PFC Frank Garitta 24th Infantry

[24th_infantry]

Thought I'd post this funny story. My grandfather was a artillery Tech-Sgt in the 24th Infantry, 21st Infantry Regiment HQ that is until he got demoted for leaving post to get drunk. But thats a whole other story in itself. The story starts on Christmas Island 1943. While on his free time my grandfather decided to construct a fishing pole out of bamboo and try his luck fishing in the lagoon (using the good ol' grenades was getting boring). So while he was sitting in the shade something bit. He told me how it took what seemed to be an hour to pull this fish in. After he got the fish on shore he put his line back out. This time another even bigger fish bit! It took him over an hour to pull this monster in. By the time he finished he had 2 huge fish, one weighed 72 lbs the other 91 lbs.

 

After fishing he decided to cook the fish and share it with some people. My grandfather wasn't dumb he knew the best people to share it with were the officers. That night he and the officers ate these fish and drank the liquor he was fermenting in his tent (he used coconuts with sugar). The next day he woke up to the sounds of vomitting and moaning. The enlisted ate canned franks and beans, unbeknownst to them it was tainted. The enlisted has disentary for a week. Needless to say the officers loved my grandfather and let him get away with a lot of things.

 

It was very hard to believe this story thinking that he made a pole and caught these fish. But I have 2 photos of him on the island with the fish he caught! I promise tomorrow I will have it scanned to show all of you. Its sad to say though that I never had enough time to talk to him about the war because I was too young. He passed away when I was in 7th grade and I've never been able to forgive myself for not asking him more questions. However, the stories that I do have I want to share with all of you.