WAR IN THE PACIFIC NATIONAL 

HISTORICAL PARK 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON 

NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS AND PUBLIC LANDS 

COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

ON 

H.R. 1944 

TO PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT WAR IN THE PACIFIC 

NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 

72-168 

HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC 

MAY 27, 1993 

Serial No. 103-29 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Natural Resources 

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

WASHINGTON : 1993 

For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office 

Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 

ISBN 0-16-041498-9 
COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 

GEORGE MILLER, California, Chairman 

PHILIP R. SHARP, Indiana 

EDWARD J . MARKEY, Massachusetts 

AUSTIN J . MURPHY, Pennsylvania 

NICK JOE RAHALL II, West v;rginia 

BRUCE F. VENTO, Minnesota 

PAT WILLIAMS, Montana 

RON DE LUGO, Virgin Islands 

SAN GEJDENSON, Connecticut 

RICHARD H. LEHMAN, California 

BILL RICHARDSON, New Mexico 

PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon 

ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American 

Samoa 

TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota 

LARRY LAROCCO, Idaho 

NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Hawaii 

CALVIN M. DOOLEY, Califo~nia 

CARLOS ROMERO-BARCELO, Puerto Rico 

KARAN ENGLISH, Arizona 

KAREN SHEPHERD, Utah 

NATHAN DEAL, Georgia 

MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York 

ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD, Guam 

HOWARD BERMAN, California 

LANE EVANS, Illinois 

PATSY T. MINK, Hawaii 

THOMAS J . BARLOW III, Kentucky 

THOMAS M. BARRETT, Wisconsin 

DON YOUNG, Alaska, 

Ranking Republican Member 

JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah 

BARBARA F. VUCANOVICH, Nevada 

ELTON GALLEGLY, California 

ROBERT F. SMITH, Orego ~ 

CRAIG THOMAS, Wyomint: 

JOHN J . DUNCAN, JR., Te,nnessee 

JOEL HEFLEY, Colorado 

JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California 

WAYNE ALLARD, Colorado 

RICHARD H. BAKER, Louisiana 

KEN CALVERT, California 

SCOTT MciNNIS, Colorado 

RICHARD W. POMBO, California 

JAY DICKEY, Arkansas 

J OHN LAWRENCE, Staff Director 

RICHARD MELTZER, General Counsel 

DANIEL VAL KrSH, Republican Staff Director 

SUBCOMMI'ITEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS AND PuBLIC LANDS 

BRUCE F. VENTO, Minnesota, Chairman 

EDWARD J . MARKEY, Massachusetts JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah, 

NICK JOE RAHALL II, West Virginia Ranking Republican Meml>er 

PAT WILLIAMS, Montana ROBERT F. SMITH, Oregon 

PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon CRAIG THOMAS, Wyoming 

TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota JOHN J . DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee 

LARRY LAROCCO, Idaho JOEL HEFLEY, Colorado 

NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Hawa_ii JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California 

CARLOS ROMERO-BARCELO, Puerto Rico RICHARD H. BAKER, Louiniana 

KARAN ENGLISH, Arizona KEN CALVERT, California 

KAREN SHEPHERD, Utah JAY DICKEY, Arkansas 

MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York 

ROBERT A UNDERWOOD, Guam 

AUSTIN J . MURPHY, Pennsylvania 

BILL RICHARDSON, New Mexico 

PATSY T. MINK, Hawaii 

RICHARD HEALY, Staff Director 

AMY HOLLI>'Y, Professional Staff Member 

GWYN FLETCHER, Staff Assistant 

STEPHEN HODAPP, Republican Consultant on National Park:: 

(II) 
CONTENTS 

Hearing held: May 27, 1993 ................................................. ............... ................... . H.R. 1944: 

1. Text of the bill ............................................................................................. . 2. Background information ........... ............. ..................... .. .... ... .... ........... .. ...... . 

Member statements: 

Hon. Bruce Vento .......... ............................................... .............. ..... ... ....... ..... . . Hon. Robert A. Underwood ....... .... ............ .............................. ... .................... .. Hon. Ron de Lugo ................................. ... ............... ....... ................. .... ....... ...... . 

Witness statements: 

Denis P. Galvin, associate director, planning and development, National 

Park Service, Department of the Interior ................ .......... ............. .... ....... . Panel consisting of: Hon. J . George aamba, senator, 22d Guam Legislature ..... ................. .. Michael Cruz, acting director, Bureau of Planning, on behalf of Hon. 

Joseph F. Ada, Governor of Guam ... ........... ...................... .................. . Panel consisting of: 

~~:!n~e l. ~~~d~u:. c~g~d~l· a:~~d~··s~h~~i··~r·a:~~~:··~~~~~p~~;~d by Jonathan Bordallo ............ ............................................................... . Cyril J. O'Brien, Third Marine Division Association, Veterans of the 

Liberation of Guam .............. ........................ ... ............................... ....... . Hon. James Corman, Guam veteran and former Representative to 

Congress from the State of California ................. ........ ............... ......... . 

APPENDIX 

MAY 27, 1993 

Additional material submitted for the hearing record: Development costs proposed for War in the Pacific National Historical 

Park and American Memorial Park submitted by the National Park 

Service, Department of the Interior ........................................................... . Prepared statement of Hon. Ron de Lugo .................... ........................... ..... .. Prepared statement of Hon. Robert A. Underwood ... ................. .................. . Prepared statement ofHon. James V. Hansen ......... ....... ............................ .. Prepared statement of Hon. Lorenzo I. De Leon Guerrero, Governor, 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands .......... .............. ............ . Letter to Hon. Robert Underwood from Hon. Joe T. San Agustin, Speaker, 

22d Guam Legislature, dated June 10, 1993 ........... ......... ......................... . Prepared statement of Hon. Juan N. Babauta, Resident Representative 

to the United States from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 

Islands ........................................................................................................... . Prepared statement of Hon. Elizabeth P. Arriola, senator, and Chairperson, 22d Guam Legislature's Committee on Youth, Senior Citizens, and Cultural Affairs ..................................... .. .......................... ...... ........... .. . Letter to Chairman Vento from General Louis H. Wilson, USMC (Ret.), 

dated May 24, 1993 ........................................................ ............................. .. Letter to Chairman Vento from Peter C. Siguenza, Captain, USMCR, 

(Ret.), president, Guam Chapter, Third Marine Division Association, 

Inc., dated May 21, 1993 ......................................................................... .. .. . Handwritten letter to Hon. Robert Underwood from Mr. and Mrs. Vicente 

Acfalle ... ....... .... .. ........................ .. .............. .......................... ... .. ........... .. ....... . 

(Ill) 

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IV 

Additional material submitted for the hearing record-Continued 

Letter to Hon. Robert Underwood from Natividad Gumataotao, teacher, 

Guam Public School, dated May 18, 1993 .................................................. . Letters in support of H.R. 1944 from students of the 5th Grade Gifted 

and Talented Program, Price Elementary School, Mangilao, Guam ........ Letter from Harold K. Noble, past president, past chairman, board of 

directors, Third Marine Division Association, dated June ~11, 1993, 

to Members of Congress .............................................................................. . Letter from Mrs. Arlene Taitague Acfalle dated May 18, 1993 .................. .. Prepared statement of Mrs. Natividad Gumataotao, Malesso, Guam ........ . 

Page 

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PROVIDING FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

AT WAR IN THE PACIFIC NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 

THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1993 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS 

AND PuBLIC LANDs, 

Washington, DC. 

The subcommittee met at 11 a.m. in room 340 of the Cannon 

House Office Building, the Hon. Bruce Vento presiding. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BRUCE VENTO 

Mr. VENTO. The Subcommittee on National Forests, Forests and 

Public Lands will be in order. This morning we are meeting to hear 

testimony on H.R. 1944, a bill introduced by our friend and colleague on the Subcommittee, Congressman Bob Underwood, to provide for additional development at War in the Pacific National Historical Park. 

[The bill, H.R. 1944, and background information follow:] 

(1) 
103D CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION 

2 

H. R.l944 

To prov;de for additional development at War in the Pacific National 

Historical Park, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 29, 1993 

1\Ir. UXDERWOOD (for himself, 1\Ir. DE LUGO, 1\Ir. FALEmiAVAEGA, ~Ir. 

ABERCROMBIE, 1\Ir. GrLMA.'\, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. 1\IOXTGOMERY, Mr. KEK· 

:\'EDY, 1\Irs. 1\Iii\'K, Mr. RICH.ARDSOI\', and 1\Ir. ROMERO-BARCELO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 

Resources 

A BILL 

To provide for additional development at War in the Paeific 

National Historical Park, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and II ouse of Representa2 tives of the Uwited States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds that5 (1) June 15 through August 10, 1994, marks 

6 the 50th anniversary of the :\Iariana campaign of 

7 World War II in which American forces captured the 

8 islands of Saipan and Tinian in the Northern Mari-
3 

2 

anas and liberated the United States Territory of 

2 Guam from Japanese occupation; 

3 (2) an attack during this campaign by the Jap4 anese Imperial fleet, aimed at countering the Amer5 ican forces that had landed on Saipan, led to the 

6 battle of the Philippine Sea, which resulted in a 

7 crushing defeat for the Japanese by United States 

8 naval forces and the destruction of the effectiveness 

9 of the Japanese carrier-based airpower; 

10 (3) the recapture of Guam liberated one of the 

II few pieces of United States territory that was occuI2 pied for two and one-half years by the enemy during 

I3 World War II and restored freedom to the indigeI4 nous Chamorros on Guam who suffered as a result 

I5 of the Japanese occupation; 

I6 (4) Army, ~av:v, l\Iarine Corps, and Coast 

I7 Guard units distinguished themselves with their he18 roic bravery and sacrifice; 

I9 (5) the Guam Insular Force Guard, the Guam 

20 militia, and the people of Guam earned the highest 

2I respect for their defense of the island during the 

22 Japanese invasion and their resistance during the 

23 occupation; their assistance to the American forces 

24 as scouts for the American invasion was invaluable; 

25 and their role, as members of the Guam Combat Pa-

•HR 1944 IH 
4 

3 

trol, was instrumental in seeking out the remaining 

2 Japanese forces and restoring peace to the island; 

3 (6) during the occupation, the people of 

4 Guam5 (A) were forcibly removed from their 

6 homes; 

7 (B) were relocated to remote sections of 

8 the island; 

9 (C) were required to perform forced labor 

10 and faced other harsh treatment, injustices, and 

11 death; and 

12 (D) were placed in concentration camps 

13 when the American invasion became imminent 

14 and were brutalized by their occupiers when the 

15 liberation of Guam became apparent to the 

16 Japanese; 

17 ( 7) the liberation of the Mariana Islands 

18 marked a pivotal point in the Pacific war and led to 

19 the American victories at Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the 

20 Philippines, Taiwan, and the south China coast, and 

21 ultimately against the Japanese home islands; 

22 (8) the Mariana Islands of Guam, Saipan, and 

23 Tinian provided, for the first time during the war, 

24 air bases which allowed land-based American bomb25 ers to reach strategic targets in Japan; and 

•HR 1944 m 
5 

4 

1 ( 9) the air offensive conducted from the Mari2 anas against the Japanese war-making capability 

3 helped shorten the war and ultimately reduced the 

4 toll of lives to secure peace in the Pacific. 

5 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

6 It is the sense of Congress that7 (1) an appropriate commemoration of the 50th 

8 anniversary of the Mariana campaign should be 

9 planned by the United States in conjunction with 

10 the Government of Guam and the Government of the 

11 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; 

12 and 

13 (2) the Secretary of the Interior should take all 

14 necessary steps to ensure that two visitor centers, 

15 one at the War in the Pacific National Historical 

16 Park on Guam and the other at the American Me17 moria! Park in Saipan, are completed before June 

18 15, 1994, for the 50th anniversary commemoration, 

19 to provide adequate historical interpretation of the 

20 events described in section 1. 

21 SEC. 3. WAR IN THE PACIFIC NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK. 

22 (a) Al.ITHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.-Sub23 section (k) of section 6 of the Act entitled "An Act to 

24 authorize appropriations for certain insular areas of the 

25 United States, and for other purposes", approved August 

•HR 1944 lH 
6 

5 

18, 1978 (92 Stat. 493; 16 U.S.C. 410dd) is amended 

2 by striking "$500,000" and inserting "$8,000,000". 

3 (b) DEVELOPMEl\'T.-Section () is further amended 

4 by adding at the end the follovving subsections: 

5 "(I) Within the boundaries of the park, the Secretary 

6 is authorized to construct a monument which shall com7 memorate, by individual name, those people of Gu.am, liv8 ing and dead, who suffered personal injury, forced labor, 

9 forced marches, internment or death incident to en,:my oc10 cupation of Guam between December 8, 1941, and August 

11 10, 1944. 

12 "(m) Within the boundaries of the park, the Sec13 retary is authorized to implement programs to interpret 

14 experiences of the people of Guam during World War II, 

15 including, but not limited to, oral histories of those people 

16 of Guam who e:.-.."Perienced the occupation. 

17 "(n) Within si.x months after the date of enactment 

18 of this subsection, the Secretary, through the Director of 

19 the National Park Service, shall develop and transmit to 

20 the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 

21 Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the 

22 House of Representatives a report containing updated cost 

23 estimates for the development of the park. Further, this 

24 repm·t shall contain a gcnct·al plan to implement sub25 sections (I) and (m), including, at a minimum, cost esti-

•HR 1944 IH 
7 

6 

mates for the design and construction of the monument 

2 authorized in section (l). 

3 "(o) Within six months after the date of enactment 

4 of this subsection, the Secretary, through the Assistant 

5 Secretary of Territorial and International Mfairs, shall 

6 compile and transmit to the Committee on Energy and 

7 Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on 

8 Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a list 

9 of names to appear on the monument authorized in sub10 section (1) . 

11 "(p) The Secretary may take such steps as may be 

12 necessary to preserve and protect various World War II 

13 vintage weapons and fortifications which exist within the 

14 boundaries of the park.". 

15 SEC. 4. AMERICAN MEMORIAL PARK. 

16 Section 5(g) of the Act entitled "An Act to authorize 

17 appropriations for certain insular areas of the United 

18 States, and for other pm·poses" , approved August 18, 

19 1978 (92 Stat. 492) is amended by striking "$3,000,000" 

20 and inserting "$8,000,000". 

0 

•HR 1944 lH 
8 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION 

B.R. 1944 1 WAR IN THE PACIFIC 

NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK 

In 1978, Congress passed legislation (P.L. 95-348) to 

authorize the establishment of War in the Pacific National 

Historical Park to, "commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of 

those participating in the campaigns of the Pacific Theater of 

World War II and to conserve and interpret outstanding na tural, 

scenic, and historic values and objects on the island of Guam." 

The United States had acquired Guam from Spain in 1898. on December 10, 1941, the Japanese seized Guam as part of a Pacific 

campaign which had included the bombing of Pearl Harbor three 

days before and resulted in u.s. entry into World War II. 

Guam remained in Japanese hands for two and a half years. 

The islanders were forced to learn Japanese language and customs , and many were relocated to remote sections of the island to 

perform f orced labor or to be placed in concentration camps . The 

island was turned into a Japanese airfield and its occupation enabled the J apa nese to block Ame rican access to the Philippines. 

In 1944, American forces recaptured Guam, liberating the on ly American territory subject to total Japanese ocGupation 

during World War II, and allowing land-based American bombers access to air bases from which to reach strategic targets in 

Japan. The U.S. Department of the Interior became the f ederal 

agency responsible for Guam in 1950, and with this change the 

people of Guam were granted U.S. citizenship. 

War in the Pacific National Historical Park includes seven units each providing a different insight into the Pacifi c War. 

These sites contain both Japanese and American artifacts and 

interpret military aspects of the War in the Pacific on Guam. No 

park site interprets the story of the people of Guam. 

H.R. 1944 expresses the s ense of Congre ss both that an appropriate commemoration of the 50th anniversary of thE! Mariana 

Campaign should be planned, and that the Secretary of the 

Interior should take all necessary steps to ensure that visitor 

centers at War in the Pacific National Historical Park on Guam and at American Memorial Park in Saipan are completed before June 

15, 1944, the 50th anniversa ry comme1noration . 

The bill increases the development ceiling for War in the 

Pacific National Historical Park from $500,000 to $8, 000 ,000 and 

authorizes the construction of a monument within the park to the 

people of Guam who suffered personal injury, forced labor, forced 

marches, internment or death as a result of enemy occupation during World War II. The Secretary is also authorized to 

implement programs to interpre t the experiences of the people of 

Guam during World War II. Finally, the development ceiling f or American Memorial Park is raised from $3,000,000 to $8,000,000. 
9 

Mr. VENTO. War in the Pacific National Park was established in 

1978 to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of those participating in the campaigns of the Pacific theater in World War II, and 

to preserve and interpret outstanding natural scenic and other cultural values and objects on the Island of Guam. 

The Park includes seven units, each providing a different insight 

into the War in the Pacific. These sites contain both Japanese and 

American artifacts and interpret the military aspects of the War in 

Guam. 

I had the privilege in 1989 to accompany then-Secretary, newly 

designated Secretary Lujan and our former Chairman and great 

leader in many of these natural cultural resources Congressman 

Mo Udall to the Pacific Islands. We visited many of the sites of the War in the Pacific National 

Park, and specifically sites on Guam and Saipan which are the subject of attention today. I think that some of the Members, at least in Congress today, not 

all on the Committee at this time, have had the opportunity to visit 

these sites and had an on-the-ground experience concerning them. 

I will not go through reading the history of World War II for you. 

I think my colleague from Guam and the witnesses can reiterate 

the tremendous suffering and problems that occurred. 

It is important to recognize that Japan had a long history of involvement in what we speak of as the Western Pacific. It was interesting to me to note in Saipan that there were monuments there 

from ·other countries that have been established. Ironically, the 

U.S., which played such a preeminent and important role at that 

time, has not placed the monuments in place that reflect its role 

and its personal emphasis. 

But hopefully we will be able to make that up. 

I want to compliment my colleague on the designation of the 

House Resolution No. 1944. I think it was prophetic. Hopefully by 

the 50th Anniversary we will be able to make a down payment on 

the establishment of the type of recognition which was anticipated 

by my colleagues and myself in 1978. That is right; I have been 

here that long, Jim Corman. 

I am pleased to see in attendance at the meeting former Congressman and friend, Congressman Jim Corman. We welcome his 

input on this important subject as we work on it. 

I am pleased to yield such time to the gentleman, Congressman 

Dr. Robert Underwood. 

STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Thank you very much, Mr. Vento. 

I appreciate the time and the energy you have taken to call this 

hearing. I appreciate very much the speed with which you have allowed us to have this hearing. I know that it is a very crowded 

schedule today, and that there are some very important issues, but 

at least for the people of Guam this issue is very critical. 

I want to reiterate, not to redo the whole history of World War 

II, but certainly it seemed to us as we watched the Park mature 

a little bit, and as the 50th Anniversary came on the horizon, that 

there was a missing dimension to the War in the Pacific Park; and 

that was recognition of the experiences of the Chamorro people. 
10 

So this legislation, while it seeks to get the process moving along 

of recognizing the 50th Anniversary and preparing a visitors center 

for that, it also puts in a special provision to allow recognition of 

the experience of the Chamorro people. 

We have a number of witnesses today from the Government of 

Guam, officials as well as the experiences of some of the people, 

and I think we look forward to hearing some of their testimony. One very poignant testimony will be given by Mrs. Emsley regarding her personal experiences. We also have a little girl who 

would like to share her experiences or her relationship to this issue 

as well. 

I also, too, acknowledge Mr. Corman's presence. I had a nice little visit with him yesterday in which he not only participated in 

the liberation of Guam in 1944, he stayed for a year and found a 

woman in the Red Cross I believe. So he really got a lot out of 

Guam. [Laughter.] 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. And I hope Guam gives back much to him. 

I have a statement that I would enter, without objection, into the 

record. 

Mr. VENTO. Yes. Without objection, all of our statements and the 

statements of witnesses in their entirety will be made a part of the 

record. 

Hearing no objection, so ordered. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. And without further ado, I guess we could go 

ahead and call our first witness. 

Mr. VENTO. Very good. 

Thank you. Let me do that. We have Denis Galvin, now a longtime Associate Director for Planning and Development of the N ationa! Park Service, Department of the Interior. 

Your statement has been made a part of the record, Mr. Galvin. 

You may proceed to summarize. 

STATEMENT OF DENIS P. GALVIN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR 

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Mr. GALVIN. Mr. Chairman, I will simply summarize the statement. 

We do not object to the enactment of H.R. 1944, if amended in 

some detail. The bill calls attention to the 50th Anniversary that 

the two Members have discussed in their opening remarks and directs the Secretary of Interior to ensure that two visitor centers, 

one on Guam and one on Saipan, be built prior to June 15, 1994. 

It amends previous legislation to change the development ceilings to $8 million at both parks, and provides authorization to construct the monument naming those people of Guam who suffered 

during the enemy occupation and authorization to interpret the experiences of the people of Guam during World War II. 

The Secretary is required within six months to develop a report 

with updated cost estimates for development in the Park and a 

plan for implementing these requirements. 

We believe that an appropriate commemoration of the 50th Anniversary should be planned, and in fact we are working with the 

local governments on both islands to develop plans fo:r that 50th 

Anniversary. 
11 

While we cannot build visitors centers in time for that, we are 

actively considering some low-cost options for development, especially on Guam, that would begin development that would be consistent with the later construction of visitor centers, but that could 

be done for considerably less cost and more quickly. 

At the War in the Pacific National Historical Park, that development would include parking facilities, an interpretive trail, interpretive exhibit panels on Nimitz Hill, a site overlooking the invasion site that is the visitors center site called for in the General 

Management Plan. 

We would also plan to place other interpretative panels at strategic sites through the Park. 

We are planning a video program of the Chamorro experience 

during the campaign. The General Management Plan for the War in the Pacific Park 

on Guam does call for the development of a visitors center. 

Our current estimates are that that visitors center would cost, 

including design, $11 million. So one of the things we are suggesting is that the authorization ceiling be changed from $8 million to 

$11 million to include the most recent estimate. 

For American Memorial Park on Saipan, the Government of the 

Northern Marianas is now actually constructing improvements at 

that Park, including the new pavilion that was done based on schematic designs done by the National Park Service. 

They have hired a private architectural firm and are using the 

Seabees to do construction there at this time, and they expect to 

have a pavilion, which is Phase I of the construction, done by the 

commemorative events in 1994. The General Management Plan for American Memorial Park suggests additional development, a visitors center and a museum, and 

we are looking at options for the visitors center at this time. 

My understanding is that in fact again the Government of the 

Northern Marianas has a private firm engaged to design that visitors center. 

Our current estimates for that Park would bring total development ceilings to $19 million. So we suggest again that this bill be 

amended to bring those figures up to date. 

Neither of these visitors centers are included in our 1994 budget 

request, Mr. Chairman, because they do not have sufficient servicewide priority. So in our 1994 request we have not included any. That concludes my summary, Mr. Chairman. I would be happy 

to take any questions. [Prepared statement of Mr. Galvin follows:] 
12 

STATEMENT OF DENIS P. GALVIN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, P~INING AND 

DEVELOPMENT, NATIONAL PARK RVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 

BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON 

NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC LANDS, CONCERNING H.R. 1944, 

A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT WAR IN THE 

PACIFIC NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 

May 27, 1993 

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to provide your 

Subcommittee with the views of the Department of the Interior on 

H.R. 1944. 

We do not object to enactment of H.R. 1944 if amended as we 

suggest. 

The bill states that a 50th anniversary of the Mariana campaign 

should be planned by the United States in conjunction with the 

Government of Guam and the Government of the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands, and that the Secretary of the Interior 

should ensure that two Visitor Centers, one at War in the Pacific 

National Historical Park on Guam and one at American Memorial 

Park in Saipan, should be built prior to June 15, 1994. H.R. 

