over for some meals and Reed reciprocated by supplying some food to them from town.

Keywords: Books; Food; Living alone; Mosquito nets; Problems; Weather

Subjects: Food habits; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji

Partial Transcript: So, you started to, uh, make friends right, right off the bat?

Segment Synopsis: Reed says that because for historical reasons Fijians discriminate against people of mixed race, he grew a mustache and wore a hat to disguise his darker skin from his Italian heritage.

Keywords: Americans; Clothing; Friends; History; Skin color; Villages

Subjects: Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji; Race discrimination; Racially mixed families

Partial Transcript: Now, you guys were the first Peace Corps group. So, they didn't know anything about Peace Corps at that time.

Segment Synopsis: Reed was in the first cohort sent to Fiji. So, as he traveled to different villages, he needed to explain the Peace Corps as well as his project. Based on aerial photographs, Reed needed to conduct a physical survey to mark the property boundaries of various areas and estimate the number of coconut trees therein. Areas devoted to food gardens were also surveyed. The survey of the province was done by 3 Volunteers and 7 native workers and took over a year. The Volunteers got along well with their native co-workers.

Keywords: Counterparts; Dialects; Relationships; Savusavu (Fiji); Traveling; Villages

Subjects: Fiji; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji; Volunteer workers in horticulture

Partial Transcript: Uh, we went from one village to the next.

Segment Synopsis: As Reed's work took him to various locales, he needed to go through an introductory ceremony with the chief and elders of each village. Reed describes the ritual. Reed enjoyed his interaction with the local people.

Keywords: Cassius Clay; Conversations; Customs; Deaths; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; History; Jim Reeves; John F. Kennedy; Local people; Locals; News; Radio stations; Robert Kennedy; Savusavu (Fiji); Second Goal; Social interactions; Villages

Subjects: Emotions; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji

Partial Transcript: You mentioned that the--one of the things you things you liked most was, uh, was, uh, drinking kava and sharing stories with the, the locals.

Segment Synopsis: After working and bathing, Reed would often go the village chief's residence in the evening to chat. After about 6 months, Reed scored quite high in Fijian language fluency.

Keywords: Conversations; Dialects; English (Language); Examinations; Exams; Fijian (Language); Fluency; Language Proficiency Index; Language skills; Socializing; Suva (Fiji); Traveling

Subjects: Interpersonal relations; Language and languages; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji

Partial Transcript: What were some of the big challenges though? You know, sounds like you were really enjoying it and, uh, you know, adapted well. But did you have any big challenges to living out there?

Segment Synopsis: Reed says that the initial surveying project was physically exhausting. But once the survey was completed during the second year, Reed didn't have enough assigned work. So, Reed volunteered to check locally for a possible coconut tree disease. Another study, in which Reed took part, involved seeing how much time was needed to weed a standard section of land where coconut trees were growing. A minor project given to Reed was to determine the size of an experimental rice paddy. Reed was bored and frustrated much of his second year because he had too little to do.

Keywords: Research; Secondary projects

Subjects: Emotions; Lifestyles; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji

Partial Transcript: In November 1969, Apollo 12 came over Vanua Levu, returning from the moon.

Segment Synopsis: One night, Reed was able to see Apollo 12 as it returned from the moon. Reed phoned the newspaper in Suva where the event became front page news. During a Fijian fair, Reed accepted an invitation to participate in a traditional spear dance.

Keywords: American University; Apollo 12; Customs; Dancing; Inclusion; Invitations; News; Savusavu (Fiji); Suva (Fiji); Telephone calls; Tourism; Tourists; Vanua Levu (Fiji)

Subjects: Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji; Universities and colleges; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: So, um, did you get to travel much at all to other parts of Fiji while you were there?

Segment Synopsis: Reed traveled around the islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Reed describes some of the regional differences. After his service, Reed and 2 other Volunteers took a 6-week tour to New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia; Thailand, Formosa, and Japan.

Keywords: Close of Service; Differences; Friends; Maryland; Nadi (Fiji); Nandi (Fiji); Returning; Traveling; Tukavesi (Fiji); Vanua Levu (Fiji); Viti Levu (Fiji)

Subjects: Australia; Formosa; Indonesia; International travel; Japan; Lifestyles; Malaysia; Manners and customs; New Zealand; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji; Thailand; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: You guys were the first group there. They didn't know anything about Peace Corps and did you get any, any sense after being there for a year or so, uh, how Peace Corps was doing and, you know, what--whether they were making a good impression...

Segment Synopsis: Reed relates that the Volunteers were liked by the people on Cakaudrove as the Volunteers learned Fijian and respected the native culture. From communicating with other Volunteers, Reed feels that in Fiji the Peace Corps Volunteers earned the respect of the local population. An exception was when a member of the second Peace Corps Fiji cohort was arrested for smoking marijuana.

