[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 96 (Thursday, July 21, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
             THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF GUAM

  Mr. AKAKA. Madam President, I rise today to ask all of my 
colleagues--all the people of our Nation--to commemorate, with 
patriotic pride and solemn remembrance, the 50th anniversary of the 
liberation of Guam.
  As of July 21, 1944, the people of Guam had been under the control of 
the Japanese forces for 2\1/2\ years. Naturally, life had been austere 
and restrictive under the occupation. However, beginning in early 1944, 
it became even worse. Social activities, limited as they already were, 
were terminated. Schools were closed. Though their pay had been minimal 
before Guamanian men, women and children were now forced to work 
without any compensation at all--toiling on farms, constructing and 
repairing airfields and defense installations, and digging shelter 
caves for the Japanese soldiers.
  During the final weeks before the invasion, most of the population 
was moved to concentration camps on the eastern side of the island. In 
an extreme irony, although this imposed great hardship on the people, 
it is arguable that it preserved the viability of Chamoros as an ethnic 
group. The American invasion took place on the western coast, and it 
began with one of the longest and heaviest naval bombardments of World 
War II. Without question, untold numbers of civilians would have 
perished in the pre-assault shelling and the crossfire of the massive 
attack itself.
  A half-century ago this morning, 55,000 men of the 3d Marine 
Division, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, and 305th Regimental Combat 
Team of the 77th Army Division simultaneously hit the beaches at Agat 
and Asan. In spite of determined resistance by an entrenched force of 
18,500 Japanese defenders, both beaches were secured by the end of the 
day.
  The liberation of Guam had begun. By the time it was complete--some 
three weeks later--the casualty count had reached 7,000 Americans and 
17,500 Japanese. Our own colleague, the gentleman and hero from 
Alabama, Senator Howell Heflin, was twice wounded on Guam and received 
the Silver Star. It was a costly conflict, but it was a watershed 
battle of the American triumph in the Pacific. Coupled with the 
recapturing of Saipan, the enemy's grip in the Marianas had been 
broken, and ultimate victory was a little more than a year away.

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