People

Moved north to Machananao. Cleotilde Mendiola Bamba (1931 – ) was only 10 years old when the Japanese occupation of Guam began. Her family was forced to leave their house. Like most CHamorus on Guam during that period, the Mendiola family was displaced from their life in Hagåtña.

Wondered why war came to peaceful Guam. Cecilia Taitano Yanger (1933 – ), an identical twin, was just eight years old when the war broke out on Guam. Yanger recalled that Guam was so peaceful before the war. She didn’t understand why the war came to Guam because it was so peaceful and the people were so religious. Before the war, the villages were clean and people roamed the streets selling potu and other CHamoru delicacies.

Taken in by relatives. Asuncion Camacho Lazaro Cruz (1937 – ) was born to Ignacia Camacho and Juan Untalan Lazaro. Before her third birthday, Asuncion and her older sister Josefa were orphaned and taken in by their mother’s brother, Vicente Cruz Pablo Camacho. 

A war baby. Antonio Adriano Arriola (1944 – ) was born a twin just a few months before the forced march to Manenggon in June. His parents, Antonio Fernandez and Maria Adriano Arriola, carried he and his twin sister, Maria, during the Manenggon march.

Lost family members but found her faith. The encroachment of the Second World War in the Pacific forever changed the lives of the CHamorus. Within the first few days of Japanese occupation, Ana Sablan Palomo (1927 – ) lost many members of her family, but found her faith.

A tale best told together. Vicente (“Ben”) Gogue Arceo and Jesusa (“Susie”) Reyes Arceo are no strangers to the senior citizen community on Guam.  They are part of a musical group that provides dance music to entertain Guam’s manåmko’ at the senior centers.  But to know them is to know that they do not do things apart; thus, their memories of World War II will be told together in this tale of survival.

Survived by his wits. When the Japanese invaded Guam in 1941 Jesus Camacho Babauta, from Sumai, was just shy of 13 years old. Life in Sumai had always been peaceful for young Babauta. There was an abundance of lemmai (breadfruit), mango, papaya, banana, and other fruit trees as well as vegetables grown at the låncho (ranch). They fished and hunted for their food. He lived with his parents, Antonio Rivera Babauta and Maria Taitano Camacho, and his six siblings.

Left behind due to illness. Cynthia Tenorio Terlaje (1935 – ) and her family were making their way out of Manenggon at the end of the Japanese occupation of Guam. However, Terlaje grew gravely ill with a virus that rendered her unable to travel and keep up with everyone on foot. Her parents feared for the entire family; they were worried that the Japanese would find them. Because of this fear, the family left Terlaje behind in a cave.

Altar server at war’s beginning. Fidel Toves Blas, (1932 – 2019) known to family and friends as “Dek,” was born in Hagåtña. His parents Concepcion Lujan Toves (Familian Capili) and Atanacio Albino Blas (Familian Haniu) had 12 children, and Dek was their third-born child.