Audio Production: This American Life
Lieutenant Glass – It was a short time after his last post was taken over by rebels and later destroyed, with the help of Ewoks, that former Scout trooper, who now calls himself Philip, started his new life on the planet Endor.
Philip – It was kind of a shock to us all, at the time. We never really paid attention to what the cubs, excuse me, Ewoks, had to say or even offer as far as civilization or culture went. I fell in love with it all.
Lieutenant Glass – He was taken prisoner by the rebels and eventually transferred to an Ewok POW camp. The Ewoks are more of a peaceful species than humans, which made their Rebel counterparts uneasy when it came to them running a POW camp.
Lieutenant Glass – How did you escape the POW camp?
Philip - I was captured. I didn’t know what they had in store for us. Eventually I befriended one of the guards. NokNok, who is now my best friend of … ten years, was the one who gave me my freedom. Um, we were actually in the yard for exercise one day and the Ewoks out of nowhere decided to give us more space to move around. NokNok and his team yelled “Yaba. Yaba Yaba” We had no idea what that meant, but they were gesturing towards the main gate, which was now wide open. So we all went out side the gate, and we have been free ever since.
Lieutenant Glass – Did anyone go back?
Philip – No (chuckle), nobody went back inside. They did attempt to communicate that it was time to go back inside, but we showed them how much fun we were having outside the gate. (chuckling) And Darth knows Ewoks want to have fun.
Lieutenant Glass – So what happened to the prisoner camp?
Philip – That’s where we live. NokNok and his team along with me and other scouts Decided to tear the fence, most of the perimeter fence, down. We left sections up to separate our new homes. Which is still kind of funny when you think about it.
Lieutenant Glass – Why is that?
Philip – (jovial) Well, the perimeter fence, at it’s highest, was only ever up to our chest plates, but just barely. There were some spots where the Ewoks just forgot about building it up and left it at, maybe, waist height. For us, I mean.
Lieutenant Glass – Why not, just leave? You could have climbed over.
Philip – You got a point. But where would we go? What would we do? Our headquarters was destroyed. Darth knows where our brothers’ bodies landed or even if they weren’t all just vaporized by the explosion. We had nowhere to be, our imperial credit scores were null and void, and the empire was no longer. What other option was there but to stay. And besides the Ewoks worked hard on that fence. We all knew how difficult that was for them to build, their arms aren’t even twenty inches long. We weren’t gonna just show them how inferior their fence was, Darth no. We, as scout troopers were cut from the same cloth as the cubs, I mean Ewoks. There are a few in charge, but for the most part we are all, all workers doing what needs to get done.
Lieutenant Glass – Wow! The greater good, as part of our training we are taught to survive – evade – resist – escape upon being captured. I would never have thought to consider my captors’ point of view.
Lieutenant Glass – Philip, and his fellow scout troopers, carry some wood to a nearby set of stilts, already partly buried deep in the soil near the former prison camp. They continue to expand the new village by building more huts to accommodate both the trooper and Ewok population of the camp.
Lieutenant Glass - So, where did you get the name Philip?
Philip – Well we were all kinda tired of being called “You there” or just responding to orders that had been given in our general direction, so we decided to give ourselves names. All of the Ewoks had names and they seemed happy so we said why not.
Lieutenant Glass – So, why Philip? It’s a first name and the military uses last name and rank when addressing others.
Philip – We aren’t in the military anymore, LT. We’re on Endor living with Ewoks. They all have names, first names. They understand who is in charge and who listens to who without a need for ranking, so why not just a first name? Plus, I’m a clone and, Darth knows, the females of this galaxy want more than just rations and body armor. They can find that on any planet. They need to relate, and they can’t relate to “Me there.” My name is Philip, and I live on Endor.
Lieutenant Glass – Philip and the men at this village have chosen to stay off the grid. He says that life on Endor has proven much more fulfilling with a real name and without the orders, rankings, and empirical state of mind.
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