Keywords: Cakaudrove (Fiji); Clothing; Cohorts; Drug use; Fijian (Language); Lambasa (Fiji); Lau Islands (Fiji); Local people; Locals; Problems; Reputations; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Suva (Fiji); Traveling; Villages

Subjects: Culture; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What, what did you learn from the local people? You know, your being away from America for the first time in a foreign country. Is there anything you learned from--by living with the Fijians?

Segment Synopsis: From his Peace Corps service, Reed learned the importance of cooperation and respect for others. These attributes served Reed well later when he became a sergeant in the military. Reed was able to get his subordinates to work as a team. While in the military, Reed was sent to the Philippines and found the jungle there similar to Vanua Levu.

Keywords: Adaptation; Characteristics; Cooperation; Learning; Malaya (British Malaya); Traveling; Vanua Levu (Fiji)

Subjects: Emotions; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji; Philippines

Partial Transcript: So coming towards the end of your, your tour there, did you guys have a chance to extend?

Segment Synopsis: Reed considered extending since he had gotten used to life in-country. However, Reed's twin brother had become very ill while serving in the Peace Corps in Malaysia. Therefore, Reed decided not to extend.

Keywords: Acclimation; Coming home; Decisions; Illness; Influences; Leaving; Returning; Siblings; Sickness

Subjects: Acculturation; Families.; Fiji; Health; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Malaysia; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Was it, was it hard to leave Fiji?

Segment Synopsis: Leaving Fiji was hard for Reed. There was a village farewell ceremony for Reed at which he thanked the people for their kindness. At the local airport, Reed gave away some of his possessions to his neighbor.

Keywords: Belongings; Coming home; Difficult; Returning; Savusavu (Fiji); Villages

Subjects: Emotions; Fiji; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji

Partial Transcript: And what was a-adjustment like when you, when you got back home?

Segment Synopsis: Reed was happy to return home but found that his brother was having mental health issues. Reed's brother had also survived an assault while in the Peace Corps. Four months after coming home, Reed was drafted into the military. After his initial enlistment was over, Reed chose to stay in the reserves. Reed has maintained some contact with people in Fiji and from his cohort. In 1982, in response to news of a hurricane hitting Fiji, Reed collected and contributed some Fijian relief funds. Reed has not been back to Fiji but he has been back to Hawaii with his wife.

Keywords: Accents; Baltimore (Md.); Choices; Cohorts; Contact; Contributions; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Disease transmission; Family; Funding; Hawaii; Home; Inoculations; Letters; Mississippi; News; Peace Corps-related medical issues; Re-entry; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Siblings; Suva (Fiji); Traveling; Vaccinations; Virginia

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Careers; Culture shock; Emotions; Finance; Germany; Health; Hurricanes; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Military draft; Natural disasters; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji; Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Partial Transcript: If, if some, uh, young person came up to you today and said they were--thought about joining Peace Corps, what advice would you give them?

Segment Synopsis: Reed says that the Peace Corps is a great way for attaining personal growth and to serve and learn about others. In addition to the friendships which Reed made during his service, the data from the agricultural survey, in which Reed participated, became part of a United Nations report.

Keywords: First Goal; Personal growth; Second Goal; Third Goal

Subjects: Cultural exchange; Friendship; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji; United Nations

Partial Transcript: But on May the fifteenth, 1968, John Peniston and I went to a boxing match in Savusavu. And after the boxing match, we were attacked by some thugs that beat us up.

Segment Synopsis: In May 1968, Reed and another male Volunteer were attacked in Savusavu by four pro-Communist Fijians. Neither Reed nor his companion were seriously hurt. Reed later testified against his attackers. In late 1968, Reed had a second mishap when his right leg got cut by accident and became seriously infected. In June 1968, Reed traveled by motorboat to the village of Dawara to do a survey. Before Reed left, he was told that Dawara was the site of the last act of cannibalism in Fiji. But when he arrived, Reed found that the villagers were running away. About 9 months later, another Volunteer returned to Dawara, was welcomed, and was able to complete the survey there. In May 1971, Reed went to Chicago to meet some of his friends from his cohort and met his future wife at that event.

Keywords: Assault; Attitudes; Cannibalism; Chicago (Ill.); Cohorts; Dangerous; Dangers; Dawara (Fiji); Fidel Castro; Foreigners; Friends; History; Inoculations; Local people; Locals; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Savusavu (Fiji); Traveling; Uncertainty; Waillevu (Fiji)

Subjects: Emotions; Fiji; Health; Hygiene; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Well, I must say, I think it made me, even though, you know, you can tell I'm kind of a cheerful type of person and I got a sense of humor, but, it made me much more serious, in a way, more responsible.

Segment Synopsis: Although his Peace Corps service was difficult at times, Reed feels that it made him more mature, responsible, and determined. It gave Reed a much broader cross cultural experience.

Keywords: Changes; Difficult; Personal development

Subjects: Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji