Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-08-11
Navy Man Who EIuded Jops for 81 Months
On Guam Tells Story ST Lost Garrison
By the Associated Press.

PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUAR-
TIERS, Pearl Harbor. Aug. 1.-THE
tirst eyewitness story OF the valiant
American "lost garrison" on Guam
has been told by Chief Radioman
George Ray Tweed.
For 81 months the 42-year -old
Tweed lived In precarious flight on
Japanese held Guam, after escaping
from Agana when the enemy occu-
pied 1t December 10, 1e41. The per-
sistent Japanese hunted him like
an animal, finally detailing q So
man patrol. Capture often near,
would have meant death.
Behind him were burning memo
ries Of Navy and Marine friends
who died, without retreat, in the
stubborn but hopeless 1irst defense
OF the island. He was sustained by
the constant hope Of rescue by ad-
vancing American forces.
The story he told after his rescue
July 10, was released to the United
States almost coincidentally with
announcement that recapture of
Guam had been completed.
Back in the United States Navy
and promoted from radioman (first
class aboard the rescue ship, Tweed
was returned to the United States.
He was reunited in San Diego,
Calf. with his wife. Mary Frances
Tweed, q, and their sons, Ronald,
8, and Robert, 3. They had not
seen him since october, l94l, when
they left Guam.
1T was glorious reunion" said
Mrs. Tweed, adding she never
doubted that her husband would
return, although after two years
searching the Japanese had listed
him officially as dead.
During his ordeal the Portland
(Oreg) Navyman's hair silvered and
he lost 80 pounds. He gained back
10 Of these in the first five DAYS
after his rescue. by combatant ship
of Guam, 10 days before the Ameri-
can landings. An American pilot
previously had spotted him standing
near the remote cave where he spent
the latter part of his hermitage,
He lived on rainwater and food OBJ
tanned in night forays.
once aboard ship which made a
daring rescue we'll within range of
Japanese shore guns, Tweed related
at a press conference. the first
thing I reached for was a slice of
bread and butter"
Tweed said the Japanese landed
on Guam December 8. after two
days bombing and strafing.
I'VE had so few guns. so little am
munition," he said, there wasn't
much We could do to defend. We
had only about 200 marines, a few
scattered naval personnel and the
island defense company.
The marines on Cabras Island. a
narrow strip of land off the harbor,
armed only with machine guns, &C
tually repulsed the Japs until their
ammunition gave out.
"A couple of 1-pound guns on
ships in the harbor fired to the last,
while a single machine gun on
Agana Heights, above the town-the
only 'antiaircraft' battery we had
exhausted its ammunition"
Tweed said the japanese forced a
landing and shot their way into
Agana, against the street by-street,
house-by-house opposition of ma
rines.
With a buddy, Tweed escaped to
the bush" after the American
Governor ordered surrender on the
third day
The Japanese warned that all
Americans who gave themselves up
within 80 days would be interned in
Japan; others found later would be
killed.
Tweed's companion and three
other Navy men they met all were
captured and killed by the Jap
anese.
Several times they learned where
I was hiding, but each time man.
aged to escape, once by less than
minute" Tweed said.
Tweed was dressed in Robinson
Crusoe rags when rescued. but soon
changed to new chief radioman's
uniform.
Wife Never Cove Up Hope
That Tweed Would Return
SAN DIEGO, Calf. Aug. II Cp,-
Mary Frances Tweed, 81, reunited