1944 would provide an $8 million development ceiling for War in 

the Pacific National Historical Park, and as well an $8 million 

development ceiling for American Memorial Park; this would amend 

the enabling legislation whic h included res pective development 

ceilings of $500,000 and $3 million. 

1 
13 

The bill further includes, for War in the Pacific National 

Historical Park, authorization to construct a monument naming 

those people of Guam who suffered during the enemy occupation, 

and authorization to interpret the experiences of the people of 

Guam during World War II. The Secretary is required to develop 

and transmit to Congress a report with updated cost estimates for 

development in the park, and a plan for implementing these 

requirements. 

We believe strongly that an appropriate commemoration of the 50th 

Anniversary of the Mariana campaign should be planned by the 

United States in conjunction with the Government of Guam and the 

Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 

Therefore we concur with the sense of Congress statement proposed 

in the bill. 

Given that the 50th anniv ersary of the Mariana campaign is in 

June 1994, we are reviewing low-cost options for developing an 

appropriate program to meet th i s tight deadline which will also 

provide a quality experience for visitors. 

For Wa r in the Pa cific National Historical Park on Guam, we are 

planning parking fa cilities and a n i nterpretive trail adjacent to 

Nimit z Hill, a pivota l position during the War and inside the 

park boundary. We wi ll develop a p lan for interpretive signs 

2 
14 

which will be placed at strategic sites throughout the park to 

tell the story of the campaign there. And we are planning a 

video pro·,Jram of the Chamorro experience during the campaign. 

War in the Pacific has a General Management Plan to support the 

deve.lopment of a Visitor Center. We note however that it would 

not oe possible to complete construction of such a center by 

Jl' 1e, 1994. We need to review our various options regarding a 

·~sitar center, particularly in light of our tight budgetary 

constraints. We suggest that the authorization ceiling be 

amended to $11 million which is sufficient for any of the options 

under consideration. 

For American Memorial Park on Saipan, we will have an 

interpretive bulletin available for the commemoration. We are 

pleased the Commonwealth is now constructing and will have 

completed by June 1994 the new Pavilion which can be used for the 

commemorative events in 1994. 

American Memorial Park has a General Management Plan which calls 

for the Pavilion/stage, a Visitor center, and a museum. We also 

need to review the various options for a visitor center for this 

park. We suggest that the authorization ceiling be amended to 

$19 million which is sufficient for any of the options under 

consideration. We also note it would not be possible to complete 

construction by June, 1994. 

3 
15 

We note that, at this time the National Park Service i s 

struggling to maintain the safety and quality of existing park 

resources and infrastructure. Given these pressing needs, the 

projects proposed in H.R. 1944 have not been included in the 

service wide priority list, a nd therefore, the President's budget 

for 1994 does not contain fundinq for these projects. 

I thank you for the opportunity to testify and will be happy to 

answer your questions. 
16 

Mr. VENTO. We have a Journal vote on and I have to try to make 

that this morning. I did not hear the bells, but apparently they 

went off. So we will recess and I will be back momentarily and we 

will ask some questions. I am sorry about the interruptions. We 

will probably have more. 

[Recess.] 

Mr. VENTO. The Subcommittee will resume its sitting·. 

It is easy to get distracted on the Floor this morning. I want you 

all to know I did not slow down my walking. 

Mr. Galvin, I think that in looking at the testimony last evening 

what caught my attention is the amounts that were recommended 

which were obviously in excess of what has been sought by the author at $11 million for the War in the Pacific National Historical 

Park and $19 million for really the monument or American Memorial in Saipan. 

You talked about a range of plans which I expect are in the preliminary stages, if I interpreted correctly what you said. 

Do you have some sort of analysis that you could provide the 

committee which would demonstrate how we arrived at these figures, for the purpose of just a brief description this morning in 

some detail, and a description in writing to this Subcommittee at 

a later date? Not too late, I hope. 

Mr. GALVIN. Oh, no. We can provide the committee with a detailed breakdown of the facilities that would be constructed for the 

$11 million and $19 million. 

[EDITOR'S NOTE.-See appendix.] 

Just briefly though, the $11 million on Guam on War in the Pacific Park is principally the visitors center. It is an 8,000-squarefoot visitors center, parking lot, utilities, interpretative facilities 

both at Nimitz Hill and at other places, and at other sites in the 

park. 

On American Memorial Park, the figure comprises a series of developments including a visitors center and museum a.t the American Memorial Park site itself, but also interpretative panels, structures, and other things at other locations on the island. 

The principal element of cost is remoteness. We hired a private 

firm to confirm our estimates because these are what we call 

"Class C estimates." They are simply based on square-footage costs. 

Since we are not familiar with construction costs in the Pacific, 

we hired a private firm to verifY the estimates. An over 200 percent 

multiplier is in these costs because of remoteness. 

Mr. VENTO. Do these costs include displays and interpretative 

materials? 

Mr. GALVIN. Yes. In fact, indeed on American Memorial, there is 

a considerable amount of that, and also on Guam. 

I should say also, Mr. Chairman, with respect to the short-term 

developments that we mentioned in the testimony, we also have 

under design and include a considerable amount of interpretative 

material-interpretative panels, audio-visual programs,. et cetera. 

We have been discussing, both within the National Park Service 

and with Territories in the Department a reprogramming of funds 

that are currently available to both of us to accomplish those purposes so that they are either under construction or complete by the 

anniversary date. 
17 

Mr. VENTO. Yes. I must say that those numbers are going to get 

attention by, as you say, the remoteness. 

I think the concern I have is the tendency to include in visitors 

centers the interpretative materials and displays and other such 

costs, because I think, insofar as contributions and so forth are con- cerned, that in some instances you can obtain contributions. 

Now I understand that on some of these sites there is not a need 

for a structure, that the interpretative panels which the weather 

has built and so forth work very well to serve these needs, but it 

is important to look at that. 

I do not know whether we have always authorized all the interpretative materials in terms of the authorization for what we look 

at is the construction ceiling, but some of those costs may in the 

past have come from a variety of different sources. 

Is that not correct? 

Mr. GALVIN. That is correct. 

In fact, in terms of the modest developments that are in both 

places right now, they have been largely through rehabilitation 

costs, or interpretative funds available to the Harper's Ferry Center for operating purposes. 

For instance, the War in the Pacific brochure was done as part 

of our regular folder program. 

Mr. VENTO. The impression I get, especially in Saipan, is that 

you would get into parking facilities and restroom facilities, which 

are not presently at some of the sites in Saipan. 

Is that correct? 

Mr. GALVIN. That is correct. 

I should say that it is my understanding that the Government 

of the Northern Marianas is currently constructing what we call a 

Phase I of that development. The visitors center and the museum 

are in Phase II, and they are using Trust Fund money available 

to them from the funds set aside in the original legislation to do 

that. 

My understanding is those facilities are under construction now. 

Furthermore, they have a private firm under contract to design the 

visitors center and are paying for that design with their Trust 

Fund money. · 

Mr. VENTO. Well my colleague is pushing to have the visitors 

center site, if we can, up and running. 

In his bill I notice he has some six-month requirements and so 

forth, which you did not specifically speak to. You did generally 

speak to it and suggest that you could not get it done in time, but 

I want you to comment more directly abaut the six-month requirements in terms of if we could pass the bill expeditiously in the 

House and the Senate, what about the sort of requirements? 

I mean, obviously, Congressman Underwood is anticipating that 

it would be possible to in fact move forward more quickly than 

what your testimony indicates. 

Mr. GALVIN. Well, directly we cannot build these visitors centers 

in this amount of time. I mean, we could not have a visitors center 

built by the 1994 date specified in the bill. 

I should say where we are with this particular visitors center. 

We have done a schematic design, so there is really very little in 
18 

terms of information that would allow somebody to construct a 

building that is done at this time. 

So we would have to do a complete design cycle, and of course 

the construction award advertising, specifications, award, and normally that takes three years. 

Mr. VENTO. Do you have any type of requirements in terms of 

environmental assessment? 

Mr. GALVIN. Absolutely. 

Mr. VENTO. Has the site already been selected for these locations? 

Mr. GALVIN. The site has been selected, but we normally do compliance, environmental assessments in the preliminary design 

phase in year number one, and that is all on schedule. 

We do final design engineering drawings in year number two, 

and award and construct in year number three. That is the normal 

cycle. 

All of that remains to be done on these projects. We have a site 

selected. We haveMr. VENTO. For both projects? 

Mr. GALVIN. Yes. We have what I would call architectural 

sketches of the facility on Guam. As I mentioned, the facility on 

Saipan is under design. The CNMI has engaged a private firm on 

their own using trust fund money. 

Mr. VENTO. In terms of what you are telling me about, what 

could be expected at an event to mark the 50th Anniversary of the 

U.S. liberation of the people of Guam would be something of a 

ground-breaking at that particular point. That is about what could 

be done at that point. 

But there is no money requested in the budget this year specifically for this. You have been using your general planning monies 

for this. 

Is that correct? 

Mr. GALVIN. That is correct. 

Now as I say, we have been discussing within the Department 

the possibility of reprogramming funds-actually, unused land acquisition funds in our case-on Guam, and other funds that I am 

not sure what the source is from TIA to accomplish the beginnings 

of the development at Nimitz Hill, which would include a road, an 

interpretative trail, interpretative exhibits, and a 20-site parking 

area, that would be consistent with later development. 

That is, it would be the site where the visitors center ultimately 

will go. Mr. VENTO. Are you purchasing land there? 

Mr. GALVIN. We have in the past. 

Mr. VENTO. So you would continue to use some Land and Water 

Conservation funds for that purpose? 

Mr. GALVIN. Yes. Yes, that is right. And we would have to come 

back to Congress to get that reprogram in both instances. Territories would have to come back to Congress. Mr. VENTO. So we would have to visit with the Appropriations 

Committee about that particular one. 

Let me yield to my colleague for such questions as he may have. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
19 

In terms of looking at the 50th Anniversary, what is the Park 

Service's position in terms of the monument specifically related to 

identifying the Chamorro people? 

Mr. GALVIN. We are supportive of that. In fact, we were discussing that yesterday afternoon. That currently has not been included 

in our estimates of what this initial phase work would do. 

I asked yesterday afternoon to get an estimate on that to see if 

the funds that we propose to be reprogrammed would enable us to 

construct that. 

We are supportive of the monument, or monuments, and we believe that we could design them and at least begin their construction with this preliminary, or first phase of development. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Okay. So you are saying then that there is the 

possibility of using some of this reprogrammed money for this specific purpose--

Mr. GALVIN. Absolutely. Yes. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. In terms of building the monument? 

Mr. GALVIN. I am saying that. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Okay. 

Mr. GALVIN. But I do not know what the cost of the monument 

would be. So I am not sure whether the money we were 

reprogramming would be sufficient to construct it. 

I am trying to fmd that out as we speak. . Mr. UNDERWOOD. In terms of just the Nimitz Hill Overlook, do 

you have an estimate for the development of that area? 

Mr. GALVIN. The preliminary part, or the entire development? 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. The preliminary part--

Mr. GALVIN. Yes. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD [continuing]. Which would be done in time for 

the 50th. 

Mr. GALVIN. It would be under construction in time for the 50th, 

yes. Our estimate is about a half a million dollars for that. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. And have you given consideration to the idea 

of putting the visitors center up with the Nimitz Hill Overlook? 

Mr. GALVIN. Yes. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Do you see that it is compatible? 

Mr. GALVIN. Yes. In fact, this development that we are proposing, this initial phase, would be compatible with later construction 

of the visitors center. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. And is it not possible to build the visitors center over time in a kind of phase-in process, rather than--

Mr. GALVIN. Yes. Up to a point, that certainly is the case. I 

mean, we have done buildings where we have done the site work 

and utilities in one phase, and do the building in a later phase. That is possible. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. First off, you want to revise the estimates for 

the Park on Guam to be $11 million, and the estimate for the Park 

in Saipan to be $19 million? 

Mr. GALVIN. That is correct. Mr. UNDERWOOD. At the risk of sounding like we are competing 

with the CNMI, could you just briefly relate why the cost difference, in your estimation? 

Mr. GALVIN. Actually, if you would look at the General Management Plan for Guam, the total cost is higher than the figure I gave. 
20 

The figure I gave for War in the Pacific is the visitors center and 

development at Nimitz Hill. The total cost of development in the 

General Management Plan for Guam is around $25 million, I believe. 

So this development ceiling increase would allow us to build the 

development at Nimitz Hill and interpretative facilities at other 

places on the island. 

Major developments would have to come later. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Does your figure for the CNMI consider the $3 

million that has been identified for this particular Park in the 

House Appropriations process? 

Mr. GALVIN. I believe it does in that it would be an increase of 

that, yes. In other words, you would start with the $3 million that 

would be essentially included in the $18 million figure. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. In your testimony you indicated-and correct 

me if I am wrong-! believe that the words you used were that the 

visitors centers in Guam and Saipan did not have sufficient priority in the Park Service. 

Mr. GALVIN. That is correct. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Of course for us it has a major priority, and 

I am curious as to why it would not have sufficient priority. 

What we have here is the case of the 50th Anniversary coming 

up. This is basically the last opportunity for the participants in this 

event, both servicemen and civilian, to bring closure to this dimension of their lives and also at the same time bring honor to them 

and have the succeeding two generations bring some recognition to 

that. 

Although it does sound like a local event in that nature, I think 

it is an event of national significance. It certainly is going to be 

something that will draw increasing attention not just in Guam 

and the CNMI, but certainly throughout the Nation next year. 

It may not look that way now, but certainly what we are going 

to be treated with is a number of specials probably on television 

and in the national media, and I am concerned that the Park Service does not see these as projects of sufficient priority within the 

Service to attend to. 

Would you care to comment on that? 

Mr. GALVIN. Yes. We construct things off of a Service-Wide Priority List. Frankly, the Service -Wide Priority List is very biased 

against visitors centers in the sense that the criteria that drives 

the Service -Wide Priority List start with health and safety items, 

proceed through rehabilitation of existing facilities, to protection of 

resources, and you do not get down to construction of new facilities 

in new areas-which these areas would be classified aB-until you 

get to the fourth criterion. 

So as an example, in the first 100 service-wide priorities, there 

are only 8 visitors centers, and 6 of those are really associated with 

rehabilitation of existing facilities. 

As an example, we have asked for 2 visitors centers in this year's 

budget, one at Martin Luther King, and the other at Oconaluftee 

in the Great Smokies. 

Oconaluftee in the Great Smokies is essentially rehabilitating an 

existing building. So it is not that we do not recognize the importance of these facilities to this site, it is simply that our construe-
21 

tion needs are so weighed down by taking care of what we call the 

backlog that we seldom request new construction. 

In a $135 million budget request, we have essentially asked for 

a $5 million visitors center this year at Great Smokies. That sort 

of gives you an order of magnitude of where we are. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Well, of course this legislation has been attempted previously, and I understand it will also be introduced in 

the Senate. 

I personally think it is unfortunate that we have to in a sense 

help you establish those priorities through this route. But I feel 

very strongly on this issue, and I believe I represent the people of 

Guam's sentiments in that, exactly. 

Mr. GALVIN. I understand that. 

Mr. VENTO. Thank you. 

I am pleased to recognize the distinguished Chairman of the Insular Affairs Subcommittee of the Natural Resources Committee, 

and newly appointed this year again to the Subcommittee. He had 

a brief absence, which we have noted, but we are pleased to have 

him back, Congressman Ron de Lugo. 

Mr. DE LUGO. Well thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I 

missed the few months I was not on this committee, and it was unavoidable because of the new rules. With the demise of the N arcotics Task Force on which I was a member, that made it possible for 

me to rejoin my beloved Chairman with whom I have spent so 

many years, and who I admire greatly, and I am not being facetious. I really do. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Does he have seniority over me, then? [Laughter.] 

Mr. VENTO. If you want to give it to him, whether he has it or 

not. [Laughter.] 

STATEMENT OF HON. RON de LUGO 

Mr. DE LUGO. Well first of all I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding and scheduling this hearing on Congressman 

Underwood's legislation. I want to commend my very good friend, 

Robert Underwood, and colleague from Guam for introducing and 

pushing this legislation and getting these hearings here today that 

would commemorate the sacrifices of the U.S. Armed Forces in the 

Pacific during World War II, as well as-and this is so importantto honor the memory of the American Nationals of Guam who patriotically and courageously endured the violence and the suffering 

during the long Japanese occupation of Guam. 

Mr. Chairman, my subcommittee held hearings a few years ago 

on legislation that Senator George Bamba has worked on for a long 

time, and I want to welcome the Senator and a number of witnesses here who have come from Guam. 

Particularly I want to welcome Senator George Bamba who has 

been leading the fight for fair compensation for those who suffered 

or lost family members during the occupation of Guam. 

Senator Bamba and I have worked together on a number of issues affecting Guam before the subcommittee, which I had the 

honor of chairing. 

Also, Mr. Chairman, in making reference to the hearing that I 

had held before my committee in 1989, I am pleased to welcome 
22 

before your committee Mrs. Beatrice Perez Emsley, another witness 

from Guam. 

Now Mrs. Emsley appeared before my committee and she gave 

testimony in the summer of 1989. It was testimony that I will 

never forget as long as I live. 

We have a great debt that we owe the people of Guam. The people of Guam, the Chamorro people of Guam, were American Nationals at the time that the Japanese occupied Guam. The horrors 

that they endured, and their patriotism and their loyalty to the 

United States is historic. 

Mrs. Emsley was 13 years old at the time of that occupation. The 

occupation went on for 2V2 years. She told me before the committee, she told of how the Japanese soldiers had tried to behead her, 

and in fact the soldiers left her for dead assuming that they had 

beheaded her. 

Those hearings outlined the horrors that were inflicted. It was a 

reign of terror. There were rapes, beheadings, people were killed if 

they did not bow low. People were killed and tortured :if they were 

heard singing an American song. It was terrible. 

I am glad that fmally we are going to commend the memory of 

the Guamian people who risked their lives to protect American flyers who hid out in the caves there. They risked their lives bringing 

food to these American soldiers. 

It is a story that is little known by most Americans. 

To our witness from the Park Service, Mr. Galvin, have I been 

correctly informed that you support the listing of the names of the 

Chamorro people who went through this terrible ordeal and stood 

by our country? 

Mr. GALVIN. That is correct. We do support it; yes. 

Mr. DE LUGO. Because we have to remember that the Chamorro 

people today are American citizens. Back at that time, they were 

American Nationals. 

We had a great responsibility to these people, and they stuck by 

us. I think that it is rather shabby of our country that it has taken 

this long to finally get around to really create this War in the Pacific National Historical Park and put the monuments that we need 

there. So, Mr. Chairman, I have no questions of this witness. I understand that the Park Service supports Congressman Underwood's 

legislation. I commend them for that. 

And again I thank you for holding these hearings. 

Mr. VENTO. Thank you for your questions and your recalling the 

importance of this for the record for the subcommittee and for myself. 

I know when we visited that site with our beloved Chairman Mo 

Udall that Congressman de Lugo was leading the delegation because of his deep interest and commitment to the issues affecting 

the territories and areas like Guam. He does a great job on it. 

I recall specifically Congressman Udall of course had been on 

Tinnaman, and had served in this Theater, as had our former colleague Congressman Corman who is with us this morning. I wanted to point that out to Congressman de Lugo. 
23 

In any case, we have a few technical questions that I wanted to 

just recount. Most of the work here, Mr. Galvin, is done by the 

Denver Service Office. 

What is the arrangement in terms of some of the process for design and so forth that would take place in these two parks? 

Mr. GALVIN. Well on Guam we have done the work thus far. We 

would probably hire a private firm to do further design work there. 

As I mentioned, the CNMI has already hired a private firm to 

do design work. 

Mr. VENTO. So that is sort of a cooperative venture with CNMI? 

Mr. GALVIN. That is right. And they are using trust fund monies 

to do that. 

Mr. VENTO. Yes. I think there are some growing concerns regarding the accounting and other procedures in terms of some of those 

funds. So, unfortunately, even though this is unrelated to other 

problems, because they have used Trust Fund monies, and because 

there is a probability in the future that they will, there are other 

issues there that must be resolved before we act on that in the 

committee. 

I think we will want to work with the Chairman on that, as I 

wanted to get Congressman de Lugo's attention on this matter with 

regard to the controversy surrounding the use of Trust Fund 

money in CNMI. That issue is going to have to be resolved before 

we finally act on this in the Full Committee, and I want to do it 

in consultation with you. 

The Chairman has indicated an interest in this matter, as has 

certainly Congressman Underwood. I want to state that in the 

record. I think in terms of trying to make a down payment on this issue 

in terms of legislation this year, that we should make a concerted 

effort in terms of reprogramming. I want to join with you, Bob, and 

I am certain we can enlist some other support, along with Congressman de Lugo, to get some reprogramming money so that we 

can begin to make an appropriate commitment to the efforts at 

least on Guam, since it is not associated with the other issue of the 

expenditure of Trust Fund monies by the CNMI. 

Hopefully we can iron that out and the Park Service can go forward with this cooperative role with CNMI. 

I was especially struck by the U.S. absence, or sort of vacuum, 

that had occurred on CNMI when we visited those sites. 

In addition to that, I am interested from the standpoint of when 

we do in fact procure services from architects and other construction firms that we use a competitive bid system here. 

There are special limitations and problems. I guess you have articulated some of them, Mr. Galvin, but are there others that you 

would like to speak to with regard to bids and so forth? 

I notice you mentioned that you used some Seabees to in fact accomplish some of the work? 

Mr. GALVIN. Yes. That is, and again I am not clear as to whether 

or not U.S. Navy Seabees have been used on Guam, but they have 

been used on Saipan and in fact are being used to accomplish some 

of the work on Guam. There are a couple of ways that this could be accomplished. We 

could take it through design and give it to somebody else to con-
24 

struct-in other words, give it to the Government on Guam or the 

Government on Saipan-or we could do the whole thing. 

If we do it, to procure the professional firms we use the Brooks 

bill approach, which is a negotiated procurement based on the 

quality of the firm's proffer. But on construction we almost always 

use bid and award, which is essentially opening sealed bids and 

taking the low bid. 

Mr. VENTO. But given the universe that there are not as many 

construction firms, you may be practically just dealing with one or 

two construction firms? 

So what you are suggesting is that you may do a negotiated 

agreement? 

Mr. GALVIN. If the conditions warrant, there are other methods 

of contracting. 

Mr. VENTO. We seldom ask questions like this at a hearing, but 

this is an unusual circumstance and there are unusual costs involved here. 

I think it is important that we begin to understand what the dimensions are. I have tried to elaborate on that through my questioning initially of you. 

The other point here is that very often some of these sites at 

least are considered memorials. 

Has there been private or nonprofit participation in the funding 

of any of these memorials so far that are on the Park Service sites 

in the War in the Pacific Park on Guam? 

Mr. GALVIN. I am not certain, Mr. Chairman. 

I think there has been some private activity on some of the sites 

adjacent to Park Service-owned land on Guam, but I simply do not 

know whether there has been any private funding involved. 

Mr. VENTO. Does the General Management Plan for either of 

these to anticipate such private involvement in terms of enhancement or a supplemental funding for the programs? 

Mr. GALVIN. No. 

Mr. VENTO. It does not? 

Mr. GALVIN. No. Neither of them do. 

Mr. VENTO. Do you know the basis for that, that it has not been 

the case? 

Often when we talk about memorials or monuments, and especially when we are talking about multiple ones in this case, it 

might be prudent to have that as an aspect. 

Mr. GALVIN. Yes, that could be. I see the direction of your questioning, particularly with respect to the aspect of the memorial itself. 

Frequently, and obviously especially here, most of the memorials 

are being constructed with private donations. The costs I was indicating in my response in the General Management Plan are largely 

development costs-the costs of the roads and trails, buildings, et 

cetera. 

