Many people believe the first Chamorro experiences with WWII occurred when the Japanese began the aerial bombing of Guam on that Monday morning on December 8th, 1941. Few realize that the first Chamorro causalities of WWII actually occurred hours earlier and on the opposite of the International Date Line.
While countless Chamorros were brutalized or killed during the war, the first Chamorros to fall during the Second World War met their fate in Honolulu. These twelve Chamorro men were serving in the US Navy aboard various battleships on the day of infamy, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. These Chamorro men were not even allowed to be citizens of the United States but they bravely demonstrated their loyalty to the nation by enlisting in theUS Navy. While they may have been peacefully enjoying a Sunday morning on December 7th, 1941 in Pearl Harbor, that morning would prove to be their last. These men would never see their homeland of Guam again. The island of Guam would be bombed only hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor and two days later the US Navy would surrender the island to the Japanese.
These twelve Chamorro men that were in Pearl Harbor on that famous and fateful day were among the first victims of the Pacific Theater of WWII. The loss of Chamorro lives that occurred as a result of the attack on Pearl Harbor were the first, but they certainly would not be the last. During the two and a half years of Japanese occupation, countless Chamorros suffered or died during the war as they were interned in concentration camps, forced to provide labor for the Japanese forces, and were often beaten or brutalized. While the occupation of Guam would be a period of much suffering for Chamorros, it is important to realize the sacrifice and suffering of the Chamorro people occurred even before the war arrived on Guam’s shores. The first Chamorros to die in the war were men who voluntarily chose to leave their homeland in order to serve for the Untied States Navy. While they may have died away from their homeland, their contributions, bravery, and sacrifice will not be forgotten.
In an effort to honor these men and their families and in recognition of the tie between the Arizona Museum Memorial Association and Guam, a ceremony will be held to dedicate the Sons of Guam Pearl Harbor Memorial. This plaque will bear the names of those Chamorros who died aboard the USS Arizona, USS West Virginia, USS Nevada, and the USS Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor. This sunset ceremony will take place at the scenic War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Asan Bay Overlook, on Saturday, December 6, 2003 at 3:00pm. The ceremony will include an address by Jorge Cristobal, a survivor of the USS California, a wreath laying, a candle presentation, and the unveiling of the memorial plaque which will list the names of Gregorio S.N. Aguon, Nicholas S.N. Fegurgur, Francisco Reyes Mafnas, Vincente Gogue Meno, Jose Sanchez Quinata, Francisco Unpingco Rivera, Andres F. Mafnas, Ignacio C. Farfan, Jesus F. Garcia, Jose S.N. Flores, Jesus M. Mata, and Enrique C. Mendiola. The granite memorial plaque will be embedded into the ground and will serve as a proud reminder of sacrifice and bravery.
This ceremony will be the first to occur during War in the Pacific National Historical Park’s and American Memorial Park’s “Year of Remembrance”. This dedication ceremony seeks to raise awareness and remembrance about the history and events leading up to July 21st, 1941, the Liberation of Guam. July 21, 2004, will mark the 60th anniversary of the Liberation of Guam by American Forces. Throughout this year, War in the Pacific NHP, American Memorial Park, and the Arizona Museum Memorial Association will work together to commemorate and honor the bravery and sacrifice that occurred during the occupation and liberation of Guam.
