▁We ▁are ▁not ▁North ▁America ; ▁we ▁are ▁North ▁H ait i ." ▁ ▁He ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁ran ▁away ▁from ▁home ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁three ▁and ▁was ▁raised ▁by ▁his ▁pat ernal ▁grand par ents . ▁He ▁and ▁Tr uman ▁Cap ote ▁became ▁acquaint ed ▁in ▁Mobile , ▁att ending ▁mat ine es ▁at ▁the ▁Sa enger ▁Theatre ▁dow nt own ▁together ▁as ▁children . ▁ ▁His ▁grand par ents ▁both ▁died ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁about ▁ten ▁years ▁old . ▁▁ ▁After ▁largely ▁living ▁on ▁the ▁streets ▁for ▁a ▁time , ▁he ▁was ▁eventually ▁taken ▁in ▁by ▁Hamm ond ▁B oken ham ▁Gay fer , ▁he ir ▁to ▁Gay fers ▁Department ▁Store ▁in ▁dow nt own ▁Mobile . ▁ ▁Gay fer ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁again ▁leaving ▁Walter ▁to ▁f end ▁for ▁himself . ▁ ▁Ad ul th ood ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁Walter ▁spent ▁three ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁Ale ut ian ▁Islands ▁as ▁an ▁Army ▁crypt ograph er . ▁He ▁re located ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁after ward ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁resident ▁of ▁Green wich ▁Village ▁during ▁the ▁post - W W II ▁years . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁time ▁he ▁pione ered ▁an ▁early ▁form ▁of ▁happening ▁by ▁st aging ▁a ▁sp ont aneous ▁and ▁un ann ounced ▁group ▁performance ▁with ▁his ▁friends ▁in ▁the ▁sculpt ure ▁garden ▁of ▁the ▁Museum ▁of ▁Modern ▁Art . ▁ ▁Walter ▁then ▁gained ▁trans at l antic ▁passage ▁of ▁a ▁fre ighter ▁carrying ▁ice ▁cre am ▁to ▁Europe