Mr. VENTO. Well, one of the dilemmas, in listening: to your response to Congressman Underwood, is the issue of building this in 

phases because you have to decide the size; then you have to get 

the proper water and electrical connections; you have a myriad of 

things that that first phase really sets the pattern in tElrms of what 

happens thereafter. 
25 

I do not know how to phase it, but certainly you have to design 

the size, the capacity, and other essential utility connections and 

so forth that take place. 

Mr. GALVIN. Yes. And once you get into the building, I think in 

terms of the overall development at these two sites there is a considerable amount of phasing that can be done in terms of this rather low-level interpretative development and interpretative sites and 

that sort of thing. 

But once you get into the building, you really are probably stuck 

with doing it either in one phase or in two phases using parking 

and utilities site work in the first phase, and then constructing the 

balance of the building in the second phase. 

Mr. VENTO. I want to make it clear that we do not undervalue 

or depreciate in any way the type of contribution and/or the national significance, and really the international significance, of 

these sites and the events that occurred in the 1940s in the Western Pacific. 

I think these are just tough questions that we are going to have 

to answer in 1993 and 1994 as we try to wrestle with the budgets. 

We want to do as good a job as we can, and we want to rely on 

where we think we might be able to obtain some of the participation by nonprofit veterans organizations and others that really 

have a deep interest and commitment and could probably supplement the funds. 

I realize the backbone of this particular program ought to be the 

Park Service. It ought to be controlled by the Park Service. I think 

that the Park Service ought to do its job and ought to have the opportunity to carry out the mission through the authorities that 

exist. 

I would be very concerned about CNMI as to what the Park Service role would be once we get done in terms of drafting that particular agreement. 

To this day, do you have an agreement actually as to what specifically you are going to do in those instances in CNMI? 

Mr. GALVIN. No. 

Mr. VENTO. Well, I think that is another key here in terms of 

trying to move ahead expeditiously with this. 

Notwithstanding the issues and questions over the CNMI monies 

is the fact that we do not have such a solid and tangible agreement. It is one thing to get the people to uphold it, but if you do 

not, then we are wandering forth authorizing money and assuming 

good faith with a backlog of questions and problems that have arisen. 

So I think it is essential that we resolve that. I will be, as I said, 

working with the principal sponsors and the others interested-the 

chairman and subcommittee chairmen from our sister subcommittee. 

Are there further questions of Mr. Galvin at this time? Or of me? 

[No response.] 

Mr. VENTO Well, I thank you very much, Mr. Galvin--

Mr. GALVIN. Thank you. 

Mr. VENTO [continuing]. For your efforts. This is a difficult topic, 

and we look forward to the written responses to the detailed estimates that you have prepared to date, or your staff. 
26 

Mr. GALVIN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. VENTO. We are very pleased to welcome the first panel of 

Senator George Bamba of the 22nd Guam Legislature, the 22nd 

District I assume? Or is it the 22nd Guam Legislature? 

And finally-oh, and at large. So he represents the whole Island. 

Well, sometimes people suggest we only represent Minnesota, but 

some of the things I do even affect people outside of Minnesota. 

[Laughter.] 

PANEL CONSISTING OF HON. J. GEORGE BAMBA, SENATOR, 

22D GUAM LEGISLATURE; AND MICHAEL CRUZ, ACTING DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF PLANNING, ON BEHALF OF HON. JOSEPH F. ADA, GOVERNO~ OF GUAM 

Mr. BAMBA. Well, actually on Guam I think even some of the 

people claim that I do not represent them. 

Mr. VENTO. Well that is always a problem. 

You also have with you Mr. Michael Cruz from the office of Governor Joseph Ada. 

Am I pronouncing the Governor's name correctly? 

"Add-a." Pardon me. 

Senator Bamba, please proceed with your statement. It has been 

made a part of the record by previous request. 

Mr. BAMBA. Okay. I have a detailed testimony which has been 

submitted to the committee. 

Mr. VENTO. And it is a part of the record, so you can summarize, 

or read the portions that you choose to read. 

STATEMENT OF HON. J. GEORGE BAMBA 

Mr. BAMBA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. Chairman, my name is George Bamba. I am a member of the 

22nd Guam Legislature. 

I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to comment 

on H.R. 1944. I have provided the committee with detailed testimony, and in the interests of time, I would like to briefly summarize my written statement. 

In 1978 Congress recognized the importance of the Guam Campaign by enacting Public Law 95-348 creating the War in the Pacific Park. This Act authorized $16 million for land acquisition, and 

$500,000 for development. 

In the 15 years between 1978 and the present, little progress has 

been made to complete the Park. Out of the $3 million actually appropriated for land acquisition, approximately $2.5 million was 

used to acquire less than 40 percent of the private holdings within 

the Park. 

As of May 1992, there was a balance of approximately $500,000 

unexpended in the land acquisitions' fund. 

In 1983, the National Park Service submitted its General Management Plan to congressional committees. That plan recommended increasing the authorization for development. However, 

no action resulted. 

Last month, Congressman Underwood introduced H.R. 1944 

which seems to authorize a monument listing the names of the 

Guamians who suffered atrocities at the hands of the enemy. 
27 

In addition, the Secretary is authorized to incorporate exhibits 

interpreting the Guamian war experience. 

Mr. Chairman, incorporating a monument and interpretative exhibits in War in the Pacific Park is entirely consistent with the intent of U.S. Public Law 95-348. 

Section 6[a] states: 

In order to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of those participating in the 

campaigns of the Pacific Theater of World War II, and to conserve and interpret 

natural, scenic, and historic values and objects on the Island of Guam for the benefit 

and enjoyment of present and future generations, the War in the Pacific National 

Park is hereby established. 

Inclusion of a monument and interpretative exhibits is likewise 

consistent with the NPS 1983 General Management Plan. The Plan 

itself notes the need for additional data on oral history that will 

add to the general historical knowledge involving citizens of Guam 

who remember the war and its dramatic impact on the Ohamorros. 

And in the Guam situation, the bravery and sacrifice of the 

Guamians represents the bravery and sacrifice of all Pacific Theater Islanders as they interacted with those who fought on and occupied their islands in a war not of their making. 

With respect to the monument, I am aware that there is an unwritten policy against using federal funds for this purpose. However, I do not believe this is valid for the present instance. 

First, Title 8 of U.S. Public Law 95-625 mandates a memorial 

to the late Congressman William M. Ketchum be placed within the 

Park's boundaries. Second, federal funds were appropriated to the American Battlefield Monuments Commission for the design of a monument honoring fallen American service personnel in Guam. My office was informed that a design was in fact completed. However, the commission was advised that further funding would be made available 

from the Department of the Interior in the context of the War in 

the Pacific Park. Third, the NPS Plan was to specify "At the tip of Asan Point, it 

is also proposed to provide a simple, dignified memorial for all Pacific World War II dead." This will not be a separate structure but 

accomplished within the context of the interpretation proposed at 

the same location. 

Furthermore, I respectfully call to the committee's attention the 

fact that exceptions to this unwritten policy have occurred on numerous occasions. In 1987, Public Law 100-71 authorized $150,000 

for a memorial on Guadacanal. 

Senate Report 100-48 notes in part: "As the site of one of the 

turning points in the Pacific Campaign during World War II, it is 

important that the United States follow the lead of our Japanese 

allies and honor our countrymen." Again, Public Law 99-572 authorized the appropriation of $1 million for site preparation, design 

plan construction, and associated administrative costs for the establishment of a Korean War Memorial. 

While the Department of the Interior opposed this legislation, 

Senate Report 99-459 reflects a letter written by Deputy Assistant 

Secretary P. Daniel Smith on November 7, 1985. That letter states 

in part: "The issue remains as to if the memorial should be erected 

with appropriated funds. There is precedent for both approaches. 
28 

The Gen. John J. Pershing memorial was erected by the American 

Battle Monuments Commission pursuant to the Act of November 7, 

1966. The Vietnam Veterans and United States Navy Memorials 

are both authorized by Congress in 1980 and were authorized to be 

erected in private organizations." Perhaps the most compelling reason for incorporating monuments and interpretative programs can 

be found in the perception of the Park by the primary population 

it serves, the people of Guam. 

Mr. Chairman, during national celebrations commemorating the 

50th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Guam was virtually ignored, although it too was attacked on the same day. 

Some years ago, the Park was even closed to local residents on 

weekends. Nevertheless, affection for and dedication to the Park remains high in Guam. 

Disillusionment is due in large measure to the lack of progress 

being made to acquire the private landholdings within the Park. However, I fully agree with Congressman Underwood and Senator Daniel Akaka that the land acquisition question is a separate 

one from the bill before this committee. 

Finally, Mr. Chairman, I wish to touch briefly on the question of 

funding. In the event H.R. 1944 is enacted, it will be necessary to 

appropriate the funds which have been authorized. 

While I fully support Congressman Underwood's efforts to lobby 

the Appropriations Committee, it is unlikely that money will be 

made available in time for the 1994 50th Anniversary. This is so 

in part because the President's budget proposal does' not include 

funding for the War in the Pacific Park in fiscal year 1994. 

Therefore, the potential exists that the Administration would oppose such legislation. Nevertheless, there is approximately 

$500,000 in previously appropriated money which could be reprogrammed for this purpose. 

I am referring to the balance of the $3 million for land acquisition which has not been spent and is sitting in a fund gathering 

dust. 

At the time the money was appropriated, land on Guam was relatively cheap. Today, the $500,000 cannot be spent because land 

values have more than quadrupled. Since this does not represent new money, reprogramming it for 

Park development-and specifically the monument authorized in 

H.R. 1944-would be revenue-neutral and could be used to construct the monument in time for the 1994 anniversary. 

It is my personal belief that, should this occur, it would indirectly expedite a resolution to the land issue by highlighting the 

Park and its relationship to the local community. Last year, House Insular Affairs Chairman Ron de Lugo, the cosponsor of H.R. 1944, wrote Secretary of the Interior Manual Lujan 

on July 7: 

In view of this situation, you may want to initially concentrate on developing facilities. A first step might be to seek authority to reprogram the approximately $500,000 of unused acquisition funds for the Guam Park for development purposes. 

Noting the request for a monument by the Governor and myself, 

Chairman de Lugo added: "The $500,000, which you may want to 

reprogram, could be used for these purposes." Before closing I wish 

to point out that development of the Park has been urged by the 
29 

3.5 million member National Military Coalition. Including a monument has been specifically endorsed by the American Legion and 

Third Marine Division Association, Guam chapters. 

American Legion Guam Post 53 Commander Paul Koss was to 

write me in February 18, 1992: 

It is these, the living, who benefit most by a monument commemorating 

Guamians who suffered during the Occupation. For Guamians of all ages, the monu- ment to memories would be not only historical preservation, but act as a sanctified 

place to put spirits to rest. 

Without these rights, there is no closure. The wound remains 

open. The pain persists. Names to see and touch become life's most 

special acknowledgement. 

A credit line of supportive players in often tragic and still splendidly special historic happenings. 

Mr. Chairman, I want to really reiterate my support for the H.R. 

1944 and respectfully request the committee to consider either an 

amendment authorizing a reprogram, or some other means by 

which we can make use of these funds in time for the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of Guam. 

On behalf of myself and the thousands of our people who have 

yet to be recognized for their loyalty to the United States during 

the Second World War, I urge this committee to support H.R. 1944 

and commend the Honorable Robert Underwood for introducing it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

[Prepared statement of Senator Bamba follows:] 
30 

~ 'V 

wwrnty-@lrrnnll ~uam 14rgtalaturr 

155 ~rslrr &trrrl 

1\gunu, ~uum 11.&.1\. 9li910 

GEORGE BAMBA SENATOR 

Th~ Honorable Bruce F. Vento 

Chairman, Subcommittee on National Parks 

814 OHOB 

Washington, D.C. 20515 

May 19, 1993 

Re: Testimony in support of H.R. 1944 

Dear Mr. Chairman: 

TELEPHONES· 

(671)472-3432/33 

FAX NO. 

(671) 477-8648 

Thank you for giving ~e this opportunity ~o comment on H.l~. 1944. 

If enacted, it \Vould increase the authorized amount for devE~lopment 

of the War in the Pacific Park from $500,IJOO to $8 millio11. As a 

member of the 22nd Guam Legislature, I st~ongly support H.R. 1944 

and commend the Honorable Robert Underwood for introducj_ng this 

urgent legislation. 

Hr. Chairman, Guam was the only American territory (outsid2 of the 

Philippines) acutally occupied by the enemy during World War II. 

It was also the first U.S. soil liberated in 1944. Durinq nearly 

two-and-a-half years of enemy occupation, Guamanians (who were U.S. 

nationals but not citizens) endured savage treatment. Thousands of 

my people suffered death, personal injury, forced labor, forced 

marches and internment in concentration camps. Thousands of brave 

American service personnel made the ultimate sacrifice to _liberate 

the island. So bitter was the fighting o~ Guam that no l~~ss than 

three Congressional Medals of lienor were awarded for heroi;m under 

fire. 

In 1978, Congress recognized the importanc'2 of the Guam campaign by 

enacting P.L. 95-348, creating the War in the Pacific Park. This 

Act Authorized $16 million for land acquisition and $500.000 for 

development. In the fifteen years between 1978 and the presen~, 

little progress has been made to co~plete the Out of the $3 

million actually for land appro:-:::imately 

$2.5 million was 40% of the private 

holdings within the As of May 1992, there was a balance of 

approximately $500,000 unexpended in the Lands Acquisitio:1 Fun~. 

In 1983, the National Park Service (NPS) submitted its General 

Management Plan to congressional committees. That plan recommended 

increasing the authorization for development. However, no action 

resulted. H.R. 1944 remedies this by increasing the authorization 

for development to $8 million. 
31 

SEN. GEORGE BAMBA: TESTI MO NY H.R. 1944 

Mr. Ch airma n , ove r a year and a hal f ago, the Honorable Joseph Ada , 

Governor of Guam, wrote Senate Energy Committee Cha i rman J. Bennett 

J ohnston a letter dated November 4, 1992 (Exh ibit '' A'') wh i c h stated 

i n part : 

"Mr Chairman , there is strong senti ment in Guam for 

completing the War i n the Pac ific National Park ... In 

light of the attention to b e focuse d on the entire 

Pacific campaign i n the days and months ahead 1 I have , 

togethe r with Senator George Bamba of the 21st Guam 

Legislature, developed a proposed amend me nt which would 

authori ze t wo monuments l i sting the names o f Ame r ican 

servicemen killed in action, as well as t he names of 

Guamanians Hho suffered as a result o f the war . 

Second l y, the proposed amendment would spec ifi cally 

a uthorize the interpretive p rograns of Guaman ians • war 

expe rience . . . increase the author ized amount for park 

deve lopment based o n the 198 3 general management plan ; 

a nd \,;ould require the Nationa l Park Service t o submit a 

report to Congress upda ting cost estimates and plans for 

the pa r k . 11 

On February 18, 1992, the Third Ma rine Division Association , Guam 

Chapter, endorsed this i nitiative (Exhibit 11 8 11 ). The Th ird Marine 

Div ision was one of the units which played a ma j or role in the 

liberation of Guam. Likewise, Ame rican Legion Guam Post 53 

endorsed the proposed development of the Park (Exhibit 11 C") . On 

February 18 , 1992, Post Comma nder Paul Cess was to Hrite: 

'' I t is these, the living, who benefit most by a monument 

commemo r ating Guamani ans \Vho suffered during the 

occupation . .. For Guama nians of a l l ages, a monument 

to memor i es \VOU l d be no t only historica l preservation, 

but a ct as a sanctified p l ace to put spirits to rest . . . 

Withou t these rites, there is no closure -- the wound 

remains open, the pai n persists . . . Names t o see a nd 

touch, become life ' s most special acknowledgeme nt -- a 

credit line of supportive players in often tragic, a nd 

still splendidly spec ial historic happe nings . . . '' 

Last month, Cong r essman Underv!Ood introduced H. R . 194 4 which seeks 

to a u thori ze a monument l ist ing t h e n ames of Guamanians who 

suffered atroc ities at the h ands of the e n emy . I n addition, t he Secretary is au thori zed to incorpora t e exhibit s interp r eting the 

Guamanian war experience. Mr. Chair man, incorpora ting a monument 

and interpretive exhib its in to the War in t h e Pac ifi c Park is 

entirely con s istent wi th the i ntent of U. S. P.L . 95-348. Sec . 6 (a) 

states : 
32 

SEN. GEORGE SAMBA : TESTIMONY H. R. 1944 

" In order t o commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of 

those p a r t icipating in the campaigns of the Pacific 

theater of World War II and to conserve and interpret 

outstand i ng natural, scenic and historic values and 

objects on the isla nd of Guam for the benefit and 

enjoyme nt of present a nd futur e generations, t h e War in 

the Pac i fic National Historical Park . is hereby 

established. " 

Inclusion of a monument a nd interpretive exhibits is lik ewise 

consistent with the NPS 198 3 Gener a l Manageme nt Plan . 

The Plan itself notes the need for 11 Additional data on oral histor y 

that will add to genera l historical k nov1ledg e 11 invo l ving 11 citiz ens 

of Guam who remember the war and its dranatic impact on the 

Chamorros {Guama n ians] ... can he l p the managers and planners in 

restoring the historical scene . 11 

And "In the Gu am situation , the bravery and s acrifice of the 

Guamanians represents the b ravery and sacrifice of all Pacific 

Theat e r Islanders as they i nteracted with t h o se who foug ht o n and 

occupied t he i r islands in a war not of their making.'' 

With respects to the monument, am avJare that the r e i!:; an 

unwritten pol icy against usi ng federal funds f or this purpose . 

However, I do not believe this is val id in the present instance . 

First, Title VIII of U. S. Public Lal·l 95 - 625 (92 Stat. 3534) 

mandates a memorial to the l ate CongressT:'Ian \'Jil l iam M. Ketchum b e 

pl aced within the Park's boundaries 

Secondly , feder al funds ~o:ere appropriated to t he Amer ican 

Battlefield Monuments Commission for the d (:!sign o f a monume nt 

honoring fa llen American serv i c e personnel in Guam. My office was 

informed tha t a design was i n fact comp leted -- however, the 

Commission was advised that fu r ther funding would be made available 

from the Department of the I nterior in the context of t he War in 

the Paci[ic Park . 

Thirdly, the NPS Plan was to specify: 

"At t he tip of Asan Poi nt, it is also proposed t o provide 

a s i mp le, d ignified memo rial for all Pacific Wor ld War II 

dead. Th is will not be a separate structure but 

accompl i shed with i n the context of the interpretation 

p roposed at this same locat ion." 

Furthermore , I res pectful ly ca l l to t he Committee's attention the 

fact that exceptions t o this "um·Jritten pol icy" have occurred on 
33 

SEN. GEORGE BAMBA : TESTHIONY H. R. 194 4 

numerous occasions. I n 1987 , P.L. 100 - 71 (101 St at. 411) 

authorized $150,000 for a memorial on Guada l canal . Sena t e Report 

10 0 - 48 notes in part : 

''As the sit e of one of the turning points i n the Pacific 

campaign during World War I I ... it is important that 

the United States follow the lead of our Japanese allies 

and honor our countrymen. " 

Again , P .L. 99 - 572 (100 Stat. 3226) authorized t he appropria tion of 

$1 million for site preparation, design, planning , construction and 

associated admin i strative costs for t he establi shment of a Kor ean 

War Memorial . While t he Department of the I nterior opposed this 

l egislation, Senate Report 99 - 459 reflects a letter written by 

Deputy Assistant Secretary P . Daniel Smith on November 7, 1985 . 

Tha t lett er stat es in part : 

nTh e issue remains as to if t he memo ri al shou ld be 

e r ected . . with appropri ated f unds . . Th ere is 

precedent for both approaches . The Genera l Joh n J. 

Pershing Memor ial was erected by the America n Battl e 

Monuments Commission pursu a nt to the Ac t of November 7, 

1966. The Vietnam Ve t erans a nd Un i ted States Navy 

Memori.a l s , both authorized by Co ngress in 1980, we re 

authorized to be erected by private organizations .•• 

(emphasi s added) 

Perhaps the most compe l l ing r eason for incorporating monuments a nd 

interpreti ve programs can be fou nd in the perception of the Park by 

t he primary popu la tion it serves: the people of Guam . 

Mr . Chairman, during national celebrations commemorating the 50th 

anniversary of the Pearl Harbor , Guam was virtually ignored --

although i t too was attacked on the s ame day. Some years ago , the 

Park was even closed to local resi dents on week e nds. Neve rthe less, 

affection for a nd dedi ca t ion to the Park r ema ins high in Guam . 

This is no t on ly attested to by the encl osed , but by loca l me dia 

editorials a nd the constant st ream o f resident s who continue to 

express their support for the Park. Disillusionment is due in 

large measure to th e lack of progress being made t o acquire the 

p rivate l a nd holdings wit h in the Pa r k . However, I f ul ly agree with 

Cong r essmen Undenvood a nd Sena tor Daniel Akak.a that the l a nd 

acquisition quest i on is a separate one from t h e bill befor e t his Committee. 

Finally, Mr. Chairman, I wis h to touch b ri ef l y on the q uest ions of 

fu nd ing . I n t he even t H. R. 1944 is enacted, it wil l s till be 
34 

SEN. GEORGE BAMBA: TESTIMONY H.R. 1944 

necessary to appropriate the fund s which have been authorized . 

While I fully support Congressman Underwood 1 s eff orts to lobby t h e 

Appropriations Committee, it is unlikely t:hat money will :oe made 

available in t ime for the 1994 fiftieth an niversary. This is so in 

part be caus e the President • s budg et proposal did not include: War in 

the Pacific Park f unding in FY 94 . Th erefore, the potential exists 

that the Adm in istration would oppose s uc h l e gisl ati on. 

Neve rtheless, there is approx imately $500 , 000 in pre·viously 

appropriated mon ey which cou ld be reprogrammed for this p·Jrpose. 

I am referring to the balance of the $3 million for land 

a cquisition which h as not been spent and is sitting in a Fu nd 

gatheri ng dust . At the time t he money was appropriated, land on 

Guam was relatively cheap. Today, the $500,000 cannot b1! spent 

because land values have more than quadrupled. Since this does not 

r epresent 11 new money , 11 reprogramming it for park developnent --

specifically the mo nument authorized in H.R. 1944 -- WCIUld be 

revenue neutra l and could be used to construct the monument i n time 

for the 199 4 ann iversary. I t i s my personal bel ief that should 

th is occur, it would indirec tly expedite a resolution to the l a nd 

issue by high lighting the Pa r k and its relations hip to the loca l 

community. 

Last year, House Insu lar Affairs Chairman Ron de Luge (a cosponsor 

of H. R . 1944) wrote Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan r)n July 

7th (Exhibit " D"): 

''In view of this situa t ion, you may wan t to initially 

concentra te on developing facil ities . . A first step 

might b e t o seek authority to r eprograrr the approx i mate :Ly 

$500,00 0 o f unused acq u isition funds for the Guam pal~k 

for deve l opment purposes.•• 

Noting the request for a mo nument by the Governor and myself, 

Chairman de Luge added, "The $500, 000 V.'hich you may want to 

reprogr am could be use d for these purposes. 11 

In conclu sion, I want t o r e ite r ate my s upport for H.R . 1944 and 

respectfully r equest the Comm ittee t o consider either an amendment 

authorizing a r eprogram - - or some oth e r means b y wh ich we ca.n make 

use of thes e f unds in time f or the fiftieth ann iversary of the 

liberat ion of Guam. 
35 

SEN. GEORGE BAMBA: TESTIMONY H. R. 1944 

On behalf of myself and t h e thousands o f my people who h ave ye t to 

be recognized for their loya lty to the United States during t he 

Se cond World Wa r , I urge this Committee to support H. R. 1 944. I 

also reque st that my t estimony and its attached exhibits be mad e 

part of the record . 

