[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2151-2152]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF CONGRESSMAN VICENTE ``BEN'' GARRIDO 
                                  BLAZ

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 28, 2014

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service 
of my good friend, the late Vicente ``Ben'' Tomas Garrido Blaz, a 
retired Brigadier General in the United States Marine Corps and former 
Member of Congress who represented the people of Guam. Congressman Blaz 
was a hero and leader who inspired generations on Guam. He passed away 
on January 8, 2014 at the age of 85.
  Congressman Blaz was born on February 14, 1928 to Vicente Cruz Blaz 
and Rita Garrido Blaz from the village of Ordot, Guam, and he was the 
third of eight children. He married his late wife, Ann Evers Blaz, in 
1953, and they had two sons, Thomas and Michael and five grandchildren. 
Congressman Blaz was predeceased by his wife and parents, and his 
siblings and in-laws: Rosario and Pedro Cruz, Maria Blaz, Emilia and 
Alfred Rios, Brigida Blaz, and Alfred Blaz. He is survived by his sons, 
Tom and Mike, and their spouses, Shelane and Barbara; his five 
grandchildren; and his siblings and in-laws: Joaquin Blaz, Patricia and 
Jose Borja, and Frank and Julie Blaz.
  On December 8, 1941, Ben was 13 when Guam was invaded by enemy forces 
during World War II. He endured the hardships of the 32 months of enemy 
occupation, and was among those conscripted into forced labor. As a 
survivor of the occupation, General Blaz had a strong sense of 
patriotism and duty to our country. He never forgot these experiences 
and they helped to inspire him to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps and to 
continue a life of service as a Congressman.
  After the war, Ben graduated from George Washington High School and 
was awarded an academic scholarship to attend the University of Notre 
Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Ben was a patriot, and when war broke out 
in Korea, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and attended Officer 
Candidate School. In 1951, Ben graduated from the University of Notre 
Dame with a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned as a Second 
Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He continued his professional education 
and earned a Master of Arts degree from the George Washington 
University in 1963 and graduated from the Naval War College in 1970. 
General Blaz was bestowed an honorary Doctors of Laws from the 
University of Guam in 1974; in 1988 he was recognized as a 
distinguished alumnus of the University of Notre Dame, where he was 
conferred the Rev. William Corby Award for his notable military 
service.
  As an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, Brigadier General Blaz served 
our nation with honor and distinction. He served three overseas tours 
in Vietnam; Okinawa, Japan; and Osaka, Japan. He was appointed as the 
Commanding Officer of the 9th Marines, and had the honor of commanding 
one of the Marine Corps regiments which liberated Guam during World War 
II. In 1977, Ben was promoted to Brigadier General, becoming the first 
Chamorro to attain flag officer rank. He retired in 1980 after 30 years 
of distinguished service in the Marine Corps. During his service, his 
awards and decorations included the Legion of Merit (twice awarded); 
Bronze Star (with Combat V); Navy Commendation Medal (twice awarded); 
Combat Action Ribbon; and Vietnam Cross of Gallantry (Gold Star).
  Following his military retirement, General Blaz ran unsuccessfully 
for Congress in 1982. He was successful in 1984 when he was elected to 
the 99th Congress, and he served in the House of Representatives for 
four terms from 1985 to 1993. At the start of his first term, 
Congressman Blaz was elected by his peers to serve as the president of 
his freshman class. Congressman Blaz worked to improve the relationship 
between the federal government and Guam. As a member of the Armed 
Services, Natural Resources, and Foreign Affairs Committees, he worked 
to address Guam's issues, national security issues and Asia-Pacific 
issues. He promoted improving Guam's political status, advocated for 
war reparations for Guam, worked to improve education and health 
programs, and sought the return of excess federal lands to the people 
of Guam.

[[Page 2152]]

  Ben never truly retired from public service, and after he left 
Congress, he became Guam's senior statesman. He was an invaluable 
mentor to Congressman Robert Underwood and myself, and I would often 
look to him for counsel and support on issues important to Guam. During 
his time in Congress, Congressman Blaz often remarked of the 
territories, ``We are equal in war but not in peace,'' recognizing the 
inequality between U.S. citizens residing in the territories and those 
living in the 50 states. During my time in Congress, I too have 
recognized the sentiment behind this profound statement, and I kept a 
plaque of Ben's quote on my desk when I first took office. Congressman 
Blaz was also a strong supporter of the events held in Washington to 
commemorate the Liberation of Guam. He faithfully attended the wreath 
laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and the receptions on 
Capitol Hill that are held every year.
  Throughout his life, Ben worked to promote and preserve the Chamorro 
culture, language, and history. He produced two television series Nihi 
Ta Bisita (Let Us Visit) which centered on Guam's culture, language, 
and history, and Nihi Ta Hasso (Let Us Remember) which centered on the 
occupation and liberation of Guam during World War II, and was later 
published as a book. He is also the author of Bisita Guam: A Special 
Place in the Sun, which is an important resource in Guam's schools.
  I join the people of Guam in honoring the memory of Congressman Ben 
Blaz and commemorating his many contributions to our island and our 
nation. I extend my sincere condolences to the entire Blaz family. 
While General Blaz is no longer with us, his legacy of selfless service 
and patriotism inspires our young men and women in the military and 
throughout our island.

                          ____________________