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In Hawaii, we were always aware of the possibility of having to take up arms to defend ourselves and our islands, obviously because of the attack on Pearl Harbor and after the war, we had at least one air raid drill a month that we practiced seriously.
But as kids without television and mostly our imagination to make up games, a lot of us kids (boys)around the block would get together on weekends and holidays. Often we would go to the river..actually a meandering stream, sometimes about 12 feet across and about 4 feet deep, other times, a foot wide and six inches deep. It worked it's way through the heavy foliage (jungle) to us and we'd play war with imaginary guns or in my case, my grandfather had carved me a M1 rifle. We'd "patrol" the river and engage in imaginary combat with enemy soldiers.
When we discovered how to make "spear guns" we patrolled the river and shoot fresh water fish and crawdads who were our luckless enemies.
Other times, we formed up opposing teams and throw macadamia nuts (still in shells) as our "bullets."
Because of our multi-cultural exposure, we took up "sword fighting" too with bamboo sticks and we often were seen with our samurai sword on one side and our gun on our other side.
In either way, we learned how to move through the "jungles" in Hawaii and play war.
Anybody else like to share?
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