Sincere ly, ! . r " j_ . ;-. ft-~1- ( l· GEORGE BAMBA -senator, 22nd Guam Legisl a ture 
36 

EXHIBIT "A" 
37 

,_,-,,u1o•~ of' fj,,1111 

1-,.u"lou~, t'J1u1m 

VFFICEl )f n.E \ A.I\.'ERN\)fl. 

l'ASINAX I M . .-,.,;A'l.'•HI 

ANA. V LAM \ltl'll,' L:.':( " 

The Honorable J. Bennett Johnston 

Chairman 

Cornrnitee on Energy and Natural Resources 

SH-136 Hart Senate Office Building 

Washington, D.C. 20510-1802 

Dear "r. Chairman: 

The 50th anniversary of American involvement in World War II 

is fast approaching. While national attention will, quite 

properly, be focused on Pearl Harbor, I believe that the 

sacrifices exp•rienced on Guam and Gua~anians alike are 

equally worthy of commemoration. 

Guam was the only U.S. territory actually seized and occupied 

by the enerny (outside of the Philippines) during World war 

II. Hopelessly outnumbered by the invading ene~y, the tin y 

island garrison was forced to surrender on December 10, 

1941. During the battle, 14 Arnericans were k·illed in action 

- while five out of six servi ceMent (who had escaped enemy 

detection) were hunted down and executed between 1942 and 

1944. Another 2,124 11e~bers of the u.s. armed forces lost 

the i r l i ves liberating Gua~ between July 21 and August 10, 

1944. So bitter was the fighting that no less than three 

Congressional "edals of Honor were awarded in Guam for 

heroism under fire. At the same the, thousands of loyal 

Guamanians suffered death, personal injury, forced labor, 

forced marches and internment during nearly two-and-a-half 

years of enemy occupation. 

"r. Chairman, the iMportant role Guam played in the Pacific 

campaign was recognized by Congress (and your good committee) 

thr o ugh enactment of Public Law 95-348 on August 18, 1978. 

Th is Law established the creat i on of the War i n the Pacific 

National Park. A total of $16 million was author i zed for 

land acquisition and $500,000 for developrunt. In 1983, the 

Nat i onal Park Service, pursuant to Public Law 95-348, 

transmitted its general management plan to congressional 

com~ittees. The plan recoMmended increasing authorized 

develop~ent funds based on cost estimates using 1981 dollars. 

~~ ~ ... 'V 

Commonwealth Now! 
38 

The ~onorable J, Bennett Johnston 

Page Two 

l'lr. Chairman, there is strong sentiment in Guam for 

completing the War in the Pacific Nat i onal Park, which was 

authorized more than thirteen years ago. In Light of the 

attention to be focused on the entire Pacific campaign in the 

days and months ahead, I have, together with Senator· George 

Samba of the 21st Guam Legislature, developed a proposed 

amendment which would authorize two monuments Listing the names of American servicemen killed in action, as well as the 

names of Guamanians who suffered as a result of the war. Secondly, the proposed amendment would specifically authorize 

interpretive programs of Guamanians' war experience within 

the Park; increase the authorized amount for park development 

based on the 1983 general runagement plan; and would require 

the National Park Service to submit a report to Congress 

updating cost estimates and plans for the Park. 

We have contacted our Congressman, the Honorable Ben G. Blaz, 

who will be working on the House of Representatives side to 

resolve this issue. Congressman Blaz Is a strong supporter 

of our War in the Pacific Park. 

On behalf of the people of Guarrr, who wish to honor those 

brave men and women <Guamanians and Americans alike) who 

actions make it possible for us to live in freedom today, I 

respectfully request introduction and passage of the enclosed 

amendment in the Senate at the earliest practical date. 

Thank you and Si Yu'os l'la'ase. 
39 

EXHIBIT "B" 
40 

-··/Thi,d Madne Division Association, Inc.~~~ • Bougainville · Guam · lwo Jima · Vietnam 

'"::.··· .• r:;,.. 

Senator George Bamba 

Twenty-First Guam Legislature 

155 Hesler Street 

Agana, Guam 96910 

Dear senator Bamba: 

February 18, 1992 

Thank you for your letter of January 23, 1992 in reference to legislation on the War in the Pacific Park. 

The 3d Marine Division was one of the units that p layed a major role in the Liberation of Guam on July 21, 1944 ~hen the Division landed on Guam at Asan Beach, exactly in the area where 

the War in the Pacific Park is now located . 

As United States Veterans living on Guam, it is our feeling 

and desire that the United States Government establish the War in the Pacific Park that is suitable and in commensurate with the 

major role that Guam played during World War II. Guam was the only 

U.s. Terri tory that was invaded and occupied by the enemy--the 

Japanese. 

At a meeting of the Guam Chapter, 3d Marine Division Association on February 16 , 1992, the members unanimously endorsed 

your proposed amendment to Public Law 95-348 (92 STAT. 492: 16 u.s.c. 140dd) . 

GUAM CHAPTER 

P.O. Box 7012 

Tamuning, Guam 96931 
41 

EXHIBIT "C" 
42 

AMERICAN LEGION GUAM POST 53 

P.O. Box 23616 

GKF, Guam 96921 

February 18, 1992 

Sena-tor J. George Bamba 

Twenty~First Guam Legislature 

155 He sler Street 

Agana, Guam 96910 

Dear Senator· Bamba: 

As Commmander of American Legion Post 53, I am particularly pleased for 

your invitation t o address the status of War in the Pacific Park. As 

spokesperson for Post 53, the following is the consensus o:f members. 

Since 1978, many Post veterans have held high hopes that the philosophical intent of the Park would become visitable, vi~ible reality. Mr. 

T. Stell Newman, the Park's first director, was held in high regard for 

the energy and integrity of his efforts. Yet even prior to his untimely 

death, implementation of the Park's purposes appeared stall!mated presumably because of economics. While procuring private lands at a fair 

market va lue was an apparent problem, many became of the bt!lief that 

Guam's great distance could have mitigated the Park's relevance; while 

the United States Congress enacted Public Law 95-348 to establish a 

National Park reflective of the entire Pacific Campaign, Guam's remoteness t o the contiguous states tends to remove the region from national 

focus. For instance, it could have been argued that the population the 

War in the Pacific Park would serve would not substantiate nor justify 

the appropriations necessary to create the Parlr. in its tote.! design. 

While this concern may have never been brought up, we bring it up here 

as an attitudinal possibility; it can't be discounted as a factor in 

the need for immediacy. If one were to draw a comparison between Get tysburg National Military Park, for example, the t otal yearly visita tion to 

The War in the Pacific Park, as projected, could suffer. Eut the War 

in the Pacific Park begs commemoration where it occurred--just as does 

Gettysburg. 

And the war in the pacific has very great relevance to the island of 

Guam itself, the only U.S. soil occupied by the enemy, and the firs t to 

be liberated by U.S. forces. The emotionalism, the patriotism in Guamanians, remains as intense today as it was during World War II. 

It is these, the living, who would benefit most by a monument commemorating Guamanians who suffered during the occupation. The affect upon 

the local population would be pe rsona lly profound, and bestow upon them 

a sense of peace, release, and pride. 

None of us are immune to the need for tangible tokens, that which has 

form and substance and symbolizes identity. For Guamanians ·)f all ages, 

a monument to memories would be not only historical preservation, but 

act as a sanctified place to put spirits to rest. For a culture, it 

has been very difficult; de eply Catholic, the rituals of wakes and burials 
43 

Senator J. George Bamba/page 2 

along with the outpouring of grief and love, begins the healing process. 

Without these rites, there is no closure--the wound remains open, the 

pain persists. And this is what has happened with the indigenous people. 

We at Guam Post 53, feel that legisla tion structured by you, Senator Bamba, 

along with Governor Ada, is an excellent alternative solution towards 

overcoming the current paucity of the Park. The two proposed monuments--the 

second to commemorate United States Armed Se rvices personnel killed in action, 

along with programs to interpret the WWII Guamanian experience, would definitively dignify the suffering and sacrifice of thousands of Americans. 

Names to see and touch, become life ' s most special acknowledgement--a credit 

line of supportive players in often tragic, and still splendidly special 

historic happenings, as they illustrate the beauty of the human spirit. 

Further, while the U.S. mainland suffers under a grave economic crisis, 14 

years' have elapsed since the Congress created by law, the War in the Pacific 

Park. And Guam is soon to embark upon its 50th Liberation Anniversary. Since 

the documented history of mankind began, it has been eloquently evident t hat 

spiritual survival is the only assurance of physical survival; these t wo 

cannot be viewed independently--they are inseparable facts of life. 

Again collectively, we at American Legion Guam Post 53, commend Congressman 

Ben Blaz fo r his ceaseless devotion t o this cause. We further respectfully 

request the consideration of the Congress towards approving the funding 

necessary for these amendments. Pos t 53 veterans s t ate that their own sense 

of pride in Ame rica, as well as their sense of self-esteem in serving their 

country, would be enormously elevated if these amendments are enacted. 

Paul Coss 

Commander 

American Legion Guam Post 53 
44 

EXHIBIT "D" 
,_. J. .....,. ~. 

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45 

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Jnterior anb J~ular lffairs 

aiUbln~n, -~ 20S\H20l 

JUly 7, 1992 

The Honorable Manual Lujan, Jr. 

Secretary ot the Interior 

1849 c Street, N.W. 

Waahinqton, o.c. 20240 

!lear Mr. Secretary 1 

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The 50th annivarlary o! the United state•' involvement in World 

War II is an appropriate time to ensure that the tremendous 

aacritices or that con!lict will be remembered. You can help do 

thia by seekinq funding for the War in the Pacific National 

Hiatorical Park in Guam and American Memorial Park in the 

Northern Mariana Ialanda. 

Aa you lo'low,- thea• parka ware bOth created in 1978 to couemorata 

the aacri!icas ot those who participated in the Pacific theater 

during world War II. But, as I am sure that you also know, 

neither has been substantially funded. Much or the land 

authori;ad to be included in the War in the Pacific Park has not 

bean acquired and there haa been relatively little development or either park, aa you saw during your inapection or both parka in 

15189. 

Because of the dramatic increase• in land pricea in Guam since 

the park there was authorized, acquiaition or all o! toe land 

necessary to complete thia park in the near !utura is an unrealiatic qoal. Indeed the Adminiatration'a budget tor fiscal 

year 1993 proposes $1 million to purchaaa juat two ot the 170 acrea outstandinq. 

In view ot thia situation, you may want to intially concentrate on developing facilities within both parka (althougo we should 

still work towards acquirinq of all land needed for the Guam.) 

A tir•t atep miqht be to seek authority to reprogram the 

approximately $500,000 ot unused acquiaition tunda !or the Guam 

park tor development purposaa. 

A aecond might be to reconsider the Department's position on s. 2321, senator Akaka'e bill to authorize an additional 

$8 million tor development of each ot theaa parka. 
The Honorable Manuel L~jan 

July 07, 19P2 

Pa9e 3 

46 

A third atap mi9ht be to aeek neceaaary rundinq tor these ~arks 

in the tiscal year 1994 bud9et. 

Governor Joseph Ada ana Senator George Samba o! Guam have 

requeated the inclusion ot two monuments within the Guam park as part ot the deaiqn for a visitor center. One monument would liet 

the naMes o! American service pereonnel killed in action on the 

Guam. The aecond monument would list the names o! Guamaniane, 

livin'J ancl dead, who euttered atrocities durinq the war. '.rhey have aleo requeated a<iclitional Gu11manian war experience exhibits 

within the park. Tha $500,000 which you may want to rapr~Jram 

could be used tor these purpoaae. 

senator Akaka'• leqiel11tion baa bean endorsed by Guam chap~ers o! 

the American Leqion and the Thir<i Marina Division Association as 

well aa by the 3.5 million menber National Military Coalition. It ia worthy ot conai<ieration. 

Mr. Secretary, I woul<i appreciate your leadarahip in enaur:lnq that th••• parke become a true ratlec:tion o! our country's cOlllllliaant to the memory or the military personnel and the 

radclent• o! the islan<is w!lo joined in sacrifice c:luring Wol~lcl War 

Two. I stan<i rea<iy to work with you toward• thie end. 

RDL/bllll 

/~E~~ ~~ Chairman 

Subcommittee on Insular and 

Int•rnational A!tnire 
47 

Mr. VENTO. Thank you, Senator Bamba. 

We are pleased to welcome the Governor's representative, Mr. 

Cruz. Welcome, Mr. Cruz. 

STATEMENT OF MICHAEL CRUZ 

Mr. CRUZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

My name is Michael Cruz. I am the current Acting Director of 

the Bureau of Planning from the Government of Guam here presenting testimony on behalf of the Hon. Governor Joseph F. Ada. 

I have submitted testimony for the record. However, there is one 

particular paragraph that I wanted to highlight. If the Chairman 

will permit me, I will read this. 

Mr. VENTO. Yes. Absolutely. You can read any portion you would 

like. 

Mr. BAMBA. Governor Ada indicates in his testimony that the 

story of the Chamorros who lost their lives on their own soil during 

that war is one not often told. 

The story of Chamorros who suffered grievously during the war 

through forced labor, through beatings and torture, through internment in concentration camps, these stories are not frequently recounted. In a small country like Guam, painful experiences are not frequently relived, and the more painful the experience the more profound the silence. 

I believe, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, that 

that really summarizes the Governor's own thoughts about this 

particular situation. He did ask that I relate to the Committee that he is in full support of H.R. 1944. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

[Prepared statement of Mr. Cruz follows:] 
48 

TESTIMONY 

before the House Subcommittee on 

National Parks, Forests and Public Lands 

On Behalf of Joseph F. Ada 

Governor of Guam 

COMMONWEALTH NOW 
49 

MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITIEE, THANK YOU FOR THIS 

OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU ON THIS ISSUE. 

MY TESTIMONY TODAY IS VERY BRIEF, BUT ON MY PART, BREVITY MAY BE THE 

BEST ELOQUENCE I CAN MUSTER. FOR NOTHING IS MORE ELOQUENT THAN THE 

TESTIMONY OF THOSE OF MY PEOPLE WHO TRULY EXPERIENCED AND SUFFERED 

THE HARSH REALITIES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN GUAM. 

ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED CHAMORROS DIED DURING THE SECOND WORLD 

WAR IN GUAM. THAT MAY NOT SOUND LIKE MANY, BUT AS A PERCENTILE OF 

OUR INDIGENOUS POPULATION AT THE TIME, IT WAS A VERY LARGE NUMBER, 

THE EQUIVALENT IN RATIO OF MORE THAN NINETEEN MILLION AMERICANS 

LOSING THEIR LIVES TODAY. OF THOSE FIFTEEN HUNDRED CHAMORROS WHO 

LOST THEIR LIVES IN WORLD WAR TWO, THE VAST MAJORITY DIED IN A 

SINGLE MONTH, THE PERIOD INCLUDING PART OF JULY AND PART OF AUGUST 

1944, THE PERIOD IN WHICH AMERICAN FORCES RECAPTURED THE ISLAND 

FROM JAPANESE OCCUPYING TROOPS. 

IN TRUTH, THE STORY OF THE CHAMORROS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES ON THEIR 

OWN SOIL DURING THAT WAR, IS ONE NOT OFTEN TOLD. THE STORIES OF 

CHAMORROS WHO SUFFERED GRIEVOUSLY DURING THE WAR THROUGH FORCED 

LABOR, THROUGH BEATINGS AND TORTURE, THROUGH INTERNMENT IN 

CONCENTRATION CAMPS ... THESE STORIES ARE NOT FREQUENTLY RECOUNTED. 

IN A SMALL COUNTRY LIKE GUAM, PAINFUL EXPERIENCES ARE NOT 

FREQUENTLY RELIVED AND THE MORE PAINFUL THE EXPERIENCE, THE MORE 

PROFOUND THE SILENCE. 

IT IS DIFFICULT TO MYTHOLOGIZE THE SUFFERINGS OF YOUR PEOPLE WHEN 

YOUR PEOPLE ARE NOT NAMELESS HEROES, BUT YOUR FATHERS AND 

MOTHERS, YOUR SIBLINGS, YOUR LOVED ONES. BUT THE FACT THAT WE DO 

NOT MAKE A MYTH OF OUR FALLEN, DOES NOT IN ANY WAY DIMINISH THE 

HEROISM OF OUR PEOPLE OR THE STARK REALITY OF THE SUFFERING THEY 

EXPERIENCED. 
50 

NO MONUMENTS EXIST ... IN STONE OR BRONZE ... TO MEMORIALIZE THE 

HEROISM AND THE SUFFERING THAT CAUSED IT TO BE BORN. NO MEMORIAL 

EXCEPT FOR OUR MEMORIES. IT IS CERTAINLY FITIING THAT ALMOST A HALF 

CENTURY AFTER THESE EVENTS OCCURRED, EVENTS LITILE NOTED NOR 

REMEMBERED BY ANYONE OUTSIDE OF GUAM, THAT SOME OFFICIAL 

RECOGNITION BE GIVEN. CONGRESSMAN UNDERWOOD IS TO BE 

CONGRATULATED FOR THIS EFFORT TO SECURE A MEMORIAL FOR THE 

CHAMORRO PEOPLE OF GUAM WHO DIED OR OTHERWISE BORE THE SCARS OF 

THE SECOND WORLD WAR, SCARS WHICH HAVE NOT ALTOGETHER 

DISAPPEARED, EVEN TODAY. AFTER ALL, IF ANYONE CAN BE SAID TO HAVE 

BEEN BLAMELESS VICTIMS OF THE VIOLENCE OF THAT WAR, SURELY THE 

PEACEFUL PEOPLE LIVING IN THE ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC SUCH AS GUAM ... 

PEOPLE WHO HAD DECLARED WAR ON NO ONE. .. TRULY WERE. 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH 

2 
51 

Mr. VENTO. Well thank you, Mr. Cruz. 

I think that one of the great writers once said that those that 

cannot remember history are destined to relive it. So it is very important to remember problems as we have, just in the Nation's capital this year, put up a museum to some of the horrors that grew 

out of the 1930s and 1940s in terms of the Holocaust Museum. So obviously there is a recognition by the American people for 

this. I think it is safe, and I think appropriate, to recognize a limited population with the income level and so forth, with the necessity and importance of this in terms of the U.S. playing a role in 

helping with the construction and memorial. 

The backbone, the infrastructure, the visitors centers, are traditional things we do, but I think that supplementing it, or trying to 

enhance it with other participations, is also appropriate rather 

than to presume it solely on its own. 

It is a tough time, but I think we can begin to address some of 

the issues as you have pointed them out, the land issues, and those 

are very tough issues. We will not get into that today, because it 

is a difficult issue and we want to focus on getting to next June 

and through that. 

I am trying to get this down to where we can eliminate any problems and/or concerns. That is why I spoke out with regards to 

CNMI and what is likely to occur and that that may hang it up. We may have to deal with that aspect of it in separate legislation 

as a matter of fact. But we will try to advance it as far as we can. 

I do not have any questions. I respect, Senator, the work that 

you have done, and the Governor's deep interest and support, both 

of you supporting it. 

I think that the only comment I would make is that in your testimony, Senator Bamba, you referred to the difficulty that Congressman Underwood has as an uphill fight; we will join with him. 

This is bringing much more attention to it by virtue of the hearing which underlines the importance of it to the many Members of 

Congress and the staff who are present today. 

I think that the Administration more or less took what was the 

budget last year, even though the previous President left only a 

partial budget. They really were not able to go through all of the 

different priorities. 

I would hope that in the process on appeal we might be able to 

obtain more support from Secretary Babbitt and President Clinton 

on this issue. I would be surprised if we were not able to get some 

recognition of it and some help with the Appropriations Committee 

and with the general appropriations for 1994 to begin this longoverdue task. 

As I have said, we have been faced with 12 years of not much 

happening. So what we are trying to do now, or what we would like 

to do is make a down payment on it which we hope would indicate 

the good faith. 

I will work, again with the Secretary and the President, to try 

to enlist their consideration in this matter. We will again be guided 

by your Congressman from Guam, Congressman Underwood. 

Congressman Underwood, do you have any questions of your constituents? 
52 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. No. They were very laudatory in their comments, and I thank you very much for your statement of support 

in helping us seek further support from the Administration on this 

matter. 

You made a comment, Mr. Chair, and I liked that comment, as 

an old history teacher, that those who forget the past are doomed 

to repeat it. 

History teachers, those who remember it, are condemned to teach 

it. [Laughter.] 

Mr. VENTO. Well, I was going to say, I did not know who coined 

it, so I could not--

Mr. UNDERWOOD. But as an old history teacher, I always felt a 

little that way. 

The comments made by both Senator Bamba-and I would like 

at this time, too, for the record to recognize the work of Senator 

Bamba on this issue particularly related to World War II, anything 

related to World War II, the experience of the Chamorro people, 

war reparations, other issues that are related to this. 

I know that his mother made it a cornerstone of her public ca- reer, and he himself has made it a real cornerstone of his own efforts and I think the people of Guam recognize fully that Senator 

Bamba has taken a strong leadership role in this for a number of 

years. So I would like to recognize that. 

I think the comments made by Mr. Cruz are also very pertinent 

and to the point. I would say that both of these gentlemen, as do 

most people on Guam, but I think both of these gentlemen have 

relatives and grandfathers and uncles who participated in the occupation and participated in the events surrounding the occupation 

in a very direct and heroic way, and I would like to re(:ognize that, 

as well. 

Just one question I have of Senator Bamba, because this is an 

issue in terms of identifying the people who would likely end up 

on this monument. Sometimes this has been raised by people as a 

possible impediment and as a difficult issue. 

So I would like to ask his comments about how he visualizes how 

the names would be selected and what resources are available for 

this. 

Mr. CRUZ. Well actually, Mr. Congressman, the names are available already through two authorities actually. The first is through 

the listing of the authorization under the Guam Meritorious Claims 

Act authorized by the United States Congress, which is already a 

part of the record. 

And the second, authorized by the Government of Guam in the 

creation of the Commission on War Reparations, which basically 

went out and identified those individuals that suffered atrocities 

during the occupation. That was a commission that was sanctioned by the Government 

of Guam. It was a commission created by law by the Government 

of Guam. Those would be the two authorities that I would suggest 

would be for the listing of the names. Mr. UNDERWOOD. So this is not really an impediment of any 

sort? 

Mr. CRUZ. No. 
53 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. This is a case of well-documented public 

record? 

Mr. CRUZ. Yes. In fact, all the names have been documented and 

fully justified. 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Okay. Thank you. 

I have no questions. 

Mr. VENTO. Congressman de Lugo. 

Mr. DE LUGO. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

I want to welcome both witnesses here before this committee, 

Senator Bamba, and also the Governor's representative Michael 

Cruz. 

Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask unanimous consent to have 

my prepared opening statement be made a part of the record. 

Mr. VENTO. Yes. Without objection, so ordered. 

[EDITOR'S NOTE.-See appendix.] 

Mr. DE LuGo. I thought that in your prepared statement, Michael, you made a very telling point. That is, the magnitude of 

what happened in Guam during this occupation. 

There was a 2Y2 year period, and during that period the people 

of Guam were subject to all sorts of abuse. But during a one-month 

period between July and August of 1944, most of the 1,500 

Guamians who were killed and lost their lives, they lost their lives 

during this period just prior to the Americans retaking Guam. 

And 1,500, if you put that in its proper perspective, the proportion of the casualties, of the deaths among these American Nationals, if you were to project that today to the United States if this 

happened, 19 million Americans would lose their lives would be the 

comparison. 

So that gives you some idea of the way that the people in this 

community must look on this. 

Congressman Underwood used the term ''heroic" just a while ago. 

I can assure you that anyone reading the record of this period has 

to be stunned by the heroic nature of the resistance and the loyalty 

that was displayed by the Chamorro people. 

It is just amazing. 

I saw that Jim Corman who was here with us, who just went 

through the door, he was, as the Chairman pointed out, he is a veteran of the action at that time. 

In my own prepared statement it is pointed out that among the 

U.S. troops-! mean, this was a bloody, terrible campaign-5,700 

U.S. troops were killed or missing during the Marianas Campaign 

that included Guam-5, 700 killed or missing-and almost 22,000 

were wounded, to give you some idea of the scope of what went on 

there, and we still have not paid honor to their memory. 

