[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 39 (Monday, April 3, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              MOURNING THE PASSING OF ROBERTO L.G. LIZAMA

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                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 3, 2000

  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute and mourn the passing 
of Roberto L.G. Lizama. Tun Bob or Uncle Bob as he was affectionately 
known in the Chamorro community of the Washington, DC area had a 
distinguished military career and was a leader of the local Guam 
community. Eager to assist with any function, reliable for anyone in 
need of help, a winning smile and a kind word were all part of Uncle 
Bob's character. He was beloved by his family, the local Guam community 
and the thousands of Chamorrors who have passed through Washington, DC 
over the past several decades.
  Uncle Bob was born on April 21, 1927 in the prewar Guam village of 
Sumady. He had a typical upbringing on the ranch and he was willing to 
share many stories of his young life as a helper to his family on the 
ranch. His adolescence was marked by a cruel enemy occupation of his 
homeland, but the experience only strengthened his character and did 
not alter his positive outlook on life. Almost immediately after the 
liberation of Guam by American forces and when he still was not a 
citizen of the United States, he joined the Navy.
  As was the practice by the Navy in those days, he and other young men 
from Guam were not allowed access to all of the military rates. They 
were limited to service as mess attendants and stewards as were many 
African-Americans and Filipinos. This discriminatory practice was 
offensive and limited the upward mobility of many young men from Guam. 
But this did not diminish Uncle Bob's optimistic outlook on life and 
his own life chances. Last year, he and several other Chamorro men who 
served as stewards visited a memorial dedicated to the stewards who 
served during World War II. I accompanied them and I listened intently 
to their discussions and they recounted for me the nature of their 
experiences. Typical of Chamorro men, they endured the insulting 
treatment they sometimes received, but they continued to work loyally 
and proved themselves to be better men than many others through their 
hard work and labor.
  Uncle Bob recounted some of his experiences, but not in a bitter 
manner. He simply told me about the times he had to defend his honor as 
a Chief, as a sailor and as a native of Guam. And he did so 
successfully as many others did. His 30 years naval career spanned 
three wars. He was a veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the 
Vietnam War. He served aboard ship and ashore in a number of 
capacities. The crowning glory of his carrier was his service to three 
Presidents as a cook at the White House. He served Presidents John 
Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. It is hard to imagine that 
he prepared kelaguen and lumpia in the White House for the President, 
but he did. And all of Guam is proud of him for doing so.
  He raised his family in Maryland. He and his wife for 51 years, 
Brigida Guzman Lizama, raised six sons: George, Robert, Stan, Jeff, 
Wayne, Eric. Together, they have five grandsons. The Lizama name will 
certainly survive. In his capacity as a community elder, Uncle Bob 
attended all of the social events and helped members of the community 
by lending a helping hand when needed and by cooking when necessary. We 
will all miss him. We extend our sincerest condolences to Auntie Bea 
and the Lizama men.




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