Ti Geran Mami - Guampedia

The title of this section, Ti Geran Mami – a war not of our making, speaks to the experiences of CHamorus/Chamorros whose lives were irrevocably changed by a war that they did not cause. On 8 December 1941, Japanese war planes flew to Guam and bombed the island. Japanese forces invaded the island by shore on December 10, and the small US military contingent on Guam quickly surrendered as the Japanese occupation began. US Navy personnel and their dependents had already evacuated the island in October 1941, and Chamorros were left to defend and care for themselves throughout a brutal occupation. The Japanese occupation lasted for almost three years, and Chamorros endured forced labor, displacement, torture, rape, massacres at the hands of the Japanese. Many Chamorros were grateful for the return of American military forces in July 1944, which finally ended the violence of the Japanese occupation. Sentiments of gratitude were also complicated by increased land takings as the US seized the once bustling village of Sumay for use as a military installation, the continued loss of political sovereignty, and unresolved war claims. The stories of Guam’s war survivors are a powerful record of the strength, faith and resilience that allowed our people to persevere during the darkest of times. It is important to continue to pass down these oral histories to future generations so that these experiences, and the ability of the Chamorro people to practice inafa’maolek and continue to care for each other even under tremendous hardship, won’t be forgotten. In this section, you can learn about Chamorro wartime experiences, biographies of war survivors and other key World War II figures, as well as the broader social, cultural, and legal impacts of the war.

World War II Entries and Biographies
1. CHamoru Wartime Experiences

Fanhasso: War for Guam

This special section is dedicated to the stories of Guam’s war survivors, and also explores the complex meanings of Liberation Day in Guam. Following the end of World War II, community leader Agueda Iglesias Johnston convinced US military leaders to support an official commemoration of Guam’s liberation from the Japanese occupation and the return of US forces. Emerging from the tragedy and hardship of war, the day was originally envisioned as a testament to Guam’s loyalty to the United States. Over time, commemorations of the war were reclaimed by CHamorus/Chamorros to focus more on Chamorro resilience and stories of survival. As a people caught up in a war not of our making, Liberation Day has come to serve as a day to honor Chamorro war survivors, as well as the complicated legacies of World War II.