Senator Bamba, as you know, there is not unanimous support for 

this proposal here in Congress. I would like to hear from you. What 

is the impact, or what will the impact be? What does it mean to 

the people of Guam to have the names of the Chamorro people, the 

Guamians who died and suffered during this period, included on 

this monument? 

What is the cultural impact of this to the people of Guam? 

Mr. BAMBA. Well, Congressman, as far as speaking for myself 

and in viewing and talking to other Chamorros on the island, the 

period of the occupation was one of extreme suffering and extreme 
54 

injustice. Certainly the atrocities that were committed, we do not 

even talk about it. 

It is a very difficult thing for those of us, the generations after, and even those persons, the people who survived the occupation, 

have a difficulty recounting the experiences that they had because 

it was that painful. 

In my case, my grandmother was killed at the onset of the invasion. She was beaten because she had light skin and the Japanese 

thought that she was an American. 

My grandfather was beheaded shortly before the invasion because he pulled an American pilot out of a plane which had 

crashed. 

I never knew that, and my mother never talked about it, for the 

longest time until I started working on this issue after she had 

passed away. 

But it is those kind of experiences I think that the generations 

that come in the future need to know that their ancestors, their 

relatives, their families did play a role and remained steadfastly 

loyal to the United States. 

I think it is these stories that should be told and should be remembered and recounted for the benefit of future generations. 

It means a great deal for the Chamorro people. Although maybe 

it is a simple aet of seeing the name of your relative on a wall, and 

it is very simple, but it means quite a bit to us as a people. Mr. DE LUGO. Well, Senator and Mr. Chairman, I think that we 

can relate to that because of the history of the Vietnam Memorial 

and the terrible open-wound agony of the Vietnam War. This very simple memorial that was very simple in its design, I 

think that is part of the beauty of it in its place down on the Mall 

to have the names of all of those who died in Vietnam there. Americans come from all over this country on a pilgrimage to 

make peace with themselves and this terrible agonizing period by 

going there and seeing their comrades names, their family members' names, their loved ones' names, to see the name and touch 

the name. 

It has become a ritual where they take a piece of paper and with 

a pencil rub it and get a copy of the name that is on the Memorial, 

and it is healing. It is a healing process. 

So I think this memorial is very important to the people and I 

want to commend you for all of your efforts. Senator, approximately how many names of Guamians will there 

be on the monument? 

Mr. BAMBA. Approximately 4,000. Those were just the list that 

was compiled under the Meritorious Claims Act and also under the 

Commission which was set up by the Government of Guam. 

Mr. DE Luao. Have there been any efforts to raise private funds 

for this monument? 

Mr. BAMBA. Well, unfortunately in my discussions with the Governor-and this was in the last year-and-a-half when Congressman 

Underwood was not in office yet when there was difficulty getting 

the original bill through. 

So we were looking at raising monies from private sources. But 

to me, if that was the case then we would go ahead and appropriate the money ourselves on Guam and to honor our own people. 
55 

I think that is missing the entire point. The issue here is the 

United States recognizing the heroism and the experiences, the terrible experiences, that the Chamorro people endured. 

If nothing else, then at least a simple monument. We are not 

asking for a fancy monument that is going to cost in the millions 

or anything like that, but just a simple monument that would finally honor the Chamorro people, which is long overdue. 

I would hope that in keeping it simple-and that is why we have 

stressed the simplicity of the monument-that it would be constructed in time for the 50th Anniversary. Because after the date 

of the 50th Anniversary passes, it has lost its meaning. 

I mean, I would like to be there during the date of the 50th Anniversary and look at a simple monument rather than a parking lot 

that was just paved. Mr. DE LUGO. Thank you very much, Senator. 

Mr. VENTO. Well, thank you. 

No one is suggesting that in 1978 when the legislation was 

passed that the commitment was not made. I think it should be of 

honor and by my suggesting supplements and other aspects I was 

not referring to that. So that is the basis we authorized and put in place, as meager 

as they may have in terms of funds or resources, a War in the Pacific Park and the American Memorial on CNMI, and we ought to 

go through with it. 

When we do memorials and authorize monuments, we are just 

doing it mostly in the corridor here in Washington and the vicinity, 

and that is a much different arrangement and a much different 

challenge. 

A lot of those that were here, and especially some of the redundant ones, were paid for with public funds, I hate to tell you the 

insignificance of some of them, and the profound significance of 

others-the profound significance that has been taken on in terms 

of the Lincoln Memorial where Marion Anderson, the late, great 

musician, and Dr. Martin Luther King were brought to that particular place not because of the bricks and mortar but because of 

the meaning of what Lincoln stood up and did in the middle of the 

last century. 

So basically it rivets public attention and has brought about this 

sort of almost spiritual recognition and continuity in terms of ideas 

between centuries and between peoples struggling for the same 

goals and objectives. We have recently authorized, for instance, at the Lincoln Memorial, to have in its basement, which was basically empty, a civil 

rights activity which is being funded by students from Arizona and 

students across the country, and with the coordination of the American Federation of Teachers, a group I belonged to at one time, but 

an idea I had nothing to do with but am happy to share in the 

limelight of as it is taking on significance. 

It is the way of politics. 

In any case, Senator, you have done well on your testimony, and 

the Governor's constant interest and support for this, and especially his poignant remarks with regards to not mythologizing. 

That is what happens when we do not put things down in stone 
56 

sometimes, or get them recorded in a monument. They become sort 

of myths and pretty soon forgotten. 

Hopefully this will not be forgotten. 

Thank you, Mr. Cruz, and thank you, Senator. 

Mr. BAMBA. Thank you, Sir. 

PANEL CONSISTING OF BEATRICE FLORES EMSLEY, GUAM; 

ROSALIA R. BORDALLO, CATHEDRAL GRADE SCHOOL OF 

GUAM, ACCOMPANIED BY JONATHAN BORDALLO; CYRIL J. 

O'BRIEN, THIRD MARINE DIVISION ASSOCIATION, VETERANS 

OF THE LIBERATION OF GUAM; AND HON. JAMES CORMAN, 

GUAM VETERAN AND FORMER REPRESENTATIVE TO CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 

Mr. VENTO. We have a final panel of Mrs. Beatrice Flores Emsley 

from Guam; Rosalia R. Bordallo of the Cathedral Grade School of 

Guam, both of whom had been introduced briefly by my two colleagues earlier; and finally Mr. Cyril O'Brien of the 3d Marine Division Association who is here. 

We are pleased to welcome them. 

If you want to sit at the table, Congressman Corman, and add 

a word or two in this process, I think it would be appropriate to 

do so, if we can find a chair there for you. 

Mr. CORMAN. Thank you, sir. I appreciate this. 

Mr. VENTO. You can give a little moral support here to your colleague. Who outranked whom here in this arrangement? 

Your statements, which have been presented to me, have been 

made a part of the record. 

Mrs. Emsley, please proceed with your comments this afternoon. 

STATEMENT OF BEATRICE FLORES EMSLBY 

Mrs. EMSLEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Thank you, Chairman de Lugo. I had met you, and this is my 

second time. 

I came all the way from Guam only asking that United States 

will give us a little care; that we're way out there, and we were 

fighting for that American Flag. 

I was 13 years old. My uncle was working for Naval Hospital, 

and he took off with three American Corpsmen. They had a census 

up in the area where I was staying in Tai, better known as Father 

Dranus. 

We have three families in that ranch. When the officer of the 

Japanese came and he demand anybody to go after my uncle, or 

all three family will be killed. 

So that afternoon I was staying-my mother had just given birth 

to my three-days' sister. So I was sitting down with the Japanese 

interpretation of a piece of paper so that I can pass Japanese security in Agana, because nobody stay in Agana; everybody is all in 

the jungle. So when I pass through there, I bow and bow and bow, and fi- nally I show them the pass, and they just chase me away. 

I continue my journey to go look for my uncle. I look at this one 

foxhole that my mother said that he might be there. He is not 

there. 
57 

I went into another foxhole that is owned by Father Camatcha. 

As I was approaching the bushes, I hear somebody breathing. 

When I push through, I find my uncle laying down on the ground 

so filthy, so skinny, with infection in his leg. 

I told him, I say, Uncle, I got to take you back. He ask me, how 

could you, my daughter, I cannot walk. I said, even if I dragged 

you, we have to go back. 

Since this is happening, we hear a bunch of soldiers that are 

moving by the ocean in Agana at Podyplumes into St. Nicholas at 

George Washington, and they were stomping, a whole bunch of 

them stomping on the ground with their shoes. 

All of a sudden, somebody pushed the place where we're at and 

they told us to get out. We get out. They accuse us whether we 

know Tweed. I don't know George Tweed. 

I try to explain. I show my paper. All they did is they told us 

that we're leaving with them. 

So they drag us up by San Ramon Hill, right below Governor 

Ada's palace now. It happened to be below the Bishop's house. 

There was three tunnels. 

So as we approached San Ramon Hill, there was a flare coming 

from the sky and it start lighting down. So the Japs say lay flat 

on the ground. So we all did. After the flare was gone, they pick 

us up and they move us into the first tunnel. 

There was my uncle and Juan Cabrara. Then all of a sudden 

there's three girls came crying, and they pushed them into the tunnel. Then there's more Guamian Chamorro men. But the only one 

that is really like an American is Mr. Arthur Andersen. 

He will start telling us that he went after to meet wife, because 

his wife is delivering a baby, and he happened to meet a bunch of 

Japanese and they took him because they thought he was Tweed. 

So as we were sitting there, someone interpreted and came in 

and started investigating us, whether we're waiting for the American, whether we love the American. Do you understand the American ain't gonna find nothing but just flies? 

So we agreed with them. They say we're liars, and they start 

slapping us around. By almost daylight, a bunch of the soldiers all 

dressed up and well equipped like they're going to war, and they 

call us all out and line up. 

To each one of us, we had two guns with a rifle and something 

like a bayonet in front, and they march us down just a little ways. 

And that place where my grave is at is now got McDonald's. 

They push us into this hill, and on top of the hill there's a bunch 

of soldiers. There was an officer with a long saber. He was standing 

right by the hole. 

The first thing they did is they separate the seven men. And 

when my uncle pull me, they pull him away and they march them 

in the other side of the jungle. All us four girls hear is like somebody chopping down the forest, and moaning for God, for mother, 

and I'm dying, and all that. 

Since then, Mr. Chairman, I didn't have any feeling. I'm standing 

there like I'm just out in a cloud. So then after they finish and everything is quiet, they come back and went by us and they all have 

a bloody uniform. Their rifle and everything are all blood. 
58 

Then finally they start calling Diana Guerrero, the oldest 

woman, who walked up to this officer, and the only thing I seen, and it start to get blurr, was he cut this front and start sawing off 

her breast. 

Then the sister next to her came running up to try to help. They 

do just everything they can with what they got. And the third one 

was Toni, because I was the youngest one and the last. They march 

her up, and the only thing they did is sliced down her stomach and 

everything come out. 

When it comes to me, when they took me out, I was walking in 

air. As soon as they let go of me, I fall down to the ground. Then 

one Japanese soldier came toward to me and asked me about his 

half-cast Japanese girlfriend, whether she had a baby. 

I said, I don't know because when the Americans start bombing 

back the island, everybody is out to the jungle, about two, three 

family in one big tree, praying and praying and praying. So finally when they are finished with me, he pushed my head 

down and he hit me in the back of my neck. And all I did is, I feel 

a splash down on my body, and I was gone. 

The next thing I know, I was trying to struggle because I was 

buried in that hole. I was struggling for air because I was losing 

breathing. 

Then I found this hand was shaking loose, and I start to reach 

and scratch my face. When that face was open and I start breathing, I look up on that hill and there was this young man standing, calling, who is alive, to come with him. 

Then he said, here comes the Japanese. All I did is I closed my 

eyes. They come, and I hear them say Bonsai three times, and took 

off because it's getting daylight. During daylight, the Japanese is not out. They're all hiding. Only 

at night. 

So then I start digging myself. I look at that certain particular 

person I saw, and he ain't there. I was just there in that hole. 

Then I start digging myself and I hear somebody moaning next 

to me. It was that girl that has been cut up. She wanted some 

water. She's thirsty. So what I did is I crawl over to her and I just felt something wet 

on that ground, and we just start drinking it. 

I passed out until the sun was hitting it and it was so hot and 

I wake up and I look around, and I said, "Toni," and she was already stiff. 

I started to crawl up the hill to get away from that area. When 

I got up to the hill, I fell down because I'm so weak. When I fell 

back down there, I wait for awhile until I get enough strength to 

climb up. 

I climb up and I start crawling over to where I hear them 

Chamorro men crying and hollering for God and help. I happened to look, and the only thing that I seen on my uncle 

is that leg that got wounded. The reason why, Mr. Chairman, I 

know this is his is because the half of that pants that he was wearing they're so filthy. So then I just look and I continue. I don't know where I'm going. 

I don't know what happened to me. I don't know nothing. I just 

keep going. 
59 

Finally, I get tired. I slept on a dump area. Then I started to get 

hungry and thirsty. Then I look around. Nothing. 

I keep going and going until fmally I came down to one side of 

the jungle and I look at a ranch up on a hill, and I started to approach that ranch. 

When I was coming up to the small trail, I hear a bunch of Japanese noise. They were taking out everything in that ranch. 

So on the side of that little small, there was a white cat that 

came out and started going "meow" to me, and he jumped into a 

Guamian oven which the Chamorro make out of rock and they 

bake and bake. 

We went in there. When they pass by and they disappeared, the 

cat came out and I came out. I went around the other side of the 

building. AB somebody make noise, he took off and there was this 

Juan Cabraras that left me and calling that if anybody come, come. 

He was standing under a coconut tree on the bottom of the hill. 

I look down and I say, hey, man. Hey, man, give me something to 

eat and something to drink. 

He looked at me and he called me and he said, "Come down." 

So I start sliding down. And we started to eat this coconut, and 

I start getting choked up. There weren't no water. So we went close 

to the swamp, and we start sucking the swamp water. 

Then he told me that there is in Agana this house where his 

mom, before they run off in Agana, left some rice and some salty 

fish. Let's go over there and we cook some to eat. So when we went over there, we decide to go to some place to 

look for medicine because, Mr. Chairman, in the two days I had 

something crawling out of my neck. When I reached up, there was 

a handful of maggots that are all coming out because I had high 

fever, I had chills, and I keep going to find in Agana there was a 

U.S. Naval Hospital that has been bombed before. But in our mind 

we think that we are going over there to look for some medication. 

So we didn't find nothing. 

So then my companion, Mr. Juan Cabraras, said "Stay here." 

He put me on the bottom of the house on the ground, and he 

build Chamorro tree rocks and some wood, and we use this Japanese pot that you make rice. And he washed it, and he said watch 

that rice, and I'll go over and take a look for some indication. 

He came running because he met some Japanese again and he 

was chasing him again. So this dog that has some puppies went 

after the Japanese and he grabbed me in the back of my hair and 

pull me down to the San Antonio Chapel. 

Under the San Antonio Chapel that was destroyed there was a 

big slab of concrete. He put me under there, and he said "Just stay there." 

So we keep hearing the dog. When the dog don't bark any more, 

he said "let's go." 

We went in the back of that Chapel up to this Manengon area 

where there is an abandoned ranch. My goodness, Mr. Chairman, 

I feel so happy because we fmd six drums of rain water, star apple 

and banana are all falling out of the tree. 

I ate and ate and drink rain water until I have a stomachache. 

Then he said we're going to continue and look for our family. 
60 

We came up to Father Drinas'; nobody was there. Nobody. It's 

abandoned. So then we just stay there for awhile. We don't know 

where we are going. We don't know where they are. 

So finally my uncle and another gentleman sneaked out of the 

concentration camp to look for the rice and the corn that they buried under the ground. Because the reason why we hide, Mr. Chairman, our food is because the Japanese take everything we got. 

They would rather feed their army than us. 

So what happened is we found this. Then my uncle was going to 

Malojloj, and he met a bunch of soldiers, and they took them to 

carry their equipment over to Geegul. 

Then when the Japanese were sleeping, the other gentleman 

said, "I don't know about you, Mr. Jose Parado, but when they're 

asleep we're going to untie ourself and take off." 

But my uncle was chicken. He don't want to. But Mr. Antonio 

Mayna got loose with his. He says, ''What about it?" He loosened 

up my uncle and took off. 

I met my uncle, and he didn't recognize me because he came 

back through that reties to take that riee and corn. He took me 

from there up to Jona. 

I met the 3d Marine Division right up there in the jungle, and 

I was so happy. But they cannot assist us because they were in the 

front line. And all the 3d Marine Division that is here, my uncle 

got a pack of Camel cigarettes, and he went into the camp, because 

they snuck me into the camp. 

I went to these two Guamian nurses. And when they put this alcohol, my goodness, Mr. Chairman, all these maggots are all coming out. And I got half clean there. 

Then the American came the other day and took me into a long 

trail down to Asan and took me over to the U.S. ship and cleaned 

me up, because I had this one dress that's stuck with all this dirt 

and blood that I stink. 

So I got dressed, and they see a beautifhl blond during the battle 

over there in the ship that cleans me up. 

I happen to grow up after I went to the Naval Hospital and they 

release me. 

I try going to school. I cannot. So finally I grow up and I learn 

how, my mother trains me how to take eare of a house. I met an 

American man from Detroit, Michigan, in the United States Army 

and I got married, and I have 10 children. 

I have been married for 37 years, exeept my husband passed 

away 7 years ago over at Shadow, Washington, because I took my 

husband all over until he rest. And I am here. 

All I am trying to ask Chairman Ron de Lugo-we go way back 

to 1989-is: 

Recognize us, please. 

We are American. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. VENTO. Thank you for sharing that experience, a very difficult experience no doubt for you to share, so we appreciate your 

courage and your constancy in terms of presenting to us and explaining this history to Americans and to others who might not recall it so vividly. 

So thank you very much. 
61 

We are pleased that Rosalia from Cathedral Grade School in 

Guam is present. 

Rosalia, why don't you go ahead. I understand your brother is 

with you. Do you want to introduce him? 

STATEMENT OF ROSALIA R. BORDALLO 

Miss BORDALLO. This is Jonathan Bordallo. 

Mr. VENTO. Welcome to you, too. 

Mr. BORDALLO. Good afternoon. 

Mr. VENTO. You can go ahead, Rosalia, with your comments. 

Miss BORDALLO. Mr. Chairman, Congressman Underwood, and 

Members of the Committee, good day. 

My name is Rosalia Rita Bordallo. I am from the Island of Guam 

and I have travelled nearly 9,000 miles in 20 hours to tell the story 

of my father and grandfather. I am 9 years old, and I am in the 4th Grade at Cathedral Grade 

School. 

It is from my parents that I learned the history of my island during World War II. I hope that you decide to build this monument 

at the War in the Pacific Park on Guam. 

On December 8, 1941, the Japanese began bombing my homeland of Guam. Two days later, they invaded and took over the entire island. 

It was not until July 21, 1944, that American forces returned to 

Guam. During these 2% years, the people of Guam suffered greater 

and deeper losses than any other community in the United States 

during World War II. In my own family, my father, Paul Bordallo, and my grandfather, 

Baltazar Bordallo, were tortured and almost killed by the 

Kempeitai, the Japanese secret police. 

On midnight of August 10, 1943, my grandfather and his family 

of 14 children, most of whom were only my age or younger, were 

marched off their ranch at gunpoint. 

They were called by the Kempeitai to the central police station 

where they were separated from my grandfather and thrown into 

an underground dungeon. 

When my grandmother asked why they were imprisoned, the 

commander told her that the family ranch was hiding the American sailor George Tweed who was not captured by the Japanese 

authorities during the occupation. 

My father, who was 13 at the time and one of the eldest children, 

still remembers the screams of a young Chamorro girl who was 

being tortured in a cell nearby. 

For five hours she screamed and pleaded for mercy while my 

grandmother and her children sat in the small cell completely terrified. 

In the early morning hours, a policeman came and called for my 

father. Full of fear, my father answered back. He was taken out of 

the dark and terrible dungeon into the street in front of the police 

station. 

There he was told by the Kempeitai commander that his father 

had confessed that radioman George Tweed had been hidden on the 

family ranch. 
62 

The commander also told him that he suspected my father of delivering food and supplies to Tweed. The commander told my father 

that if he confessed now, he and his family would not be executed. My father did not know the whereabouts of George Tweed. The 

officer became angry that my father could not tell him where the 

American sailor was hiding. 

He ordered four soldiers to hold my father while Kempeitai officers beat him on the head, back, and legs with a club. My father told me that he screamed and cried from the pain. 

Soon, however, the continuous hitting stopped hurting my father. 

The more they kept hitting him, the less he could feel the pain. 

After what seemed like hours, my father lost consciousness under 

the torture. Later that night, the Japanese awoke him and brought 

him back to the dark cell where the rest of the family was kept. 

He told me that he looked quietly at all his younger siblings, sat 

down on the dirt floor and cried. My grandfather was treated even more harshly than my father. 

After being separated from the rest of his family, my grandfather 

was interrogated by the Kempeitai commander about the location 

of George Tweed. My grandfather, who truly did not know where 

Mr. Tweed was hiding, was beaten by the Japanese just like my 

father. However, the Kempeitai still did not believe that my grandfather 

did not know where Tweed was. They imprisoned my grandfather 

during the day and tortured him at night. 

They would tie his hands to two poles stuck in the ground and 

would whip him until his back bled. When they released him 10 

days later, my father told me he had no skin on his back. 

When I asked my father why he and grandpa were beaten, he 

told me that the Japanese were trying to capture an American soldier. 

He also told me that all people suffered during war. My father 

would tell me that the Japanese did those things to him because 

they were just as afraid of war as we Chamorros were. 

To him, this sailor George Tweed was hiding in the jungles of 

Guam because he was afraid of the Japanese. But the Japanese 

were just as afraid of Mr. Tweed. 

Their failure to capture this lone man made the Japanese commanders lose face with their superiors. The Chamorros hid George 

Tweed and gave him food. 

Many Chamorros were killed by the Japanese for hiding this 

American soldier, or for expressing hope that America would return 

to Guam. 

Mr. Tweed later received a medal for his struggle against the 

Japanese. He was honored for saving himself. The Japanese commanders also sought to save themselves, if not their lives then 

their honor or face. 

But it was only the Chamorros who sought to give generously of 

themselves. It was the Chamorros who sheltered Mr. Tweed. To save their lives, as well as the lives of other Chamorros, they 

could easily have revealed Mr. Tweed's hiding places, but they 

chose not to do that. 
63 

I have heard my teacher say that George Tweed stood as a symbol of America during the war with the Japanese. The Chamorros 

wanted to be liberated from the bad conditions during the war. 

Those who hid Mr. Tweed all those years believe that the United 

States will come back and save Guam. My father told me that the 

Chamorros were liberated by the Americans because our island 

was important to winning the war. 

The Chamorros of Guam still want recognition for the bravery of 

their people. My father told me that the memorial will ensure forever the memory that we are a people of worth and bravery who 

have been tested in battle and blood and whom history will not forget. 

My father also told me that the story of the Chamorro people will 

live on long after its telling ceases upon the silent graves of our elders. My father told me that war is a terrible thing and what the 

war did to our people must not be forgotten. 

Mr. VENTO. Thank you, very much. I would say, I suppose we have to move along, but I have seldom 

seen two witnesses, from a young child who lived the history and 

from a young person who has learned the history, mesmerize and 

quiet a committee room like this committee room has been quieted 

this noon. I do not think there is much that any of us could add to the 

poignant statements that you have made. 

We are pleased to welcome on this panel Mr. Cyril O'Brien, of 

the Third Marine Division, who is accompanied by his friend and 

apparently fellow soldier Jim Corman, a former member and one 

of the rank-and-file soldiers around here for quite a few years. 

Mr. O'Brien? 

