Displaced Beachbums

A little bit of Guam history….

Days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, on 10 December 1941,the Japanese forces overtook the US garrison in Guam. The island remained under the brutal control of the Japanese until 21 July 1944, when the Marines & Army troops began the battle to liberate Guam and to use the island strategically in the war against the Japanese. The troops were supported by the Navy, Coast Guard and the people of Guam.

The official battle went on until 10 August with 1,800 soldiers killed and 5,600 soldiers injured. Actual removal of Japanese resistance took another 12 months. Strangely, several Japanese soldiers refused to surrender and went into hiding ~ Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi was finally taken captive in 1972, after 28 years, by Chomorro hunters who found him hiding out. Guess he didn’t get the memo to pack it up and go home.

Tomorrow will be the 62nd anniversary of Liberation Day. It’s a holiday here on Guam and there will be many festivities happening including a Miss Liberation Day crowning, a huge parade down Marine Corps Drive, fireworks, etc. After seeing clips of the floats from prior years, I’m especially interested in seeing the parade.

Happy Liberation Day to Guam!