World War II Honoree

Warren Coolidge Garrett

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Halls, Tennessee

Honored By

Betty Siler & Phil White

Relationship

Niece & Son-in-law

SERVED AS A SEAMAN SECOND CLASS ON THE NAVY’S SMALLEST SHIP. THE CREW CONSISTED OF SIXTY SEAMEN. SERVED A TOTAL OF TWO YEARS AND RECEIVED A PURPLE HEART. HE TOLD STORIES OF SERVING ON THE PACIFIC FRONT. HIS BOAT WAS ANCHORED WITH OTHER U.S. SHIPS OFF GUADALCANAL. THEY WERE STRICTLY FORBIDDEN TO BREAK RADIO SILENCE AT NIGHT AND WERE TOLD NOT TO FIRE WEAPONS FOR FEAR THIS WOULD ALERT THE JAPANESE TO THEIR LOCATION. NIGHT WATCH WAS FORCED TO BE DONE BY SIGHT ONLY. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, THE JAPANESE WOULD TRY TO CLIMB THE ANCHOR CHAINS AND BOARD THE U.S. BOATS. THE NIGHT WATCH GUARDS STOOD NEAR THE CHAINS AND HIT THE JAPANESE WITH THE BUTT OF THEIR GUNS AS THEY TRIED TO BOARD THE SHIPS. IT WAS A BATTLE FOUGHT IN SILENCE. WHEN THE FOG WOULD CLEAR IN THE MORNING THERE WOULD BE HUNDREDS OF JAPANESE BODIES FLOATING IN THE WATER. ONE MORNING AS THE DAWN BROKE; HE NOTICED THAT THE SMALL BOAT NEXT TO HIM DID NOT HAVE THE APPROPRIATE SEAMEN STATIONED AS ORDERED. HE REPORTED THIS TO THE CAPTAIN. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT THIS BOAT HAD BEEN ATTACKED IN THE NIGHT AND ALL OF THE CREW SILENTLY KILLED (KNIFED) BY THE ENEMY AS THEY SLEPT IN THEIR BUNKS. HE SERVED AS A GUNNER; WITH A GUN THAT TOOK FOUR CREWMEN TO OPERATE: ONE TO FIRE THE WEAPON, ONE AS A SPOTTER, ONE TO LOAD IT AND ONE TO ASSIST THE LOADER. IN ONE KAMIKAZE ATTACK, HE WAS FIRING THE GUN AND SAW ONE OF HIS ASSISTANTS DECAPITATED. THE MURDERED SEAMAN WAS QUICKLY REPLACED. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TIME TO PROCESS THIS TYPE OF TRAUMA. HE SAID THAT THE NAVY HAD A TRADITION. THE FIRST TIME ANY SEAMAN CROSSED THE EQUATOR, THE MORE EXPERIENCED SEAMEN WOULD HAVE A CEREMONY IN WHICH THE FIRST TIMER’S HEAD WAS SHAVED. HE SAID HE WAS JUST A BOY DURING THE WAR. WHEN THINGS WERE CALM, THEY WOULD GET PERMISSION TO GO SWIMMING. THERE WAS ALWAYS ONE SEAMAN ON WATCH WITH A MACHINE GUN IN CASE CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGED QUICKLY. ONE TIME, HE AND A FRIEND SWAM TOO FAR OUT. THEY CAME INTO CONTACT WITH A SHARK. THEY HAD TO YELL FOR HELP AND THE GUNMAN PROMPTLY TOOK THE SHARK OUT. HE WAS WOUNDED BY SHRAPNEL. THE DOCTORS WANTED TO AMPUTATE HIS LEGS. HE TOLD THEM HE WAS A FARMER AND COULD NOT RETURN WITHOUT HIS LEGS. THE DOCTORS AGREED TO SHIP HIM BACK TO THE U.S. (HE LATER MADE A FULL RECOVERY.) HE DID NOT WANT TO FLY BACK TO THE U.S. INSTEAD HE SPENT SIX WEEKS ON A BOAT RETURNING TO SAN FRANCISCO FROM THE PACIFIC FRONT. HE WAS STUCK IN A BUNK WITH HIS LEGS ELEVATED. EVERY MORNING THE CAPTAIN WOULD COME ON THE INTERCOM AND INFORM THE CREW THAT A JAPANESE SUBMARINE WAS FOLLOWING THEM. HE KNEW THAT IF THE SUBMARINE DECIDED TO ATTACK, HE WOULD NOT MAKE IT OUT ALIVE. HE COULD NOT WALK. THE CAPTAIN REPORTED THAT THE ONLY REASON THE SUBMARINE DID NOT ATTACK WAS BECAUSE THEIR SHIP WAS NOT LOADED. THE JAPANESE COULD DISCERN THIS DUE TO HOW DEEP THE BOAT WAS IN THE WATER. IT WAS RUNNING LIGHT. THE JAPANESE WERE HOPING THE TRANSPORT WOULD TAKE THEM TO MORE 'APPROPRIATE TARGETS'. IT FOLLOWED THE SHIP AS FAR AS IT COULD JUST OFF THE COAST OF SAN FRANCISCO. HE WAS SECRETLY HOARDING PARTS TO A GUN. HE HAD PARTS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT HIS BUNK, LOCKER AND OTHER PLACES. HE WANTED TO MAKE ONE FOR HIMSELF AS A KEEPSAKE OF THE WAR. WHEN HE WAS WOUNDED, HIS DUFFLE BAG WAS SENT BACK TO THE U.S. FOR HIM. TO HIS DISAPPOINTMENT HIS BAG DID NOT INCLUDE THE PARTS TO HIS WOULD-BE GUN.