STATEMENT OF CYRIL J . O'BRIEN 

Mr. O'BRIEN. I am also fortunate to have at my right hand someone who knows everything I am saying and who witnessed it all. 

So I have to be accurate. [Laughter.] 

Mr. VENTO. Well, we are appreciative of you both being here, and 

your interest. Mr. O'BRIEN. My name is Cyril O'Brien, Mr. Chairman, and 

Members of the Committee. 

My name is Cyril O'Brien, and I am a Veteran of the Guam liberation. I am speaking for myself and nearly 5,000 members of the 

Third Marine Division Association which fought in three campaigns. 

I am only going to emphasize a couple of those, because you 

know you all have my statement. 

When we sailors, soldiers, and marines hit the Islands of Guam, 

Saipan, and Tinian, the Big War, as some people chose to call it, 

was raging in Europe. The Normandy Landing was only a few weeks old. So our wild, 

fierce, and distant little war in the Pacific was relegated pretty 

much to second-class attention by the press, by the current historians, and also in the public eye. 

But, gentlemen, 50 years have passed since then. That is a halfcentury. The Marianas need not be on the back burner anymore. 
64 

Yes, we are the Veterans who fought there, the heroic people of 

the Marianas. Mrs. Emsley is a wonderful example of the terrible 

history that was made there. 

Repeatedly, legislation and speeches have asked and pleaded for 

completion of those long-delayed national parks. Remember the significance of the Marianas. 

D-Day on Saipan alone involved some of the heaviest casualties 

of any division throughout the whole of World War II. Some 2,500 

Americans fell there on the first day, June 15, 1944. 

On Guam, where bitter fighting hardly reached the American 

ears, I saw the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin on the day of our invasion, and all they talked about was the battle in Europe. 

We rescued there our own Americans-the first Americans ever 

captured by an enemy from 32 months of cruel domination. 

The fall of the Marianas was significant. With the fall of the 

Marianas, Premier Tojo and his cabinet, under whom the war 

began, resigned. Then from the runways of the Mari~mas, the way 

was open to the Japanese jugular. 

Our overwhelming air thrust, you recall, so affected the Japanese 

mainland and its defense that we barred the last-ditch suicidal defense of the Mainland which, had we had to do it, would have cost 

us millions of lives. 

That was because of the Marianas. 

Gentlemen, we have told all this before. Here we are literally 

back on square one. I have been back to the Marianas five times, 

and to other Pacific battlegrounds. My return visits have made it 

very, very clear that we, a very grateful Nation, have still been unbelievably skimpy in honoring the men and women who served in 

those island campaigns. 

I cannot say that for the Japanese. The Japanese have not soreacted. They have generously honored the battlegrmmds of their 

honored dead. 

There is an interesting thing. There is a gasoline station at the 

bottom of one of the hills on Chonito Ridge on Guam. It is a Mobil 

station. 

I wandered in there one day not too long ago and asked the 

young man at the bottom of the hill pumping gas, I said, "By the 

way, was there any action, or did anything happen round here?'' 

He says, "I don't know. Beats me." 

I said, "Was there any action?" 

He says, "No, I don't know of anything that ever happened 

around here." 

Remember, I had seen on that hill 40-some yearB before Able 

Company, of which Mr. Corman knows very well, pinned down for 

a day and a half. The Japanese were so close they couldn't throw 

grenades. The Leathernecks were so close they had to roll the grenades down on them. 

Here was a hill dedicated and honored in American blood, and 

the people passing by had no idea what happened there. 

Do you know why? There is no monument there. 

There is no plaque. 

There is nothing in the world that would tell anybody that that 

was sacred ground. Absolutely nothing. 
65 

By the way, there is another interesting thing. There is a swimming pool. There is a little country road that runs up the hill to 

the top of the hill where Nimitz stayed, and you pass a swimming 

pool. 

The swimming pool, interestingly enough, was the CP of F Company which was commanded by a Capt. Lewis Wilson. There, that 

battle literally broke the back of the Japanese at Fonte Ridge. The 

man who led the battle, Lewis Wilson, was later Commandant of 

the Marine Corps and received the Medal of Honor for his actions. 

There is a swimming pool there. 

They tell you you can swim there, but nobody ever tells you anything of the tremendous battle and the loss of American life and 

Japanese life, too, on that spot. 

Yes, there is a museum on Guam. The National Park Service are 

very engaging, hospital people, but their exhibits are static. 

It is like a shopping list. What they do is the very best they can 

with the little-! emphasize the little-that they have got. 

But perhaps closest to my heart is the clause of Mr. Underwood's 

proposal. I think it was intensified immensely three or four minutes ago when I heard Mrs. Emsley talk. 

This is the clause in the Congressman's measure which would 

commemorate the sufferings, the indignities, the executions which 

were part of the life and fate of the Chamorro people over the 32 

months of enemy occupation. 

The thought of a monument would warm the heart of any Marine 

or soldier who was on Guam. Those liberating Marines loved the 

Chamorro people. 

A friend of mine who lost his hand on Iwo Jima did not want to 

go back to Iwo Jima. He did not care. But he did want to go back 

to Guam. 

So we do want those Americans on Guam appreciated and remembered for their loyalty and heroism. Occupation was stern 

enough at the invasion when the invasion was coming, as you well 

know now and have heard from other witnesses, of the rape and 

the beheadings that occurred. 

With all my heart and patriotism that I can engender, Mr. Chairman and Members, I urge you to authorize a suitable recognition 

for these wonderful people. 

Next year, thousands of us will return to Guam. Mr. Corman is 

going back with me and to Saipan to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of the Marianas. 

Governor Joseph Ada and the people of Guam are so enthusiastic 

that the Governor said he will help to defray the expenses of the 

liberators returning. 

We hope then, gentlemen, that the returning veterans can return 

to adequate memorial parks that will forever tell the story of what 

they did, what they risked, and what it will all mean to generations to come. Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. O'Brien follows:] 
66 

Testimony of cyril J. O'Brien 

Third Marine Division Assn. 

Veterans of the Liberation of Guam 

on H.R. 19•U 

Before the Subcommittee on National 

Parks, Forests and Public 

Lands, Committee on Natural Resources 

May 27, 1993 

I am proud and eager as a veteran of three campaigns in the 

Pacific to add my support and the enthusiastic approval of nearly 

5, ooo veterans of the Third Marine Division Assn. to H.R. 1944 

introduced by Delagate Robert A. Underwood of Guam. 

The measure to provide additional development of the war in 

the Pacific National Park on Guam and the American Memorial Park in 

Saipan will offer veterans, Americans and the Chamorro people, 

after half a century, a fitting and living memorial of perhaps the 

most decisive campaign in that fierce Pacific war. 

June 15 through August 10 marks the 50th anniversary of the 

battle for the Marianas (Guam, Saipan, and Tinian). When the 

Marianas fell, Premier Hideki Tojo and his cabinet, under whom the 

war began, resigned. 

From the runways of the Marianas, the way was now open to the 

Japanese jugular, the homeland. The overwhelming thrust of 

American air power not only made the Japanese defeat inevitable, 

but barred the last ditch suicidal defense of the home islands. 

That battle, it is estimated, would have cost a minimum of one 

million American lives. 

Thousand of veterans will return to Guam and to Saipan next 

summer to mark the 50th anniversary of the battle for the Marianas. 

Governor Joseph Ada and the people of Guam are so enthusiastic that 

the Governor is offering to help defray some of the expenses of 

returning Liberators. 

When the veterans do go back, will they find a finished 

monument designed to perpetuate the memory of the Liberation, the 

freedom achieved, and the heroism it took to win it all? 

Will there be an appropriate commemoration of the 50th 

anniversary of the Marianas campaign, and will the secretary of the 

Interior ensure that the two visitors' centers are completed before 

June 15 and July 21, dates which mark the half century since the 

invasion of Saipan and Guam? 

If and when development of the parks is completed, the park on 

Guam will include, for instance, the high ridge line of Chonito, 
67 

affording an absolutely breath taking view of the Asan-Adelup 

invasion beach. A visitor could at the same time consider that the 

Japanese enjoyed this view as well, and that at the moment the 

Marines came ashore, they could look right down the throats of the 

Americans. 

Wbat we seek now is authorization for the much delayed 

development of these parks. This is not the first appeal. There 

have been many. Last year before a senate subcommittee, veterans, 

survivors, and others eloquently appealed for development of these 

parks. It was then that retired Marine General Ben Blaz with tears 

in his eyes pleaded in support of authorizing legislation 

introduced by Senator Daniel Altaka of Hawaii. Now we are seeking 

that authorization again. 

Quite pertinent are the remarks this year of Congressman 

Underwood, author of the current legislation: 

our children and their children must learn 

about the lessons of war, and the changes that 

the war brought to the islands. 

This brings to mind a personal experience. There is a 

gasoline station at the foot of one of Chonito's hills above the 

Asan-Adelup beach. on that hill, Able company, 1st Battalion, 

Third Marines, was held back for a day and half by stubborn 

Japanese at the top. It was a bloody and fierce melee. The 

Japanese defenders were so close they couldn't throw grenades so 

they rolled them down on Marines. It was there that captain Geary 

Bundscbu, Able company's commanding officer, having been told to 

take tbe bill, gave his life trying. 

I doubt that anybody who passes the bottom of that hill today 

can spell Geary's name, much less beard of it. It is certainly 

nowhere in public view. A young man pumping gas at the bottom of 

the crucial bill where so many Marines died said, "I never knew 

anything ever happened here." He had not known that a shot bad 

been fired there during the liberation of Guam. 

Down Guam's principal highway, a little hanging sign in the 

Marine corps' Scarlet and Gold lets you know that nearby was the 

landing site of the Brigadier General L.C. Shephard's First Marine 

Provisional Brigade. The sign is not far from where the 77th Army 

Division came ashore under Major General A.D. Bruce. That's all 

the information you get. 

I have been back to Guam five times. I love Guam. My first 

visit in 1985 opened with the sunshine of the warm, smiling, and 

generous welcome of the Chamorro people, with whom the Marines fell 

in love. 

I found then that our own government showed little concern for 

tribute. Only a l55mm shell imbedded in two blocks of concrete 

then marked the site of the landing that liberated Guam. There is 
68 

a museum building at the .".san-Adelup beach today with static 

displays. The building is rented. 

One crusty old leatherneck, Captain Harvey Tennant USMC (ret.) 

of San Diego, California, was so chagrinned at the lack of 

attention to the Marine battle grounds, he made a collection among 

veterans of the Third Division. A monument to the landing, paid 

for by veterans, was erected there in 1987 on land donated by the 

government of Guam . 

American tributes to our warriors on saipan were no more 

numerous on that first visit (or today) than they were on Guam. 

Clemmer Marcus, of the 534th Amphibian Tractor Battalion, u.s. 

Army, couldn't find where he came ashore at Charan Kanoa, Saipan or 

on the narrow invasion beach of Tinian. There were no markers. 

Clemmer's amphibious tracked vehicle made repeated trips to the 

flaming beaches with Marines of the second and Fourth Divisions. 

The 27th Army Division fought beside them, especially against 

repeated enemy banzai attacks. The sites of these attacks and the 

progress of the battle are unmarked, likely unknown. 

Marcus and his returning Army buddies found a few rusted 

Japanese and American tanks, a private one-room museum operated by 

someone original enough to collect what was available, and a narrow 

gauge railroad. But Clemmer has found nothing to explain one of 

the greatest battles of the Pacific war. 

But perhaps closest to my heart is the clause in B.R. 1944 

which calls for a monument to commemorate by individual name, these 

people of Guam, living and dead who suffered personal injury, 

forced labor, forced marches, internment and death incidental to 

enemy occupation of Guam. 

Why do Marines return to Guam in such numbers? It is because 

the Marines love the Chamorro people. A friend of mine lost his 

hand on Iwo Jima, but he cares not if he ever sees that island 

again. But be returns to Guam. A schools teacher in Virginia went to Guam because she promised her father as he neared death that she 

would return for him. 

We want these American Chamorros appreciated; their heroism 

remembered. Even on that first liberation day illuminated by 

flashes of gunfire, we found loyal, warm, friendly people who had 

suffered 32 months of harsh even bestial occupation. When the 

invasion by the Americans was imminent, tbe Japanese occupiers 

intensified their cruelty. Women were raped; men gathered for 

working parties were shot or even beheaded as their work was done. 

Cbamorros were forced into concentration camps, forced into a death 

march that, for some, was not unlike Bataan. 

With all the heart and patriotism I can engender, I urge you, 

gentlemen, to authorize suitable recognition for these wonderful 

people. 
69 

Mr. VENTO. Thank you, very much. 

Mr. O'Brien, can I invite the gentleman from California for a few 

ad hominem remarks? 

Welcome. 

STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES CORMAN 

Mr. CORMAN. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

We all have memories of specific things, and remember the day, 

but I only have one memory that I remember the time. I remember 

where I was at 3 minutes after 8:00 a.m. on July 21, 1944. I was 

stepping off a landing craft. 

The times were very precise. 

I remember one of the least desirable chores that we lieutenants 

had was to take small patrols out in the jungle looking for Japanese. 

I remember how comforted I was when I had a Chamorro with 

me, which was frequently. He was risking his life to help me save 

mine. I remember that very well. 

And I remember meeting George Tweed. I understand Tweed is 

probably still alive. So he had 50 years after that event. He is alive 

today because of the people whose names will be on that monument who gave their lives to save his. 

I hope when I get to Guam at 3 minutes after 8:00 on July the 

21, 1993, that I will get to go and look at that monument and pay 

tribute and appreciation to the people whose names are emblazoned there. 

I thank you. 

Mr. VENTO. Well, thank you. 

I think there is not much more we can say. I think the emphasis 

here should be in terms of focusing on getting the monument done, 

or at least started. This is enormously important, and if not having 

everything perfectly engraved that we can at least have the names 

listed somehow so they can be recognized appropriately. 

This whole account reminds me of Alexander Pope's statement, 

as I listened to the terrible recounting of these events and the tremendous loss of lives of the people of Guam, of the Chamorros, of 

the U.S. Military loss of lives. 

All of us had relatives that fought in the Second World War, 

many of us did, and certainly I did. And in the Pacific. 

In any event, it reminds me of Alexander Pope's comments of 

man's inhumanity to man, a lesson that has to be learned. 

So I have no questions. 

But let me yield to my colleague, the historian. Historians are of 

course the most powerful people in the world. 

Dr. Underwood, Congressman Underwood? 

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Thank you very much. But not on this committee. [Laughter.] 

I thank you very much, and I certainly want to reiterate your 

comments earlier, Mr. Chair, about the power and the energy of 

the statements that were made here by Mrs. Emsley and by 

Rosalia and by Mr. O'Brien, and by Mr. Corman. 

I think that the panel presented the very good mix of the experiences that are attached to this, and provide more adequate testimony than any historian could ever do justice to. 
70 

It is very important to understand I think, and I think they all 

did their job well of not only indicating what went on at the time, 

but that there is a great obligation on the rest of us to remember 

it and to remember it well. 

The memories of the liberators and the memories of the people 

who experienced it are equally balanced. I look forward hopefully 

to getting a part of this Park, and certainly the monument, under 

way. 

Earlier in some of the testimony there is reference made to Japanese war memorials. Japanese memorials which have been constructed. Also, the only monument on Guam, ironically, and I have 

made this point before, and I made this point repeatedly on Guam, 

there is a monument to war dogs that died in Guam. 

There is a war dog cemetery, and this is maintained at federal 

expense. I think that when the issue of what kind of funding 

should be given to the issue of the monument for the Chamorro 

people, I think we are talking somewhere between $1.5 million to 

probably $2 million, and I think that it is money well spent. 

It is certainly much more significant than the cemetery to the 

war dogs. In fact, the war dog cemetery is the only monument on 

Guam that lists by name who participated in World War II. 

If you go to the war dog cemetery, there is a plaque that lists 

"Tubby'' and "Cubby'' and other names. It is almost laughable until 

you get to the point to trying to understand and balance the relationship and the participation of the individuals that we see before 

us. 

The Federal Government for years and years has maintained 

this facility. In fact, I saw correspondence earlier-meaning no disrespect to the people who have initiate this correspondence-but 

some people are discussing the idea of relocating the war dog cemetery to its original site at federal expense, I might add. 

The attention that is given to this war dog cemetery is not attention that is not warranted, but in balance when we take a look at 

the kind of human tragedy and human emotion and the bravery of 

the men involved and the experiences of the Chamorro people, I am 

hopeful and I make this plea that we honor the Chamorro people 

no less, and certainly the liberators of Guam. 

Thank you. 

Mr. VENTO. Thank you. Congressman de Lugo has been with us 

throughout the afternoon. 

Mr. DE LUGO. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

I certainly have nothing to add. The eloquence of the testimony 

that we have heard here today from Mrs. Emsley and Ms. Bordallo 

and from the veterans, Mr. Cyril O'Brien, and from the gentleman 

from California, Jim Corman, an old friend and former colleague is 

just so moving. 

What you recounted here told so eloquently why this Park should 

exist and why this memorial should exist and has to exist. I just 

hope that we v.ill be able to move this and bring this about for the 

50th Anniversary. 

Mr. VENTO. Thank you very much, Ron and Bob, and thank you 

all for coming all this way to share this with us. I think it has been 

a very moving experience for me and for other members, and I 
71 

hope we can recount that and carry through these sort of feelings 

as we try to deal with this issue in this Congress. Thank you, very much. 

If there is no further business to come before the Committee, the 

meeting stands adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 1:20 p.m., the Subcommittee was recessed subject to the call of the Chair.] 

APPENDIX 

MAY 27, 1993 

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING RECORD 

United States Department of the Interior 

NATIO:-.JAL PARK Sf:RVICE 

P.O. Box :17 127 

Washington, D.C. ~OOI :J 71 27 

L58(180) 

JUN I 0 1993 

Honorable Bruce F . Vento 

Chairman, Subcommittee on National Parks, 

Forests and Public Lands 

Committee on Natural Resources 

House of Representatives 

Washington, D.C. 20515 

Dear Mr. Vento: 

As you requested in the May 27, 1993, hearing on H.R. 1944, 

enclosed are the development costs proposed for War in the 

Pacific National Historical Park and American Memorial Park. 

Sincerely, 

>- . 41,,.,(,/( f(_ . .:_ #'!' Roger G. Kennedy 

/ ' Director 

Enclosure 

(73) 
74 

WAR IN THE PACIFIC NATIONAL HI STORICAL PARK 

$825,000 

$1,250 , 000 

$8,250,000 

$ 10,325 , 000 

Planning and Design 

Vi sitor Center Exh ibits 

Visitor Center Construction 

Grand Total 

AMERICAN MEMORIAL PARK 

$12,430 , 000 

$4,180,000 

$16,610,000 

Visitor Center 

Museum 

Grand Total 

(phase II) 

(phase III) 
75 

WAR IN THE PACIFIC, VISITOR CENTER COST ESTIMATE 10/25(1991 

NOTE: COST ESTIMATE BASED ON SEP 1988 DESIGN CONCEPT AND ON MAR 1989 

DESIGN ESTIMATE. ESTIMATE BELOW INFLATED TO 1994 CONSTRUCTION. 

CONSTRUCTION ITEM 

VISITOR CENTER 8150 SQ FT 

SITEWORK 

UTILITIES 

SUBTOTAL 

GUAM FACTOR (X 2.2) 

CONTINGENCIES (10\) 

SUBTOTAL 

INTERPRETIVE EXHIBITS 

GUAM FACTOR (X 1.5 SHIP/INSTALL) 

DESIGN ESTIMATE 

SURVE~S/PRELIM DESIGN-BLDG & SITEWORK 

PRELIM DESIGN-EXHIBIT~ 

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS 

EXHIBIT FABRICATION DOCUMENTS 

TOTAL DESIGN ESTIMATE 

COST EST 94 $'S 

$2,665,000 

$400,000 

$328,000 

$3,393,000 

$830,000 

GROSS CONST 

$260,000 

$60,000 

$390,000 

$115,000 

$825,000 

ADJUSTED $'S 

$7,465,000 

$750,000 

$8,215,000 

$1,245,000 

$9,460,000 
WAR IN THE PACIFIC NHP 

VlSITOA CENTER 

DESIGN NoD CONSTRUCTION SCHEDUU: 2:5/0CT/91 UPDATE Cfl/MAY/92 

- E"' I 0

_, I ,. ... I 

o... "'""'' !c•l<>< o• 

7~1c:Name Cvlo 

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SELECT NlCK'ENGA (AlE) I 0'1 Jun FY9:l 01 Se'l) F'm2 66 .... SE!...E

\ Ad¥ertl11e I 0'1 JL.rl FY92 29 .,.U, FY'92 21 • : ~~ 

Short\.lst l 3J.A.nfY82 28JI.JIFY9'2 3l ~ ShortU

lnteNiew/Se'ec.t 29.).JF'Y'9:2 11Aug!'Y9'2 ,0 l l lrtervie

Nega!imWort.:~ 12AUQFY92 C'l5c'~FY9'2 15 : 8 No!go

COM'UANCE 025(-pF'YS< ,,...FYS:l "'' 

IS\IFMYS -· ~ To~rtcSvrvey e::J 

Sol.s ~dons BJ 

~El.JMNAR'f DESIGN C2SepF'f92 

81dg!Rotcls.'Pna1cirlQ.tU:iltles t12Sep FY92 

lnrer;:rotM! Ext'ob~s 02S<p"""' 

F"f'IIAl... DESIGN OOQ.NENTS 26AprN93 

dgs1Ao~ P~;je$ 2SA;H F"Y93 

~D1l..,..,gs 2BAprf'$3 

$'ECFCAroNS>AWK+O 15NavF"Y94 

Sri'E/Bl.DG CO~UCTON C'(~fii,,., .. 

E»--IEIITFJ\CRUTION 

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OESIGN ND CONSTRUCTlON SCHEDlA..E 07/MAY/9fl 

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srr~LDG CONSTR.J::ilON 18FebF'nM "'""'FYllO "" 

EXHIBIT FASF'CA."T'O'II "'""'FY94 28ActF'r9e 270 

?f;,)I,,I FY95 ' 

EXH'9T 9-tP/INSTAU. "'"""F'YB:! 25.>.<FY'05 

~OA!AL & VC CENTER OPEN ?fl,!u1F""9:5 

"' 
78 

TO: Honorab1e Benjamin T. Manglona, Lieutenant Governor 

commonwealth of the Northern Marania Islands 

FROM: Paul Kalkwarf, Project Manager 

Denver Service Center;western Team, National Park service 

THROUGH: Ed Wood, Ranger-in-charge, American Memorial Park, Saipan 

SUBJECT: Oesign and Construction Estimate 

The following design and construction estimates are based on design 

concepts developed by the Denver Service Center in documents from 

November 1990 and June 1991. Tho three major items included for 

construction in these documents are a World War II memorial, a 

visitor cantQr and a museum. The estimates prepared earlier did 

not break out separately the cost of the vinitor center from the 

World war II memorial. 

The Saipan cost factor which we have shown, of multiplying by 2.2, 

is the same factor we used earlier for the proposed visitor center 

tor War in the Pacific, National Historic Park, Guam . 

All estimates are at our class "C" (+or- 15\) level and all of the 

construction estimates are inflated to 1994 costs. 

Request for funding thi~ project must include the cost of preparing 

construction drawings and !or the construction contract award 

process. 

The time frame for designing and awarding this project in FY 1994 

is very short. A contract award by September 1994 may be very 

difficult to achieve. 

World War II Memorial and Visitor Center 

Museum 

subtotal 

add Saipan construction factor 

$5,650,000 

$1,900,000 

$7,550,000 

"2.2 

total $16,610,000 

add design & contract award procnss $ 1,250,000 

total project cost $17,S6o,ooo 
79 

STATEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN RON DE LUGO 

HEARING ON H.R. 1944 

TO PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

AT THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, 

FORESTS, AND PUBLIC LANDS 

May 27, 1993 

Mr. Chairman, and Members of the Subcommittee. Let me begin by 

expressing my thanks to you and to the Ranking Member, Mr. Hansen, for 

holding this hearing. 

