Interview with Jerry Boal, May 4, 2021

Partial Transcript: Hello, today is May 4th, 2021.

Segment Synopsis: Boal discusses his background and explains his reasons for joining the Peace Corps.

Keywords: Airport; Alternative; Anti-war; Aviation; Military draft

Subjects: Airplanes; Draft; Education; Los Angeles (Calif.); Los Angeles International Airport; Military; Oregon; Peace Corps (U.S.); Sociology; Southern California; University of California, Santa Barbara; University of Southern California; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Volunteers; Working class

Partial Transcript: You . . . you applied to Peace Corps, and did you have any preference about--uh--where you were . . . where you were going to go?

Segment Synopsis: Boal discusses his Peace Corps placement in the Marshall Islands. Additionally, he describes Micronesia, where he worked for his first round with the Peace Corps.

Keywords: Brochures; Elevation; Information; Materials; Southern California; Unaware

Subjects: California; Career; Education; Elevation; Equator; Geography; International dateline; International travel; Los Angeles (Calif.); Marketing; Marshall Islands; Micronesia; Pacific Ocean; Peace Corps (U.S.); Travel; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, where did you guys do your training?

Segment Synopsis: Boal describes what his training was like in preparation for his service in Micronesia.

Keywords: Cohorts; Different; Difficult; First group; Groups; Hot; Hotel; Language classes; Large; Native speakers; Old; Schedule; Sister-in-law; Stifling; Teaching techniques; Training site

Subjects: Climate; Education; Florida; Heat; Hurricanes; Key West (Fla.); Languages; Marshall Islands; Marshallese language; Micronesia; Palau; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; Trade winds; Training; Twin; Volunteers; Weather

Partial Transcript: Was there much diversity in your group at that time, back there in the 60s?

Segment Synopsis: Boal describes what his training group was like, especially in terms of diversity.

Keywords: Context; Different; Husband; Opportunities; Similar; Skin color; Today

Subjects: Demographics; Diversity; Draft; Education; Jokes; Key West (Fla.); Marshall Islands; Marshallese; Men; Micronesia; Motivation; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; Training; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Volunteers; Women; Working class

Partial Transcript: Tell me about your arrival in the Marshall Islands and what your first impressions of the--uh--of the country were.

Segment Synopsis: Boal recalls arriving at the Marshall Islands and his initial impressions.

Keywords: Ailinglaplap Atoll (Marshall Islands); Arrival; Assumption; Broadcast; Construction; Dorms; Goods; Host; Impossible; Language classes; Living arrangements; Military facilities; Nuclear testing; Projects; Remodeling; Rustic; Ships; Site assignment; Small; Unfamiliar; Waiting

Subjects: Confidence; Education; Electricity; Food; Geography; Hope; Housing; Key West (Fla.); Language and culture; Learning; Listening; Logistics; Majuro Atoll (Marshall Islands); Marshall Islands; Marshallese; Marshallese language; Micronesia; Nuclear weapons; Pacific Ocean; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; Popular; Population; Radio; Rural; School buildings; Schools; Technology; Training; Understanding; Volunteers; World War II

Partial Transcript: . . . describe the island. For one thing, you can probably see the ocean from both sides . . .

Segment Synopsis: Boal describes what Ailinglaplap Atoll is like.

Keywords: Ailinglaplap Atoll (Marshall Islands); Battery; Emergency communication system; Failed; First volunteer; Isolated; Japanese occupation; Landscape; No contact

Subjects: Americans; Communication; Islands; Japan; Marshallese; Micronesia; Military; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; Radio; Size; United States; Volunteers; World War II

Partial Transcript: And had anybody explained to these people what you were coming to do there and you know why you were coming and what you were gonna do?

Segment Synopsis: Boal discusses his host family and their customs and experiences.

Keywords: Ailinglaplap Atoll (Marshall Islands); Arrangements; Arrival; Aware; Beach towel; Clothing; Daughter; Extended family; Family; Flip flops; Host family; Information; Never wore; No surprise; Objects; Relationships; Served; Shipped; Shirt; Shorts

Subjects: American; Communities; Culture; International travel; Language and culture; Manners and customs; Marshall Islands; Marshallese; Marshallese language; Micronesia; Nuclear missiles; Nuclear weapons; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; Rural; Shoes; Travel; Vandenberg Air Force Base (Calif.); Volunteers; Woman

Partial Transcript: The accommodations, how did they people live? What were their houses like and . . .

