[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19757]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INVASION OF GUAM DURING WORLD 
                                 WAR II

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 12, 2011

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 70th 
anniversary of the invasion of Guam and the beginning of the Pacific 
theater of World War II. In the early morning of December 10, 1941, two 
days after the aerial attacks on Pearl Harbor and Sumay Village, 
soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army invaded the shores of Guam.
  The Japanese invasion faced resistance at the Plaza de Espata in 
Hagota by the members of the Guam Insular Guard, who were recruited by 
the Navy eight months prior to the invasion of Guam. With limited 
military training, and lightly armed, the Insular Guard was all that 
stood between the invaders and our people. The Guam Insular Guard 
fought with great courage in defense of our island but they were 
overwhelmed in a short time by the superior numbers and arms of the 
invasion force. This encounter marked the only ground battle against 
the invading Japanese force on Guam. Shortly thereafter that early 
morning, U.S. Naval Captain George J. McMillin, Naval Governor of Guam, 
and a handful of U.S. sailors, surrendered the island to the Japanese 
Army.
  These events marked the beginning of the Japanese occupation on Guam 
for the next thirty two months. The occupation of Guam was marked by 
abuse and violence against the people of Guam including forced labor, 
forced marches, internment in camps, injuries and executions. 
Throughout the occupation, the people of Guam remained patriotic to 
America and never lost faith that U.S. forces would return to liberate 
our island. While we can never truly comprehend the suffering endured 
by our manamko' (elders) during the Japanese occupation, we continue to 
honor them for who they are, what they have endured, and how they have 
impacted our lives and our community.
  As we commemorate this solemn anniversary, we pay tribute to these 
Insular Guardsmen for their courage and bravery. We also acknowledge 
Guam's greatest generation, those who endured the war and survived. 
Lastly, we pray for the civilians who died during the war and the 
members of the U.S. armed forces who fought to liberate our island. We 
must never forget their suffering and their sacrifices during the 
brutal occupation and liberation. God bless Guam and God bless the 
United States of America.

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