I also want to commend my colleague from Guam, Robert Underwood, for 

introducing this legislation to commemorate the sacrifices of the U.S. 

Armed Forces in the Pacific during World War II, as well as to honor the 

memory of the American Nationals of Guam who patriotically and 

courageously endured violence and suffering during the long Japanese 

occupation of their island. 

In addition, I also want to welcome the witnesses from Guam who have 

traveled a very long distance to testify at this hearing today. In particular, 

let me welcome Senator George Bamba who has been leading the fight for 

fair compensation for those who suffered or lost family members during the 

occupation of Guam. Senator Bamba and I have worked together on a 

number issue affecting Guam before the Subcommittee on Insular and 

International Affairs, which I am privileged to Chair. 

I also want to acknowledge the presence of Mrs. Beatrice Perez Emsley, 

another of the witnesses from Guam. Mrs. Emsley gave very moving 

testimony before my subcommittee, in the summer of 1989, on her 

experiences and her suffering when the Japanese occupied Guam. 

Mrs. Emsley, Mr. Chairman, was only thirteen years old when the enemy 

soldiers tried to behead her and left her for dead. I commend her for her 

courage and strength and again welcome her to the committee. 
80 

2 

As you know, Mr. Chairman, June 15th through August lOth of next year 

will mark the 50th anniversary of the Marianas campaign of World War II. 

During that period, American forces captured the islands of Saipan and 

Tinian in the Northern Marianas and liberated the United States territory 

of Guam from Japanese occupation. 

This anniversary makes this an appropriate time for the Congress to act to 

ensure that the tremendous sacrifices of that time will be remembered. The 

War in the Pacific National Historical Park in Guam and the American 

Memorial Park in the Northern Mariana Islands were both created to 

honor those who sacrificed in the islands during World War II. 

Although these parks were established in 1978, neither has been fullyfunded. They are not only incomplete, but are sad statements of our 

Nation's seeming indifference to the memory of those who suffered under 

occupation or because of the fighting between other nations. 

In the case of the War in the Pacific National Historical Park, there are 

approximately 170 acres of unacquired privately held lands within the 

boundary of the park. These land owners have been waiting for thirteen 

years for the National Park Service to purchase their property. I think the 

time has come, Mr. Chairman, for us to perhaps look at other possibilities 

for acquiring of the remaining acreage -- other than through purchases -- to 

complete the park. 

Approximately 5,700 U.S. troops were killed or missing and 21,900 wounded 

in the Marianas campaign. 

In addition, the Chamorro people of Guam suffered painful horrors at the 

hands of Japanese soldiers during the two and a half years that the island 

occupied. Guamanians, during this period, lived under a reign of terror 

where a failure to bow low enough to their conquerors or sing antiAmerican songs led to executions on the spot. 
81 

3 

Beheading, rapes, torture and senseless other brutalities were common. 

Hundreds of Guamanians were executed. 

And those fortunate enough to escape death were relocated to remote 

sections of the island, required to perform forced labor and eventually 

placed into concentration camps and subjected to retribution when the 

impending liberation of the island became apparent. 

Mr. Chairman, H.R. 1944 will commemorate the suffering of the people of 

Guam by authorizing of the building of a monument in their honor. 

It will do so by increasing the authorization for development of the War in 

the Pacific National Historical Park territory to $8 million. The bill also 

proposes to increase the authorization for the American Memorial Park on 

Saipan. 

In closing, I want to urge swift consideration of this bill because in a little 

over a year from now hundreds of veterans are expected to visit Guam and 

Saipan to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their victory over the 

Japanese and of the liberation of Guam. It would be a shame if there isn't 

an adequate monument or memorial to the thousands of Americans and 

Guamanians in place before that time, especially since the islands currently 

have splendid monuments built by Korea and Japan to commemorate their 

war dead. 
ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD 

ARMED SERVICES 

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Congressman Robert A. Underwood 

Stateme nt on H.R . 1 944 

Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, 

and Public Lands 

May 27, 1 993 
83 

Mr. Chairman and Membe rs of the Subcommittee : 

Thank you Mr. Chairman for holding this hearing today on H.R. 1944. 

I also join my colleagues this morning in extending a warm "Hafa 

Adai" to those witnesses who have travel led from Guam to present 

testimony on this bill. 

Mr. Chairman, in f ourteen mon t hs the islands of Guam, Saipan and 

Tinian will commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the he roic battles 

o f the Marianas campaign . The Government o f Guam and the 

Commonwealth o f the Northern Mariana Islands have been preparing 

for this event f or years. 

We on Guam hold very d early the memory o f the occupation and 

liberation o f our island. It is our fathers and mothers, and our 

brothers and sisters, who lived through the bruta l 32 months of 

occupation. We know who died, who was beheaded , who was beaten and 

who was tor tured . We know who ma rched to the concentration c amps 

in Manengon and Malojloj , and who was massacred in the caves at 

Fa ha and Tint a. We know because these were our fathers, mothers, 

brothers, sisters and neighbors. We know because it is our l egacy 

to remember what happened on our island fifty ye ars ago . 

To help us all remembe r, and to help future generations understand 

the vast ho rror of the War in the Pacific , H.R. 194 4 authorizes 

developments including a visitors cen ter and a monument o n Guam to 

the Chamorro people who suffered the atrocities of the occupation . 

The v i sitors centers at the War in the Pacific Park on Guam and the 

Ame rican Memo rial Park on Saipan a re i ntended to hold permanent 

displays o f the War . J ust as the experiences of t he Ho l ocaust and 

the attack on Pearl Harbor are memoriali z e d in the Ho locaust 

Museum's displays and t he Arizona Memorial's visitors center, so 

wi ll the War in the Pacific be remembered in permanent displ a ys in 

t he propos ed visitors centers. 

More i mportantly, H. R. 1 944 autho r izes a monument at the War in the 

Pac ific Park on Guam to honor those people who we re beheaded, 

executed, killed, suffered injury, o r endured for ced labo r, forced 

marc hes and internment in concentration camps during the 

occupation. Just as there is now on Guam a monument to the 

American liberators, a monument to the Japanese soldiers, even a monument to the American war dogs, there will finally, fifty years 

later, be a monument to t he people of Guam. 

The War i n the Pacific Park is unfinished. It commemorates a war 

o n Guam that is incomplete without the central theme inherent in 

the experi ence of the people of Guam. The legacy of the War is not 

about a rusty tank; it is a bout the heroism o f the Mari nes and 

soldiers who fought the Wa r . Like wise it is not a bo ut a village 

2 
84 

that was destroyed; it is about the villagers who were massacred. 

If you visit the War in the Pacific National Park on Guam and you 

do not get a sense of the human toll that the War extracted, then 

it must not be finished. 

If you do not see the names of people, such as Father Jesus Baza 

Duenas, Edward Camacho Duenas or Jose Leo~ Guerrero Cruz who were 

beheaded, or Alfred Flores and Francisco Borja Won Pat who were 

executed by firing squads, then you have ~ot experienced the War. 

If you do not hear the names spoken of those who suffered, like 

Beatrice Perez Emsley who was a victim of a Japanese sword, nearly 

decapitated and buried alive, but by the grace of God is still 

alive and who is here to testify today; or Jose Oficido Cruz, 

Joaquin Cruz and Juan Lizama who survived the massacre at a cave in 

Fena where thirty-three Chamorros were killed by hand grenades; or 

six year old Jesus Duenas Crisostomo, who was killed while showing 

the Americans a hidden Japanese position, then it is not finished. 

If you do not read the names of Manuel Charfauros, Felipe Santiago 

Cruz, Frank Anderson, Louisa Baza and Joaquina Concepcion, who 

crawled out of the caves at Faha and Tinta where forty-six other 

Chamorros were killed, then you do not know of our ordeal. 

If you do not read the stories of the Chamorro people, like 

Magdalena Tenorio 3arcinas, whose husband Martin died during forced 

labor, and whose daughter Antonia was beaten, and whose son Arthur 

was killed, then you do not understand their sacrifices. 

If the War in the Pacific Park does not bear witness to these 

stories, then it is not complete. 

If instead you see a picnic ground, then the War in the Pacific 

Park has failed in its essential purpose. 

H. R. 1944 proposes a monument to honor the People of Guam whose 

loyalty to America never wavered in spite of the atrocities they 

endured. 

In order to complete the monument in time for the 50th Anniversary 

of the Liberation of Guam on July 21, 1994, I propose that the 

Committee recommend in its report that in the interest of 

expediting the construction of the monument, the National Park 

Service commission one artist to design the monument. The 

background and experience of the artist should reflect the cultural 

values of the Chamorro People of Guam. The monument should convey 

an artistic interpretation of the occupation and liberation of Guam 

and the inherent suffering and triumph of the Chamorro people 

during this ordeal. 

3 
85 

The names to be p l aced on t he monume n t, which H. R. 1 944 requ i re s 

t he Of fi c e of Te rritorial a nd In e~na tion l Affairs (OTIA) o f t he 

Departme nt of the I nte ri o r t o provide, can be verifie d f r om t he 

records o f t he Gove rnme nt of Guam . My off i ce c an ass i st OTIA i n 

i dentifyi ng and acqu i r i ng t he nec essar y rec o r ds . 

I envis i on that the monume n t will b e pl a c e d in the War i n t he 

Pacific Na tion a l Park' s Nimitz Hill overl oo k, whi c h c ommands a 

d r amati c v i ew o f the Asan i nva s i o n beac h . The mo nument can be 

int egra ted i nto t he curre n t desi g n f o r the ove r l oo k, whe r e t he 

v i s i t o rs center wi ll a l s o be s i t uated . At t h i s l ate d ate, i t i s 

u nrealis tic t o e xpe c t t hat t he visit o r s cente r can be c ompl e ted in 

t ime f o r t he 50 t h Anniv ersary. Howe ver, it i s p ossible f o r t he 

monument t o be c ompl e t ed in t i me and fo r the Ni mi t z Hi l l overlook 

t o be in a pre sentabl e condi t ion. It may als o be possib l e t o 

iden tify modest fu nd s to comp l ete the fi r s t p hase of the v i s i t o rs 

c e nt er, a s ou t l ine d i n the Na t iona l Pa rk Se rvice 's p lan s. 

I t is also likely that Congress will authorize and fu nd the $3 .0 

million f o r the Ameri can Memor i a l Park i n Sa i pa n, a s r e comme nd e d by 

t he Ho use Commi t t ee on Na tur a l Resources. With thes e f u nd s, t he 

Ame r ican Memoria l Park wil l a lso be ab l e t o c omplet e the maj o r 

i mprov eme nts n e e d e d at that park. 

Mr. Cha irman , as we l ook to t he 50 th Ann ive r s ary of t he Ma ri a nas 

Campa ign , we must l ook at ou r r esponsi bil i t y to o u r chi-l dren . We 

must j udg e our success or f ai lure i n pre s erv i n g f or a l l gene ra tions 

t he ho rrors and t r i umphs of the War i n the pac ific. As care t a ke rs 

o f a l e gacy written in the bl ood i ed san d s o f t he i nva sion b eache s 

o f Guam, and e t ched i n the memory o f t he Chamorr o p e op le who 

s u r v ived t h e occ upa tion, it i s o u r d u t y t o do now wha t needs to b e 

done b efore t ime d e s t roy s the memory . 

I wou ld like to r e cogn ize three wi tnesse s who wi l l t estify today 

wi t h the ir uni q ue perspe ctives. Mr . Cyri l O'Br i e n, r e p r esenting 

t he Th ird Mari n e Di v ision Assoc i at i on of t he Un ited St ates, was o ne 

o f t he young Marine s who p articipa ted i n t he i nvasion of Guam . His 

memo ri e s o f those ba ttles, a nd h is apprec i a t i on o f t h e l oyalt y o f 

t he Ch amo rro p e o p l e will b e a rti c ul a te d in his t est i mony. 

Mrs . Beat r ice Perez Ems l e y , to whom I refe r r e d e a rlie r , s urvived 

o ne of the most horr ific atr oc iti es in t he l a s t day s pri or to the 

Li be ra tion . Nea rly decapit a t ed by a J apanese s word a nd buri e d i n 

a mass gra ve, Mrs . Emsl ey b e ars witne ss t o a t ime tha t few p eop le 

b e lieve c a n eve n oc cur o n our peace f ul i sl and. Her story i s a 

p rof o und s t a t ement o f t he qui e t courage o f the Chamorr o people . 

Ro s a l i a Bo rda l lo, a f ourt h gra de r a t Cathedral Grade School, wi l l 

e n light e n us wi th her pe rspe ctive a s an heir to ou r legacy. The 

mo nument and visi tors cent e r a r e mean t to pre s e r v e the histo ry o f 

the war for fu tu r e gene r a t ions . Rosa li a knows about the wa r from 

4 
86 

her grandfather and fathe r; future schoolchi l dren will :earn about 

the legacy from history books and from the War in the I>ac if ic Park . 

Mr. Chairman , I again thank you for holding this hearing, and I 

urge my colleagues to listen with their hearts to the testimony 

presented by the witnesses from Guam today. 

5 
87 

OPENING STATEMENT 

THE HONORABLE JAMES V. HANSEN 

ON H.R. 1944 

A BILL TO INCREASE THE AUTHORIZATION 

CEILINGS AT AMERICAN MEMORIAL 

AND WAR IN THE PACIFIC PARKS 

MAY 27, 1993 

Mr. Chairman, we are taking up legislation today 

which I think reveals the frustration that many Members of 

Congress have with respect to being able to fully fund 

parks in areas we represent. The War in the Pacific 

National Historic Park in Guam and American Memorial 

Park in Saipan were established in 1978 to commemorate 

the human tragedy which occurred in the Pacific Theater 

during World War II. This is an extremely important 

aspect of our American history which deserves to be 

recognized within our park system. 
88 

-2-

Mr. Underwood has re-introduced the legislation 

authored by Mr. Blaz last Congress in hopes of securing 

funds for the parks in the area he represents. Mr. 

Chairman, we all need additional funds for parks in areas 

we represent; in fact, I testified to that effect before the 

Interior Appropriations Subcommittee just a few weeks 

ago. It is precisely this reason that this side of the aisle 

gets so concerned whenever the park system is expanded. I 

would hope that the other side of the aisle would soon 

come to recognize this relationship between new park 

proposals and funding existing parks and join us in more 

critically reviewing the many proposals that come before 

this Committee. 
89 

-3-

I support the efforts of the Gentleman from Guam in 

his attempt to secure additional funds for the War in the 

Pacific Park. However, I cannot support those sections of 

the bill which would have the effect of jumping the priority 

of funding visitor centers at these parks over numerous 

other parks in the system which have been waiting far 

longer. For example, Lassen Volcanic National Park, 

established in 1907, has no visitor center. It is not right for 

this Committee to leap frog over so many other priorities 

to create new visitor centers at these two parks by fiscal 

year 1994. In fact, as the Administration will testify, 

construction of these visitor centers by the dates 

established in this bill is not even feasible. 
90 

Testimony of 

Governor Lorenzo I. De Leon Guerrero 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 

Re: H.R. 1944 

for the 

American Memorial Park 

before the 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Subcommittee on National Parks, 

Forests and Public Lands ·May 27, 1993 

We extend to you, Mr. Chairman, and distinguished members or· 

your Subcommittee, our warmest greetings and "Hafa Adai". 

Thank you for inviting us to provide testimony for before your 

distinguished Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public 

Lands fulfilling the mandate of our Covenant and Public Law 95· 

348. 

Let us take a moment to go Into history, nearly 49 years ago, to 

reflect the emotional anxiety of that hellish war: 

"It was exactly 5:42 a.m. on June 15, 1944, when tbe 

Commander of Task Force 58, Admiral Turner, gave the 

order 'Land the Landing Forces!' The 2nd and 4th Marine 

Divisions began landings on Saipan's well-defended beaches 

to start what would be one of tbe bloodiest battles of the 

Pacific war. The first wave of amphibians and tanks landed 

at 8:30, but many were knocked out by intense Japanese 

resistance. Of the 14 medium tanks of the 4th Division, 

only four reached the beach in operating condition. Within 

20 minutes, 700 landing vehicles bad landed more than 

8,000 marines of the 2nd and 4tb Divisions. The Japane11e 

troops inflicted more tban 2,000 casualties on what the 

marines called "Dog Day". But they had established a 

beachhead 10,000 yards long and about 1,500 yards deep. 

Admiral Turner said later: The Saipan landing ... was the 

most difficult of any I personally experienced during the 

war." 
91 

Mr. Chairman, on June 15, 1944, under hellish and deadly 

bombardment from nearly invisible and Impregnable 

gun emplacements dug Into a series of ridges perfectly placed to 

defend against amphibious assault, three divisions of United 

States Armed Forces began the final phase of the Pacific War by 

Invading Saipan to use as a forward staging base for B-29 bomber 

assaults on Japan. 

The beaches and shallow waters of the Saipan lagoon were 

literally turned red with the precious blood from the brave men 

of the Second and Fourth Marine Divisions who led the assault. 

In a very short time the brave men of the U.S. Army's 27th 

Division bled and died for their country -- now our country •• 

~o,ng_ side th~_Mari!J~ on our_ beache!J _and ridges, and in our 

JUngles and villages. Of the 71,000 American troops who landed 

on Salpan, nearly 4,000 were killed, 13,100 were wounded or 

missing in action. American losses on Saipan were double those 

suffered on Guadalcanal. 

The defenders fought with a desperation born of the knowledge 

that the loss of Saipan meant the ultimate defeat of their 

homeland. They fought with the certain knowledge that they 

would have no reinforcements •• that they must defend their 

empire with all the ferocity and cunning they had. The fanatic 

resistance to the Invasion brought utter destruction to the 

defenders. Of the 31,630 Japanese troops on Saipan, 

approximately 29,500 died as a result of the fighting. 

Death and agony was not limited to the soldiers. During the 

twenty-four days of savage fighting required to root out the cutoff and desperate defenders, roughly nine percent of the local 

civllian population -- our Chamorro and Carolinian people ·-

were killed in the cross fire. Think of what it would be like for 

America to suddenly lose 9% of its population. This was a buge 

and grievous loss for us. And that is not all. Hundreds of 

Korean and Oklnawan civilian workers and their families brought 

to Saipan as labor for the Japanese war machine were 

slaughtered. Japanese civilian families •• men, women, 

and children •• believing the war propaganda of their army, 

jumped to their deaths from cliffs on Saipan that now have 

shrines and peace monuments. 

There are, in fact, many shrines and monuments to the 

2 
92 

Japanese defenders of Saipan In various locations on the island. 

The governments of Japan, Korea, and Okinawa have constructed 

peace memorials to honor their dead. The Marine survivors of 

the invasion have installed a small bronze plaque on the primary 

landing beach from private contributions. 

Mr. Chairman, tile approach of the 50th anniversary of the 

Saipan invasion reminds us that tbe great sacrifices made for 

liberty and democracy by Americans and Chamorros and 

Carolinians alike during this Invasion have not been suitably 

remembered and honored by the United States Government. 

I am sure, Mr. Chairman, that you are fully aware that the 

Commonwealth has long taken seriously the obligation to create 

a. fit_t}ng !"em!Jrial to_.those br.a.ve AmJlricans .who died for. our 

freedom. 

We formed an American Memorial Park Planning Committee. 

Our committee is action-oriented. Our general management park 

plan is completed and is now being implemented. Two years ago 

we conducted a design concept competition for a fitting 

monument for our American Memorial Park coordinated by the 

National Park Service Center in Denver. With their help, we 

now have selected a fitting design concept for the memorial. 

Because of our commitment to get results, we even brought 

several National Park Service architects to Saipan to personally 

survey our American Memorial Park site. To expedite 

construction and to save money, we have solicited the support of 

the U.S. Navy Seabees who have been on Saipan for more than 

one month assisting in the site preparation for this important 

project, as well as paving the parking lot at the new multipurpose pavilion which is nearing completion and will play a key 

role in our 50th anniversary commemoration. At this time the 

only thing stopping us from issuing out the A & E design and 

construction of the monument Is lack of funding. Mr. Chairman, 

we need your help. 

Time is running out.. We need to Immediately reach the deadline 

to plan and construct an appropriate memorial monument to 

commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Marianas campaign. 

Without an American Memorial Park authorization and 

appropriation in this session of Congress, it may not be possible 

for us to build the monument and other park facilities envisioned 

in our Covenant. H.R. 1944 will fulfill this important mandate 

3 
93 

to fittingly honor all the brave members of the U.S. military who 

made the supreme sacrifice in the Marianas, and our innocent 

people who were caught in the crossfire. 

Mr. Chairman, our Covenant brought democracy, individual 

liberties, and self-government to our Islands for the first time in 

our history. We honor and revere tbls charter of our freedom. 

We also honor and cherish our place In the American political 

family. The proposed construction of the American Memorial 

Park monument is now our common responsibility. It is a shared 

sacred obligation we have to the memories of those who died and 

suffered that we, and others around the Pacific and the world, 

might enjoy our present freedoms. The Marianas invasions were 

eclipsed in publlcltJ .~by the. N.ormandy _invasion that began just niiu~ -days eariier . on the other side of the world. But the effects 

of the Marianas invasions were just as important to the War in 

the Pacific as Normandy was to the crusade in Europe. 

Americans fought and suffered and died to secure forward air 

bases from which to hasten the end of the war and end the 

suffering. Their sacrifices did exactly that. They suffered and 

died so that others might live. The air campaign did ultimately 

bring a swift end to the war. 

We cannot, and we must not, allow those sacrifices to fade from 

our memory. To the monuments at Bunker Hill and Gettysburg, 

at Shiloh and Vicksberg, at Arlington and at the somber 

cemeteries In Europe that honor American dead we must now 

Include the American Memorial Park monument in Saipan. 

Mr. Chairman, it is within your power to take the first positive 

step to achieve this sacred commitment. I humbly urge you and 

all the members of your Subcommittee to please favorably 

approve the authorization and appropriation of funding 

immediately so we can continue the complex and time consuming 

process of constructing this long over-due memorial monument to 

those who gave so much for us. May we never forget all those 

who fought and shed their blood on our soil so that we can enjoy 

freedom and liberty today. 

Thank you and Si Yuus Maase. 

---'?~­ [~:~DE LEC>N-GUERRERO 

4 
94 

®ffirr nf tbr &prakrr TWENTY -SECOND GUAM LEGISLATURE 

!55 Hesler St . 

Agana , Guam U.S.A. 9691 0 

SENATOR JOE T. SAN AGUSTIN (0) TeL (671)477-8527/9120 • Faxo (671) 4775570 

The Honorable Robert Underwood 

U.S. House of Representatives 

507 Cannon House 

Office Building 

Washingwn, D.C. 20515 

Dear Congressman Underwood, 

June 10, 1993 

I am writing in reference to your H.R. 1944 regarding improvements for the 

War in the Pacific Park on Guam_ I am pleased to learn that you are making 

progress in securing passage of this important legislation_ As I have indicated to 

your earlier, your endeavors have the full est support of the members of the 22nd 

Guam Legislature_ 

We share your hopes for the eventual enactment of H.R. 1944_ As you 

know, this legislation is important to the people of Guam for a number of reasons_ 

The general improvements of this park facility are, of course, long overdue and 

very much needed_ Beyond this concern tl10ugh, the hi :oric recognition provided 

in your legislation for the suffering our people endured during the Japanese 

Occupation has struck a deeply responsive chord in our community_ As you 

continue to purse adoption of this measure, please be assured that your efforts have 

the he:.!rt~e~t endc:-serr:e:H cf myself, my -::oHe:1gues, ~nd th~ r~vpk of cur island. 

Sincerely, 
95 

STATEMENT OF 

THE HONORABLE JUAN N. BABAUTA 

RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED STATES 

FROM THE 

COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS 

ON 

ILR.l944 

BEFORE THE 

SUBCOMMI'ITEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS, AND PuBLIC LANDS 

COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY27, 1993 

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: 

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony in support of 

H.R. 1944. 