Segment Synopsis: Boal describes what a typical house and a typical diet consisted of while he lived in the Marshall Islands during the 1960s.

Keywords: Adequate; Ailinglaplap Atoll (Marshall Islands); Avoided; Baby; Clothes; Community room; Expensive; Hands; Host family; Huts; Lack of variety; No utensils; Open; Relatives; Shelter; Single room; Strong storms; Thatched roof; Wood floor

Subjects: Bamboo; Bananas; Building materials; Coconuts; Cost; Culture; Cyclones; Diet; Files; Fish; Fishing; Food; Fruit; Housing; Leaves; Lifestyles; Lumber; Manners and customs; Marshall Islands; Marshallese; Marshallese language; Micronesia; Pacific Ocean; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; Rice; Tuna; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And this--uh--little island with a couple hundred people--um--did they have a school there?

Segment Synopsis: Boal details education in the Marshall Islands in terms of school supplies. Boal also articulates his role in the schools while volunteering for the Peace Corps.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Ailinglaplap Atoll (Marshall Islands); Chalkboards; Crushed coral; Funding; Hut; No desks; Order; School building; School supplies; Slate squares

Subjects: Arithmetic; Blocks (Toys); Bugs; Catholicism; Catholics; Chalk; Chalkboards; Children; Church; Church buildings; Coral; Dirt; Education; English; Infrastructure; Languages; Marshall Islands; Marshallese; Marshallese language; Micronesia; Paper; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; School buildings; School supplies; Students; Teaching; Volunteers; Writing

Partial Transcript: Kind of walk me through a typical day there on the island.

Segment Synopsis: Boal details what a typical day on the island was like for him.

Keywords: Advance; Ailinglaplap Atoll (Marshall Islands); Beliefs; Book; ESL; English as a second language; Language immersion; Leaving; Methods; Minimal pairs; Schedule; School; Syllables

Subjects: Americans; Career; Communication and culture; Consonants; Dialogue; Education; English; Example; Japanese; Languages; Learning; Marshall Islands; Marshallese; Marshallese language; Micronesia; Opportunity; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; Radio; School buildings; Students; Teacher; Teaching; Volunteers; World War II

Partial Transcript: . . . So what was . . . what was your social . . . social life like?

Segment Synopsis: Boal details his social life on the Marshall Islands, including some of the stories he heard from the Marshallese.

Keywords: Ailinglaplap Atoll (Marshall Islands); Cultural immersion; Failure; Good friends; Host family; House; Isolated; Japanese occupation; Porch; Reasons; Relationships; Talking

Subjects: Americans; Communication; Culture; Experience; Fear; Friendship; Interpersonal communication and culture; Interpersonal relations; Interpersonal relations and culture; Japan; Japanese; Languages; Learning; Life; Marshall Islands; Marshallese; Marshallese language; Men; Micronesia; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; Respect; Rural; Social life and customs; Volunteers; World War II

Partial Transcript: --Uh--okay, so you liked being out in this isolated location. But, two years is a long . . . a long time.

Segment Synopsis: Boal recalls his experiences of traveling throughout Micronesia while serving in the Marshall Islands. Boal discusses some of the realizations he had from his time spent in the Marshall Islands.

Keywords: Activities; Ailinglaplap Atoll (Marshall Islands); Break; Comfortable; Community; Conversations; Different; Fluent; Friendly; Friends; Help; In-country training; Invited; Island hopping; Isolated; Itinerary; Low tide; Meaningful; Return; Revelations; School; Ship; Unfamiliar; Waiting

Subjects: Americans; Brother; Chuuk (Micronesia); Culture; Education; Experience; Islands; Marshall Islands; Marshallese; Marshallese language; Micronesia; Neighbors; Ocean; Palau; Parties; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; People; Recreation; Rural; Sharing; Training; Travel; Twin; Unique; Volunteers; Walking; Water

Partial Transcript: Alright so--uh--after two years out on that little island--um--were you feeling like it was--uh--time to go or did you consider extending there or?

Segment Synopsis: Boal discusses his initial plans after finishing up his service in the Marshall Islands, which turned out to be additional service for the Peace Corps in Paraguay.
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Keywords: Ailinglaplap Atoll (Marshall Islands); Avoided; Continue; Extension; Finished; Graduate school; Military draft; Options; Overlap; Re-applied; Return

Subjects: Choices; Culture; Draft; Home; Marshall Islands; Marshallese; Marshallese language; Micronesia; Paraguay; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; Travel; United States; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So while . . . while you were still in the Marshall Islands you applied and were accepted to Paraguay?

