Esperanto: The Aggressor Language

Tim Westover's picture

Esperanto: The Aggressor Language estas dokumento, kiun publikigis la usona armeo en 1959 / 1962. Pro la titolo, Esperantistoj supozas, ke temas pri "danĝeroj de Esperanto" aŭ malamika kontraŭstaro kontraŭ Esperanto. Sed, tio ne veras.

En la broŝuro, la usona armeo proponas, ke "Aggressor" (tio estas, tiuj, kiuj ludas la rolon de la "malamika flanko" en militaj ekzercoj) uzu Esperanton por doni pli realisman etoson al militaj ekzercoj. Se ambaŭ flankoj parolas la anglan, oni povas subaŭskulti ordonojn kaj planojn. Tio ne eblus, se unu flanko uzus fremdan lingvon.

La usona armeo publikigis sufiĉe belan opinion pri Esperanto mem en la broŝuro: "Esperanto is not an artificial or dead lanaguage. It is a living and current media of international oral and written communication. Its basic rules of grammar are such that it will remain a live language because it can assimilate new words that are constantly being developed in existing world languages." Se tion ni vidus en nuntempa ĵurnalo, ni Esperantistoj multe feliĉus.

La enhavo de la broŝuro estas tre interesa -- la ĉefa parto estas unika vortaro (Angla > Esperanto > Angla) kun multaj militaj esprimoj. Sekvas sespaĝa frazlibro kun tipaj esprimoj:

  • Officers and enlisted men wear identical uniforms.
  • Downstairs we have the supply and weapons rooms.
  • Colonel Smith, is it time for a coffee break? Would you like a cup?

Estas ankaŭ tabeloj de lokonomoj, personaj nomoj, kaj mezurunuoj.

Mi kredas, ke la enhavo de la broŝuro estas nuntempe senpage havebla en la reto. Tamen, se oni volas trafolumi veran ekzempleron de la broŝuro, mi vendas nun mian propran ekzempleron ĉe eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330203092813

Mi tralegis ĝin kaj trovis ĝin tre interesa, sed jam temp' esta dividi ĝin kun aliaj interesitoj.

Se aliaj konas detalojn de la Aggressor projekto -- kiu inicitas ĝin? kiu verkis la enhavon? kial la projekto malsukcesis? -- bonvolu respondi ĉi tie.

"Aggressor Force" of the U.S. Army

El "Amerika Esperantisto", November-December 1954, p. 81:
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"Aggressor Force" of the U.S. Army Applies Esperanto to Advantage

The following news note was printed in TRIAD, journal of the Third Marine Division. It was sent to us with additional comments by a member of EANA who participated in an "aggressor" unit.

"Batalas, batalas, detruas malamikon,
Atakas, atakas, frapas malamikon!"

Thus, singing in their "native" tongue, Aggressor Forces on Iwo Jima during the recent operation Flag Hoist met the attacking forces of the 3rd Marine Division.

No, the aggressor troops were not from some foreign nation, but members of the Division using the official Marine Corps aggressor language, Esperanto.

Esperanto is a language perfected many years ago with hopes that it some day might be adopted as an international language. It is based on stem words from practically every dialect. For
instance, "batalas" in the first line of their song is "fight" as in battle.

Each member of the Aggressor Force was provided with his own ID card and service record book, all written in Esperanto. In addition, Esperanto newspapers, documents, overlays and map symbols were used exclusively.

In keeping with the aggressor Esperanto spirit, uniforms of the 2nd Battalion during the operation had the word MARSOL, a contraction of 'Marsoldato' or Marine, on the left collar tab. Since these men were a part of Task Force SHENG (Victory), they wore a shoulder patch bearing the word Sheng on their right sleeve. (Ed: evidently some chinese has been mixed in here.)

The use of Esperanto by Aggressor forces provides another example of the thorough manner in which Operation Flag Hoist was conducted.

* * *

Our correspondent explains that the new edition of the army field manual contains what is supposed to be an Aggressor's military service record book. It is written in Esperanto and English. The manual also contains identity cards and other documents in Esperanto and English, that may be copied for maneuver purposes. To quote from the manual itself:

"LANGUAGES: Esperanto is the official Aggressor language and is used on all printed Aggressor forms. Aggressor troops, however, may use the language of their assumed national origin. Therefore, documents may be prepared, and interrogations conducted in Esperanto or in any of the languages used by Aggressor."

Our correspondent also reports that Esperanto was used in a regular army training film showing how to handle prisoners-of-war. Signs in the stockade such as "File Here" or "Give Rank and Serial Number" were in Esperanto.
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Iom pli da informo, kelkaj novaj misteroj, chu ne?

Amike,

Lee

Interesa rakonto

James Rezende Pitón, verkis tre interesan artikolon kiu rakontas pri la taĉmento kiu uzis Esperanton kaj kial oni haltis uzi Esperanton plu. Estas surprize.

--
Steven BREWER