[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 9, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E24]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF VICENTE ``BEN'' GUMATAOTAO

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. MICHAEL F.Q. SAN NICOLAS

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 9, 2019

  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
legacy of Vicente ``Ben'' Diaz Gumataotao. ``Mayor Ben,'' as he was 
widely known as, was steadfast in his dedication to serving the people 
of Guam and his country. In his 91 years of life, Mayor Ben achieved 
significant milestones that not only inspired generations but opened 
doors for those who came after him.
  Mayor Ben was born on November 30, 1927 to the late Josefina Diaz and 
the late Leon Diaz Gumataotao. The third child of twelve children, 
Mayor Ben and his family resided in the pre-World War II village of 
Sumay. Mayor Ben and his family lived through the traumatic events 
during the Japanese Occupation of Guam during World War II. In one 
instance, his family was forced to march to the Manenggon Hills 
concentration camp where he witnessed the atrocities executed by the 
Japanese soldiers.
  Grateful for the United States military's return to the island and 
overthrow of the Japanese Imperial government's control over Guam, 
Mayor Ben served over twenty-eight years in the United States Navy 
where he completed Mess Management School and instructed fellow 
stewards. He retired at the highest enlisted rank in the United States 
Navy, the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9).
  After his service to his country, Mayor Ben began his service to the 
people of Guam working for various senators in the Guam Legislature and 
later for former Congressman Vicente C. Blaz during the 101st and 102nd 
United States Congress.
  He answered the call of his fellow residents and successfully was 
elected Mayor of the village of Piti. Significant improvements 
throughout the village continue to be seen and felt due to Mayor Ben's 
unwavering leadership during his tenure as Mayor. In his lifetime, his 
advocacy and dedication to public service was appreciated through the 
various civic and religious organizations he was actively engaged in 
throughout the island of Guam.
  I am deeply saddened by the passing of Mayor Vicente ``Ben'' Diaz 
Gumataotao, and I join the people of Guam in celebrating his life and 
the legacy he left. A dedicated public servant, he worked to improve 
the quality of life in his village of Piti and in the wider community 
in Guam during his lifetime. My thoughts and prayers are with his 
family, loved ones, and friends. Mayor Ben will be deeply missed, and 
his memory will live on in the hearts of the people of Guam.

                          ____________________