In the first Memorial Day after the 1944 Liberation, services are held to honor those who died in the battle to recapture Guam. Chaplains of Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths officiated at the 1945 ceremony. Though figures differ, it is estimated that 1,200 to 1,600 members of the U.S. armed forces were killed in the Liberation of Guam.

A grateful Guam remembers

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In commemorating the 50th anniversary of Guam's Liberation, this book is dedicated to the nearly 1,600 members of the U.S. armed forces who died in the invasion or in the recapture of the island, and to the more than 700 Chamorros who were executed by occupying authorities or who died during the occupation period from the pains and sufferings brought about by war. Also honored are those men who perished defending Guam in the very first days of the war and those sailors who died in the months afterward.

Created on behalf of the people of Guam, this book is also a gesture of appreciation to the members of the U.S. armed forces who arrived on these shores on July 21, 1944, and in the days and months afterward. You came to wage war, but in a spirit and manner seeking peace in the Pacific and throughout the world.

In this commemorative book for the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Guam, numerous stories and historical photographs provide details of pre-war Guam, the 31-month-long occupation of the island by Japanese forces, the Liberation itself and other related topics. A timeline throughout the book also highlights the parallel Pacific campaigns of Nimitz and MacArthur that led to victory in World War II.

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In July 1945, a year after 46 villagers of Merizo were massacred by enemy soldiers, the people of Merizo honored their memory. It is estimated that 700 Chamorros died during the 31-month-long occupation of Guam by the Japanese military. Many of these people died by execution but many more individuals died from wounds and injuries they had received at the hands of enemy soldiers.