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Imagine if you're storming Utah or Omaha beach during the Normandy Invasion in 1944, you reach the cities of Bayeux or St. Vigor le Grand and you have no way of communicating with the locals.
In World War II, the U.S. Army wasn't quite concerned about communication skills, with understanding. However, there was an attempt in 1943 to teach American soldiers enough foreign language for basic interraction. Former Sulphur resident Gary Doucet found this out, while combing through a flea market in Winnie, Texas.
Doucet, who is an avid collector of vintage vinyl records, stumbled upon a World War II Audio teaching aid in near mint condition, which he considers to be one of his prized possessions.
"I've been collecting records for several years and enjoy coming across vintage items," he said. "But this one, was really unusual. I basically came upon an old beat up box at this flea market in Texas. Inside this tattered box was a few old 78s in their original sleeve.
"When I reached the last record, the memo sheet was underneath," he continued. "It was miraculous that the record and the memo survived over 60 years."
Doucet, who currently lives in DeRidder and is a former employee of the U.S. Army at Fort Polk, found the record extremely fascinating. The record in the best shape turned out to be the lesson for French, but there were other language records in Italian and German and one Doucet couldn't quite read. "The French record really intrigued me because of my French heritage," he said.
The memo to which Doucet refers is a memo sent from the War Department, dated June 19, 1943, which accompanied the record to explain certain issues with the record. "With careful handling, these records may be played 150 times," the memo, which was sent by Rankin R. Boone, Lt. Col, Infantry, said. "Plan to play them in groups rather than individuals.
"The phonograph records and the printed materials (Language Guides of the TM-30-300 series, or the language section of Informational Manuals) in this kit have one purpose — to teach the soldier to speak a foreign language. The records and the printed material work as a team; they should always be used together to give a command of ordinary, everyday phrases of the language. This knowledge will help in making friends with civilians, cooperating with allies, and coping with enemies," the memo said very clearly.
The original package sent by the Army to its troops contained the memo, the records and phrase books. Although Doucet did not locate one of the phrase books with the records, there is documentation that these phrase books were issued by the War Department. The books merely listed specific phrases, from information about time, locations, terrain or maybe even weapons.
The memo seems to confirm there were phrase books issued. "After you know everything that is on the records you can go on to the other expressions given in the manuals," the memo stated. "You will by that time have heard the language enough to be able to read the simplified spelling in the manuals."
Soldiers in that era may not have been able to delve into discussions about Impressionist art at The Louvre, but they probably could have asked for a cup of coffee, or le café.
It may not have played a large role in the outcome of World War II, but Doucet certainly cherishes his piece of Americana. He framed the record and the memo with a background of the American flag. "It's my own way of showing patriotism," he said.
Imagine if you're storming Utah or Omaha beach during the Normandy Invasion in 1944, you reach the cities of Bayeux or St. Vigor le Grand and you have no way of communicating with the locals.
In World War II, the U.S. Army wasn't quite concerned about communication skills, with understanding. However, there was an attempt in 1943 to teach American soldiers enough foreign language for basic interraction. Former Sulphur resident Gary Doucet found this out, while combing through a flea market in Winnie, Texas.
Doucet, who is an avid collector of vintage vinyl records, stumbled upon a World War II Audio teaching aid in near mint condition, which he considers to be one of his prized possessions.
"I've been collecting records for several years and enjoy coming across vintage items," he said. "But this one, was really unusual. I basically came upon an old beat up box at this flea market in Texas. Inside this tattered box was a few old 78s in their original sleeve.
"When I reached the last record, the memo sheet was underneath," he continued. "It was miraculous that the record and the memo survived over 60 years."
Doucet, who currently lives in DeRidder and is a former employee of the U.S. Army at Fort Polk, found the record extremely fascinating. The record in the best shape turned out to be the lesson for French, but there were other language records in Italian and German and one Doucet couldn't quite read. "The French record really intrigued me because of my French heritage," he said.
The memo to which Doucet refers is a memo sent from the War Department, dated June 19, 1943, which accompanied the record to explain certain issues with the record. "With careful handling, these records may be played 150 times," the memo, which was sent by Rankin R. Boone, Lt. Col, Infantry, said. "Plan to play them in groups rather than individuals.
"The phonograph records and the printed materials (Language Guides of the TM-30-300 series, or the language section of Informational Manuals) in this kit have one purpose — to teach the soldier to speak a foreign language. The records and the printed material work as a team; they should always be used together to give a command of ordinary, everyday phrases of the language. This knowledge will help in making friends with civilians, cooperating with allies, and coping with enemies," the memo said very clearly.
The original package sent by the Army to its troops contained the memo, the records and phrase books. Although Doucet did not locate one of the phrase books with the records, there is documentation that these phrase books were issued by the War Department. The books merely listed specific phrases, from information about time, locations, terrain or maybe even weapons.
The memo seems to confirm there were phrase books issued. "After you know everything that is on the records you can go on to the other expressions given in the manuals," the memo stated. "You will by that time have heard the language enough to be able to read the simplified spelling in the manuals."
Soldiers in that era may not have been able to delve into discussions about Impressionist art at The Louvre, but they probably could have asked for a cup of coffee, or le café.
It may not have played a large role in the outcome of World War II, but Doucet certainly cherishes his piece of Americana. He framed the record and the memo with a background of the American flag. "It's my own way of showing patriotism," he said.
