[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7107]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              JOHN PANGELINAN GERBER POST OFFICE BUILDING

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 11, 2011

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill to rename 
the U.S. Post Office Building in Barrigada, Guam, the John Pangelinan 
Gerber Post Office Building. John Gerber, a former Marine and lifetime 
resident of the village of Ordot, Guam, passed away on May 4, 2010, at 
the age of 58.
  John Vincent Pangelinan Gerber was born in Guam on May 31, 1951. The 
eldest son of Martin and Dolores Gerber, John attended Barrigada Junior 
High School, Father Duenas Memorial School and George Washington High 
School. On June 4, 1969, immediately after graduating from high school, 
John enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Upon completion of 
basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, John was 
deployed to Vietnam where he served with the Fleet Logistics Command in 
support of the 1st and 3rd Marine Divisions. After completing his tour 
in Vietnam, John was assigned to Marine Barracks Guam where he would 
remain until he was honorably discharged as a Corporal from the Marine 
Corps on June 3, 1975.
  Following his service in the Marine Corps, John returned to Guam and 
became a radio disc jockey with his signature ``Wireless Rock'' 
program. He had the most popular radio show on Guam at the time, and he 
was a local celebrity. As his program's popularity soared, John showed 
his business acumen by opening a record store called the Wireless Rock 
Music Box. John was an entrepreneur and he combined his love of our 
island and our ocean with a business venture, establishing a charter 
boat tour company that offered visitors a tour of Guam's best diving 
and fishing spots and Chamorro fiesta food on board. He promoted the 
Chamorro culture in his tours and was one of the pioneers of what is 
now recognized as culture-based eco-tourism.
  In 1992, John joined the Guam Chapter of the 3rd Marine Division 
Association. As a member of this organization, John devoted his time 
and energy to helping fellow Marines and veterans. He was active in 
promoting and preserving the history of the 3rd Marine Division and its 
role in the War in the Pacific and the Liberation of Guam during World 
War II. He was a history buff and he immersed himself in collecting 
memorabilia and military equipment from the World War II era.
  John also promoted the idea of welcoming active duty Marines and 
other servicemembers who visited Guam on temporary duty or deployments. 
He teamed up with the Guam Chamber of Commerce's Armed Forces Committee 
and veterans organizations to host fiestas for visiting Marines, World 
War II veterans, and military units deployed to Guam. He hosted 
numerous fiestas each year and it is estimated that his hospitality was 
appreciated by nearly 20,000 servicemembers who visited his home in 
Ordot called ``Gerber's Ranch.'' Gerber's Ranch was a mini-complex of 
outdoor pavilions, cooking facilities, and a mini-museum of his 
collection of World War II memorabilia. John collected and restored 
many World War II armored vehicles, weapons and uniforms and artifacts. 
His collection was known worldwide among Marines and his mini-museum 
was visited by many of the Marine Corps' senior leadership, including 
the Commandant.
  John worked tirelessly to educate the public about Guam's 
significance during World War II and the Marine Corps' role in 
liberating the island. On July 21, 2008, the 64th anniversary of 
Liberation of Guam, John opened the Pacific War Museum, transferring 
his collection to a site more accommodating to the public. This 
facility, located below a bluff named after U.S. Navy Admiral Chester 
W. Nimitz, served as an appropriate display venue for John's collection 
of World War II-era memorabilia and military equipment.
  In 2004, John was instrumental in an effort to rename Route 1 on Guam 
from Marine Drive to Marine Corps Drive to clarify that this highway 
honors the 1,548 Marines who lost their lives and the 6,000 Marines 
that were wounded during the Liberation of Guam, and that it is not 
named Marine Drive because it parallels Guam's western shoreline as 
many tourists believe. When the bill stalled in the Guam Legislature, 
John called attention to this issue by walking the entire 27 miles from 
Andersen Air Force Base to Naval Base Guam pulling a handcart with a 
billboard that demanded action. His walk, which occurred during the 
morning rush hour, captured the public's admiration and support for 
this audacious stunt. John went to this extreme to ensure that our 
community will always remember the heroism of the Marines who liberated 
Guam, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. 
The following day, Route 1 was officially renamed Marine Corps Drive by 
an Executive Order of the Governor, overcoming the objections of the 
Legislature.
  John was elated when the Department of Defense announced in 2005 that 
Marines from the 3rd Expeditionary Force would be transferred from 
Okinawa, Japan to Guam. He viewed the relocation of the 3rd 
Expeditionary Force as a homecoming for the Marine Corps and was always 
the first to defend the Marine Corps when members of the community made 
negative comments about ``his'' Marines.
  After his passing, community leaders, family, friends, and John's 
fellow servicemembers spoke fondly of John's service and his dedication 
to honoring his fellow Marines and veterans. On April 16, 2011, the 
Marine Corps Heritage Foundation posthumously awarded John Gerber the 
prestigious Colonel John H. Magruder Award in Quantico, Virginia. This 
national award recognizes an individual or organization for their 
excellence in depicting and perpetuating Marine Corps history.
  Mr. Speaker, John Gerber was a proud son of Guam who dedicated his 
life to honoring his beloved Marines, veterans, and the people of Guam. 
Renaming the Guam Main Post Office Facility will serve as a permanent 
honor to the legacy and memory of John Pangelinan Gerber, and I urge my 
colleagues to support this bill.

                          ____________________