Tuvalu-born Corporal Fakatene Pili is remembered in Suva not only as a cheerful and welcoming barman at the Royal Fiji Police Gazetted Officers’ Mess for two decades starting in 1979, but also as a man whose life threaded through war, policing, and community service.
In a life story that reads like a Pacific memoir, Pili recalled harsh chapters from World War II. Then a student at King George V Secondary School in Tarawa, he and other students and government workers were taken to work as prisoners for the Japanese. He described nine months of hard labour, living on a bowl of rice a day, and punishment for those unable to meet the work demands, including being tied to a coconut tree and whipped. He later told of an incident at sea when, during oil research on a ship offshore, a small boat capsized in rough waters. Pili said this moment became a personal turning point, recounting that he drowned five Japanese soldiers who were aboard, in what he described as revenge for their treatment as prisoners of war.
After the Americans occupied Tarawa, Pili joined the American Naval Base there and worked in the sick bay, where he says he worked closely with John F. Kennedy when Kennedy was a sergeant. As wartime tensions grew in the Solomon Islands, Pili volunteered for a naval team, serving as a camp staff sergeant and earning three World War II medals for courage.
Postwar, Pili returned to civilian life and entered policing in Fiji. He retired from the Royal Fiji Police but chose to stay involved, volunteering as a member of the Special Constabulary and continuing to serve in the Gazetted Officers’ Mess as a special. His enduring commitment to service mirrors a broader trend seen in Fiji in recent years, where veteran officers and long-serving staff have been publicly recognized for their dedication.
In fact, Fiji’s police community recently celebrated a wave of recognition ceremonies. Senior officers were honored with Fiji Police Medals, Long Service Medals, and Overseas Medals in a service in Suva. The commemorations highlighted the values of honor, valor, patience, sacrifice, and honesty, and emphasized loyalty, integrity, and professional service across the force. Names such as Sakeo Ganivatu, Aporosa Lutunauga, Mesake Waqa, and Margaret Marshall were among those noted in official announcements, underscoring a shared culture of dedication from the frontline officers to the policing leadership.
The juxtaposition of Pili’s wartime experiences with today’s ceremonies illustrates how history and ongoing public service are woven into the fabric of Pacific policing. Pili’s story emphasizes resilience, survival, and lifelong commitment to community welfare, spanning continents and generations—from Tarawa’s wartime hardships to Suva’s police messes and memorials.
Additional value and context:
– This narrative links individual veteran memories with contemporary police recognition, offering readers a human thread through which to view institutional milestones and the evolution of service culture in Fiji.
– For readers, the piece highlights how veterans’ experiences outside of policing continue to shape the attitudes and values of current officers and retirees alike.
– A possible photo caption idea: “From Tarawa to Suva: a life of service and memory.”
– A hopeful takeaway: stories like Pili’s remind us that perseverance and service across generations contribute to stability, resilience, and a shared sense of duty in the Pacific.
In summary, Pili’s life embodies a blend of wartime courage, long-term policing service, and ongoing community engagement, reflecting a broader regional history of sacrifice and service. His memories, alongside recent police honors, paint a picture of a society that values endurance, integrity, and an enduring commitment to protecting and serving others.
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