I am especially pleased to be able to work in concert with Mr. Robert 

Underwood of this Subcommittee. The gentleman from Guam in the short 

time he has been in Congress has already extended a helping hand to his 

brothers and sisters in the Northern Marianas on numerous occasions. 

H.R. 1944 is just one example of that. I thank him. 

Many of my comments here would apply equally to the War in the 

Pacific Park on Guam and to the American Memorial Park on Saipan. 

However, because I know the American Memorial Park I will confine my 

remarks to that park. 

One year ago I testified in favor of legislation introduced by Senator 

Daniel Akaka, which would have raised the authorization for the 

American Memorial Park to $8 million just as H.R. 1944 proposes. In that 

testimony I pictured a grim scene at the park site for the June, 1993, fiftieth 

anniversary of the U.S. invasion of the Northern Marianas: 
96 

Testimony of Juan N. Babauta 

Resident Representative 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 

May27,1993 

Page2 

That commemoration will take place on the bare expanse of 

grass and sand set aside on Saipan for the American 

Memorial Park. To one side is the shell of an abandoned 

elementary school, its roof gone in a typhoon. Nearby a locked 

concrete hut holds the few war relics gathered by a now 

defunct museum committee; an occasional venturesome 

tourist tries to peer through the window. Outside on broken 

tarmac a howitzer, a Japanese tank, a torpedo have been 

hauled up; they rust away in the sea air. 

Today, I can report to you that the situation has improved. Because of 

the leadership of Lt. Governor Benjamin T. Manglona and the efforts of 

many in the Northern Marianas, development of the park site has begun. 

With local government funds a pala-pala has been erected, with the 

cooperation of the Commander in Chief of US Naval Forces in the Marianas 

a crew of Seabees and their heavy equipment have done site preparation, 

and a concerted effort of local fund raising has raised thousands of dollars. 

But much more remains to do. Last month during confirmation 

hearings for Interior Department Assistant Secretary Leslie Turner, 

Senator Akaka called the condition of this site "an affront to all 

Americans." Less than two weeks ago the House Natural Resources 

Committee itself issued a report saying the present monument to US war 

dead at American Memorial Park is "inadequate." 

Congress has a choice. You can allow the fiftieth anniversary of the 

battle of Saipan to pass without attention. Or you can act to assure that the 

commemoration of what Marine Lt. General Holland Smith, commander of 

US landing forces, called "the decisive battle of the Pacific offensive" will 

occur in a fitting setting. 
Testimony of Juan N. Babauta 

Resident Representative 

97 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 

May27, 1993 

Page 3 

Mr. Chairman, it will never be too late to create a proper memorial to 

the four thousand Americans who died taking Saipan. But in not too many 

years the survivors of that bloody month of jungle combat will all have 

passed on. We could finish the American Memorial Park thirty years from 

now, but no one would attend that dedication whose personal experience 

encompassed the event commemorated. How much better it would be if we 

could build the Park now and honor the living as well as the dead. 

Mr. Chairman, thank you again for the opportunity to testify. 
98 

Testimony of 

Senator Elizabeth P. Arriola 

Chairperson, Twenty-Second Guam Legislature's Committee on Youth 

Senior Citizens 3Ild Cultural Affairs 

on H.R. 1944 

"A BILL TO PROVllJE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT WAR 

IN THE PACIFIC NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, AND FOR OTHER 

PURPOSES" 

May 26,1993 

Hafa Adai, I am Senator Elizabeth P. Arriola, chairperson of the 22nd 

Guam Legislature's Committee on Youth, Senior Citizens and Cultural 

Affairs and I thank the Honorable Bruce Vento, chairman of the 

subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands for receiving 

my testimony in support of H.R. 1944 for proposing the use of federal park 

land for our people and most especially for its promotion of cultural 

preservation efforts. I also thank Congressman Robert A. Underwood for 

sponsoring a bill whose intent, in part, had mirrored my objective 1990 to 

erect a similar monument at Gaan Point in Agat within the War fu the 

Pacific National Historic Park.. The names of that memorial were to bear 

the victims of Fena Massacre during Guam's occupation by Japanese 

Imperial Forces. 

Few will not argue that many lives were lost and many more suffered the 

rippling tragedies of that war. Today, that period is but a chapter in 

Guam's history books, buried away as an ugly past. I contend that Guam 

has yet to realize the real value of that historical period. The comfortable 

lifestyle we maintain today is tied to that period of turbulence in Guam's 

history. Only memories, war wounds and untold stories are left of that era. 

Unfortunately, those untold stories rob Guam of part of its history and 

represent the erosion of Guam's culture. In recent years, the island has 

undergone an unprecedented frenetic rate of development. While we 

welcome the economic benefits, it has diluted the dynamics of our island 

culture. 

The same economics that has upgraded our lifestyle has strained the 
99 

cultural fabric that prov-ide~ the 3hcngth end blurs the ideality of vur 

people. Orul hi3tory and 3tory·telling by our elders have: gin::.t way lo 

videogrephy with 3pecial effects and other more tedw.i<.:<U arl forms. The 

telling of these stories played a crucial role w lLe vn:~erV-ation of our 

culture in that they were passed ou with t;d~u ~en~ration. Unfortunatelv, 

the generation in pursuit of high"'" lcdwulugy poses roadblocks in the 

pas~i.ug vu ~r cullu.ral <;.>;>Jed.,; and traditions that make Guam uniqllf'. Tt.'~ 

ol'L.t:u Leen. ~aid that a person must know and understand wherf' h~>y c.!lme 

from to appreciate who and what they have become and t:n h~>~t. de.cide their 

future direction. 

Tt. ;~in t.h:>t. v~in 8nd in the int<>rest of our youth and ~ture tlut I offer full 

support of H.R. 1941 s.e a me:me: of providing a tangible approach in the 

prcGcrvation of our culture :-nd the memorialization of the ~o.JTering Guam 

endured for the liberties we tnjuy tudtty. 

The erec.tion of !l m~rnori:~l monument b<>aring the names of :ill thocc who 

suffered personal injury or who died during Japan's occupation makes 

hie: tory al.rooGt pcriDD.ncnt with it3 3tark reminder of the forced 1!1uvr, forced 

marches, and internment of the Chas.uumJ~ who survived those hardships. 

Underst.aoding this part of Guam's turbulent history m~hs ns appreciate 

the freedom we now enjny R.ncl Pn"""T~gl? > great<>r care in choosing the 

dir<>M::ion of the island's future. It's important for future generations to 

know that the nn.mcc the memorial 3hell bear are of Chamvrrv:; who 

suffered .fatal tragedies at a time when Guau.t ~ujoyed little, if an.v, luxury 

uf Loday'~ modern amenities. I especially endorse thl" implementation of 

programs to interpret exp P. rien""'~ "f t.h<> people who endured that war. 

This, too; is an effective approach in the cult-ural prcccrvation of Cuam's 

hie:tory and pacGogc of thb Bill will moat certainly be . au d.IJf.lfUVrial..e 

commemoration of the 50th Anuivtr63.!'.)' uf lhe Marianas C<lmpaign of 

WWII "L..ich re~lor~d freedom to Guam and her people. With ~ 11 d11"' 

respect, I urge expedient pass2.ge ofH.R. 15344. 
May 24, 1993 

Chai.rman Bruce F. Veneto 

Subr.onu1uttee on National Parks, 

Forest and P11blic; Lands 

Ill-812 O'Neill H .O.B. 

W;'lsh.ington, DC 20515 

100 

Dear Mr. Chairrn«n and Members of the Subcmnmittee on Katil)nal 

Parks: 

It is always a pleasure for me--a n honorary citizen of Guam--to 

speak on behalf o£ the people of Guam. This great honor was 

bestowed on me by the Guam legislature after I was awarded the 

Medal of H onor for service during the invasion preceding 

liberation in July 1944. 

HR 1944 provides much needed additional development at tl1e War 

in the Pacific National I-Iistorical Park in Guam. I enthusiastically 

n:comn1er'd its passage and urgt' Congress to aulhori?.e such 

additional dt'velopment as envisioned in the bill. 

I was a company commander in the 3rd Marine Division dming the 

invasion and subsequent liber<1tion of this, the only United States 

territory occupied in World War II by an enemy force. I saw first 

hand the terrible suffering experienced by the eo pl~ of Guam and 

their absolute loyalty to America during tht-:ir 32 months of 

captivity. They held 1m optimistic, unbounded belief that America 

would not abandon them. 
101 

Now its tin'•' to c; nize rhe acr >·~ es made during this 

-' P[.li' <"'o~ iv·~ c)<XUjn tlon. The rda tiv.::!y small omount of OHr niltional 

H'SOurces ncquin;·,_l to CLlJLIJ:n ( <norale lhis dedica tion and sacrifice 

seems a S1nall am•. w<t l:o pay for such pavio tism and tl. ~ .1bility to 

influ ~~ ce future gr n•:r-.1 tions. 

I der)ply i • ~!d that I am unable to personally appea r lw fore !Ius 

imp01tant bcomuuu-ee . I slrongly mge you to enact this 

legislation. I plan to retm n for the 50111 amuversary of H1e 

T .iberalion in 1994. No1hing would please rne more than to--see not 

nnly an expa ied nutional park·-but a ·m•)ntunent to honor the 

:, rav~ citizens of Gu<lm who suffered so greatly. 

Thank you for the opportunity to acittress thi.s House SubCll mmittee 

on National Parks. 

L. ~~ )/. Ji.fm General Louis H. Wilson, USMC (Ret) 

Medal of I--fonor-Guam-1 944 

Commandant of the Marine Corps-197.5-79 

1338 Wernble Road 

San Morino, CA 91108 
102 

Guam 0\apter 

Marin~ Division Association, In 

-~---· - ~ugainv~l ~ ~"'1'~ •_ Iwo Jlma • Vietnam --

P 0 I OX 7012 TAMUNING GUAM 96931 

Honorable sruce ventr 

Chairman, Subcommltt on Parks and Lands 

Washington, D.C. May 21, 1993 

Dear Congressman Vento : 

I take this opportuhlty to offer comments on Bill 1944, concerning 

funding lor an appropr\ate memorial to honor the people of Guam,and the 

members oi.Jhe / U.S. rmed Forces that help liberate Guam during World 

War II. 

I believe that such a memorial Is fitting to recognize the sufferings of 

tho Chamorro people nder the tyranny of the Japanese military that 

:~~a~~pfeu~f~~:~'s~'o~l:e:ou~;~~~u't~at~d ~~! ~~~~t~~n'~i'-t:e :~r~lal to 

generations about the ~ufferings of the people and the strong patriotism 

to the United States ofi America throughout the period of the Japanese 

occupation. There wer~ many lives lost but the Chamorro people of 

Guam never wavered I their loyalty to Uncle Sam. . 

During World War II, I served with the Third Marine Division from the 

time It was org;Jnl~ed at Camp Elliott and Camp Pendleton In 1942 to the 

time It was disbanded bnGuam In 1945, except for the period of time that I 

was sent to Ouantlco,~~lrglnla for Officer Candidate School. As a Marine, 

I feel that a fitting me orlal should be 

provided also to honor the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who fought 

In the Pacific during World War II. Building these memorials at the War In 

the Pacific Park at Asa~. Guam would b~ In keeping with the purpose of 

tho National Park. on G_IJam for the education of future generations of 

Americans. It would give meaning to the saying that Guam Is a showcase 

for DEMOCRACY and t~at Guam Is where America begins it's day. 

Thank you for the 7onor and the opportunity to comment on Bill 1944. 

Hafa Ada! andpSemper Fldells 

fJ4/&!1 ' ,.-~- Peter C. SlguJza, Capt.Kn USMCR, Ret. 

President J 
103 

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Dorr~l EorJa ToYY~rt~ 

'rhr;, Hl)nr;r a ble. r; b~ t Underwood 

Memb e r of Conareas ~(Yf Cannr;n Hous<;> 0 ' fir:e [luildinR: 

a~ inAto . D.C . 2 515-5301 

OeaT· Del. Underwoo 

11;, v 113 . 1993 

I ,.am writinP. in 6U port of bill H.R. 1944 to devP.loPed the War in 

t.hlo Pa0ific Nat i on· l Hist0 ri <:: ,.l P;;rlt on Gu,.m. The aiPnifi<::-!lnce of 

t.h'iB hiFJtoric-:.. 1 m0 urne nt cc.nno t be 0verly l'lmpho">ized. 

A'> ;;n educator . dvocate that know l edRe is acquired and :better· 

l~i ned thr0uRh f rst hand exparien0ea and ezposure not only in 

tho cla ~eroome but aleo siAnificantlv out8ide the classroom as it 

oe~tain~ to our cul ural herita•e. Ins truc tions in histo ry become 

more vivid Wh'On fj\, dents are Riven the Opportunity to witne e s a nd 

t.o i explore events ae they oc<::ur. Sine"' thio is not a l'Nay s 

ooilsibl":. havinP. t e Netir;nal Hist orical Pa rk 'Nould se rvl!l a.~ an 

alte rnative to vi e events as the y had take.n place in the P~~t . 

The s ign i fi cance o the proposed mo nument i~ a symbolic means of 

e~chinP, cul t.ur.,. h ·story .;nd th-:: Pl i~ht of the ChamorroB who were 

I>Ub.iect":d to iu:-e>:~t h ardshit•, tartur" ;;nd eve n death durinR the 

WWII. The interee and u~i o~i tv generated bv the monument will 

inevitably lead to inquiries. di ecussions and re~Sear h vital to 

~i tcove rv and l ear lnP. succees. 

This monumF:.n t ie t r lv a P.ift desl':rvinl' of Guam · s "tudents and the< 

Ch1mr;rrr; peoole. < uam re s idents and visitor~ 'Nill also have the 

opportuni tv to bet e r u nde rst.;nd what Gu,.m hae •mdured in th-:: 

cours" of history Whila th": War of the Pacific National 

Hietorica l Park on uam Provide l aasons o f sacrif ice , it wili a lso 

prr;u,o te t he V-!i l ue of Pe"c"'. l ove< , and friends hip amon P. the 

rrtulticultural and rn ltilingua l POPUl'lc<: . 

-~//~i;l;;. Natividad Gumateo tao 

Teache r. Guam Public Sch oo l 
106 

Letters in Support of H.R. 1944 

From the students of the 5th Grade 

Gifted and Talented Program 

Price Elementary School, Mangilao , Guam 

Ms. Sisson, Principal 

Ms. Cabot, Teacher 

Cheressa Cruz: 

I think that (we] should preserve and protect our parks and 

museums because it is a part of Guam's history a nd culture. A lot 

of people would like to see our heritage and background preserved 

and protected . National historical parks are also important to me 

because Guam is a part of my heritage. All of Guam's beauty and 

treasures should be preserved because Guam is a very beautiful 

place. 

If I could support this bill I would because Guam is very 

important to me . I would also support this bill because Guam is a 

paradise island in the Pacific ocean and it should be preserved. 

Sirena Mary Laguana Marta : 

National Historical Parks and museums are important for us 

little kids because it shows us what happened here in Guam long 

ago . And it is important to preserve these because the tourist(s] 

come to see our beautiful island and they go back and tell the 

people where they live to come here to Guam because they have a l ot 

of historical parks and historical museums and wonderful beaches. 

And when we grow up and have kids of our own I wou ld l ike it to 

still be here so that my kids can learn what happened long time 

ago . 

Kristopher Dominguez: 

I think our national and historical parks are important to us 

because we can l earn the background of our ancestors and so we can 

l earn what they did a long time ago . I really want our park here 

so I can learn my culture and my heritage. But if I could help 

support this bill, I would . Because I think I should help our 

national and historical parks. 

Kuuipo Borja: 

What I think is that we should stand up for this bill because 

of the many historical things we have on our island. We need to 

protect and furnish it with the best we can because very much of 

these things have a l ot of meaning to it. 

Right now I think for more protection and safety for these 

many valuable things we have . If I could I would support this bill 

because a lot of the things we have are about the war . They are 

historic and mean very much to our i s land. 
107 

Letters from Price Elementary School 5th Graders 

Mangilao, Guam 

Page 2 

Joanne Matanane: 

I think it's really important that we should preserve the museums and historical parks so that the next people who are 

brought up on Guam will learn our culture, ancestry, and heritage. 

It might be an advantage for the youth on Guam if they knew all 

this. Protecting the museums and historical parks would probably 

save our ancient artifacts like the latte stones, ancient wells, 

and ovens. If we could do this and put some of it in museums we'd 

probably save most of our heritage. By placing this bill we would 

get the help we need. And by getting the help it wouldn't just be more money, protection, and preservation but it would be a great 

help by educating students about our culture. It also would help 

the island by saving the artifacts that the native Chamorros once 

used. This would make the island's youth realize the hardships 

passed on and also show them how they used to learn long ago. 

If this bill is passed the island would probably have more kids learning about our background. Now if I could support this 

bill I would do it because it would not only help other children 

learn, but it would also help me. I'm proud of my heritage and 

culture, and I really would like to help other people learn our 

background. By doing this, the island of Guam would probably be a 

better place to live. Not just for the youth but also for the 

elders. For them to remember our island of Guam. 

So if I could support it, I would. I would do this for 

everyone on Guam, including the wildlife. If there were more 

national historical parks Guam would be the perfect island 

protected by Congress. 

Nicole Fallorina: 

National and Historical parks should be preserved. They 

should be preserved because they are important national treasures 

of Guam. They help us remember what happened in the past and why. 

I think these parks are good for the younger generation to be 

informed about their island. 

I would try to support this bill in every way because it is a good bill. I think this bill will help our island very much to 

keep the remains of our past and history preserved. I'm sure our own island will be pleased once this bill is settled. 
108 

Letters from Price Elementary 5th Grader s 

Mangilao, Guam 

Page 3 

Amni Saleh: 

I think a bill should be passed to preserve our national and 

historical parks because they tell and share the past so we will 

know. If not, how will we know what to do if it happened again? 

our parks and museums are sharing and preserving our history and 

our heritage. Without anything to tell our past we would be blind. 

We need more places like this so we can learn. Our island has been 

through so much for us and it's like the island is saying to us, 

"please preserve your historical monuments and national park!" We 

should try to help our island. So please do it for this generation 

and the generation to come. When there's a need there's a way! 

Ana Murphy Babauta: 

So I can learn more about my history and study it. Because 

it's very important that people learn about it on our island of 

Guam. Because the history in the United States is the history of 

Guam too. 

I should support this bill to save our history. If they did 

do something to this park then people in the future wouldn 't know 

much of our history. People who do remember it would tell people 

in the future but they wouldn't tell enough of it. 

This museum could tell a lot about the past and I bet it is a 

very beautiful place too. I really want to save this p lace , a lot! 
109 

, ... 

'·"''Third Marine Division Associat --~ ... -~~~-~~ ~ Gougainville · Guam · lwo Jima · Vietnam ~ 

'i'O: CongreSS'~lan ?orter Goss Ft. r.:eyers I FL 

Senator Bob Graha~ Tampa, FL Senator Connie ·.:ack Tampa, FI 

Congress~a~ Dan ~iller Sarasota, FL 

Dear: 

21 June 199) 

As a former cornbat J,:arine during 'Sorld -.var II, and .1. 

Liberator of Gua~, I strongly and respectfully urge you to support Bill H~ 1944 now before Congress. In addition to you support, I request that you encourage your colleagues to pass this Bill which will honor the brave and loyal people of 

Guam. 

On 21 July 1944, I landed with the assault wave of the 

'rhird ~:arine Division to recapture the only American terri tory 

occupied by the Japanese during '.f.iii. For 32 months the people 

of Guam suffered under Japanese rule ... they were tortured, mai~ed 

e:Jdured forced marches, internment and were murCered .. only because 

they maintained their loyalty to the United States of A"'erica. 

I had personally witnessed some of this Japanese brutality. I•iidway throueh the campaign, while on a co~bat patrol, we came upon a clearing within a densely wooded area ... there, on their knees with ar11s anc1_ hands bound behin,:::1 their backs 'Nere forty Cha:norro 

childre:r1, women and elderly men ... ,v;ho only hours before were 

be-hea:JeC!! -~he people of Guam suffered many such atrocities. 

Fifty years have passed ... it is now time for them to be xor;o~":D. 

copy: 

Congressman R.A.Underwood 

Sincerely, 

'--~-

HaroJ.G K. Noble 

past ?resident, past Chairman 

Board of Directors Third :.:arine Division Ass'n. 

J822 Cakley Greene 

Sarasota, FL 3~235 
110 

Letter of Mrs . Arlene Taitague Acfalle 

In Support of H. R. 1944 

Merizo, Guam 

May 18, 1993 

Guam, Mariana Islands 

Merizo Village 

May 18 , 199 3 

Dear Delegate Robert Underwood, 

I give my support to this bill concerning the "War Monument" 

to your hearing on May 27, 199 3. 

Often times we take freedom for granted . Our forefathers are 

no exception ensuring the freedom we enjoy today. History has a 

tendency to repeat itself, sad to say, even the wars that can be 

avoided . We must still be vigilant and carry this commitment down 

to our children. 

What other memento to foster an affirmative stance than 

erecting a monument to our fallen heroes who experienced the 

supreme and ultimate sacrifices. A monument to remind us [what] 

freedom indeed costs and must be prevented at all cost. 

Every year the village of Merizo honors those men and women 

who died during WWII and the Japanese occupation. 

Although this event coincides with the Liberation celebration, 

all veterans are honored and revered, be it the Korean War, Vietnam 

War, [and] Tingting Hanom, Faha cave, Tinta cave, during the 

Japanese occupation. 

In our small village of Merizo 46 men and women died during 

the Japanese occupation, 5 died during the Vietnam crisis and 2 for 

[the] Korean war. 

I felt that in the life of an individual we are deeply touched 

to see these Chamorros sacrificed, in memory of our loved ones who 

died with undimmed faith and hope. As [a] concerned local U.S. 

citizen of Guam, I am glad and hopeful t .hat our Guam Congressman 

Robert Underwood will provide our peopl e of Guam with this 

opportunity that we are asking for--simple justice in memory [and] 

in honor of our loved ones who died during this war . 

Keep up the good work and God wil l be give you more blessings. 

God be with you always. 

Yours respectfully, 

Mrs. Arlene Taitague Acfalle 

Local U.S. citizen of Guam 
111 

Testimony of Mrs. Natividad Gumataotao 

Malesso, Guam 

Our forefathers are honored every year down here in Malesso. 

We honor them to show our deepest appreciation for what they have 

done during the Japanese occupation. 

This celebration is one of the most solemn occasions where all 

the fallen heroes' loved ones gather to show respect and gratitude 

for the ultimate sacrifice that befalls them at Faha cave, Tinta 

cave, and Tingting Hanorn. 

Often times as a resident of Merizo (Malesso) I dream that one 

day a monument will be built at the actual site of these events 

during WWII, 1944. our children, and their younger ones will enjoy 

this monument. I also envision parks alongside the area where the 

people of Guam will sit down and think of how fortunate we are 

today to enjoy the freedom dearest to us which cost so many lives. 

[This is] for us, the living, [so] that we can prevent and guard 

our freedom matter what price we have to pay. 

This [monument] will bring pride to our culture. I can see 

more concrete benches a nd concrete tables constructed in the 

future. This generation and the next will ensure that this is part 

of history and it will not [be] repeated. The Army Corps of 

Engineers will then clean our rivers proudly. Our beautiful local 

fish, shrimp, and eels will come to live. Everything will start a 

chain reaction and many beautiful projects coming from the heart 

will be done. Because the pas t will link us into our present. 

I just hope that the se heroes will not have died in vain but 

will live in our minds and hearts and empower us to be proud of our 

heritage and culture. Our unique Chamorro culture will then be 

a ppreciated and will touch other people across the globe so this 

world can be peaceful--that was meant to be. 

Therefore I fully support bill number 1944. 

0 




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