Whittling wood and making a whistle with my dad in the woods about 1938-39. All my life I would see men at dad's service station just sitting there whittling wood making "stuff". Amazing to me! as a young boy.
Dad cut a green branch from a hazelnut bush. The key is to have the bark 360 degrees move no knots so it will slide. Then notch a V, cut out and blow air 360 degrees between bark and wood so it slides easy. It will make a sound to use to help your friend. A lost friend. Survival help.
Operation Sage Brush C-119
We supported along with other C-199's there at Randolph AFB all over the SE USA for 4 days hauling troops. Troops that jumped from aircrafts and load other passengers/cargo from San Antonio to Valdosta, Georgia. We were a crew of 8 all together walking down a paved street curb-side walk with mom and pop shops-a negro alone is coming at us all 2-3 abreast on the sidewalk. He steps in the street and continues towards us and speaks, "Good evening gentlemen." We reply "Good evening." When in a little more distance he moves back on the sidewalk. Hmmm... I've never in my life experienced anything like this before in my life. Hmmmm.....
After 0100 midnight to 4AM to an army base near Murfreesboro, Tennessee in the next afternoon we are free will fly at night back to San Antonio. There is the center of town. Our instructor had been to this town before so it was a guided tour with him telling of these people and what really impressed him. All around the court house were out the door bunches with ?? married- 5 or 6 people, we could sit here and watch people in their walk abouts. He told us not to start conversations just nod your head and be respectful. If the whittler speaks to you, it's ok to talk to him. Lot's of men (no women) just sitting there busy in their work of whittling wood. One man making a chain out of a tree branch, a long stick. Just so much. Wow I've never seen so much whittling going on at one time at one place in all my living. It was a quiet time. Some men were taking a practice nap. Canes decorated, all items so beautiful things.
Whenever my dad would make something he would give it away. He must have made 20-30 of those wood hazelnut branch whistles maybe 1/2 inch or a little smaller. Slide bark it was. What happened to them?
Next time you're in Murfreesboro, Tennessee take time to watch these old and young whittlers making beautiful "stuff" out of wood there on the benches in front of the courthouse. (All white building).
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