Segment Synopsis: Boal discusses continuing his time with the Peace Corps by volunteering in Paraguay. Boal describes the application process and the training he received in preparation for his assignment in Paraguay. Boal also recalls the arduous journey he took to travel to his training site and finally to Paraguay.

Keywords: 1968 Summer Olympics; Airplane; Andes Mountains; Break; Bus; Classes; Customs; Difficult; Hotel; Language training; Long; Mexican government; Psychologist; San Lorenzo (Paraguay); Task; Unaware; Vague

Subjects: Agriculture; Asunción (Paraguay); Bribery; Colonization; Culture; Dentists; Education; Fresh water; Guarani language; Health; Health and safety; Hepatitis; Home; Illness; Jungle; La Paz (Bolivia); Land use; Language and culture; Languages; Laredo (Tex.); Marshall Islands; Mexico; Mexico City (Mexico); Miami (Fla.); Money; Paraguay; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Paraguay; Psychologists; Safety; San Antonio (Tex.); Sanitation; South America; Spanish; Toluca Valley (Mexico); Training; Travel; Volunteers; Water

Partial Transcript: Okay so then you go--uh--went off to your assignment, you said that was in Cocuerá?

Segment Synopsis: Boal details his assignment in Paraguay, including some of the projects he organized. For instance, Boal orchestrated the distribution of food and supplies, which were donated by organizations including USAID, and CARITAS Catholic Aid. Boal also conducted a water census, organized sporting events; and acquired materials to build a school.

Keywords: Cocuerá (Paraguay); Construction; Distribution; Donations; Events; San Lorenzo (Paraguay); School; Supplies; USAID; Water census

Subjects: Building materials; Caritas Internationalis; Community development; Donations; Education; Food; Paraguay; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Paraguay; Sanitation; School buildings; Spanish; Sports; United States. Agency for International Development; Volunteers; Water

Partial Transcript: Then you were working with local counterparts in this . . . this community . . .

Segment Synopsis: Boal describes his relationship with members of the community. Boal continues to discuss the projects he helped to initiate. Boal also shares a story about meeting important leaders.

Keywords: Cocuerá (Paraguay); Community; Director; President; Projects; San Lorenzo (Paraguay); Supplies; USAID; Water census

Subjects: Building materials; Caritas Internationalis; Community; Community development; Community leadership; Education; Meeting; Paraguay; Paraguayans; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Paraguay; Sanitation; School buildings; Schools; Spanish; United States. Agency for International Development; Volunteers; Water

Partial Transcript: You kind of downplayed your--uh--the importance of your job there, but you know, you had a lot of idle time. But, do you think that your . . . your personal connections were--uh--were effective there . . .

Segment Synopsis: Boal describes his relationships in the community and also recalls an interesting miscommunication he had once.

Keywords: Cocuerá (Paraguay); Miscommunication; Relationships; San Lorenzo (Paraguay)

Subjects: Communication; Friendship; Language and culture; Paraguay; Paraguayians; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Paraguay; Spanish; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Jay, my takeaway from it--uh--I had just two remarkable cross cultural re--uh--experiences for significant amounts of time and brought home--uh--fluency in two languages.

Segment Synopsis: Boal shares his takeaways from living and working in Paraguay and the Marshall Islands during his time in the Peace Corps. Boal considers whether he still feels a connection to the two countries.

Keywords: Ailinglaplap Atoll (Marshall Islands); Cocuerá (Paraguay); Reflection; Relationships; San Lorenzo (Paraguay); Takeaway

Subjects: Culture; Education; Languages; Learning; Marshall Islands; Marshallese; Marshallese language; Micronesia; Pacific Ocean; Paraguay; Paraguayans; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Paraguay; Spanish; Travel; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: When we were emailing back and forth--uh--we talked about you reading something from--uh--that book that you put together for your reunion.

Segment Synopsis: Boal details the Peace Corps reunion he organized, as well as the book he wrote associated with the reunion.

Keywords: Abroad; Book; Constraints; Contact; Fun facts; Limits; Reflection; Reunion; Updates

Subjects: Experience; Friend; Life; Marshall Islands; Micronesia; Paraguay; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Marshall Islands; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Paraguay; People; Volunteers; Work