Pearl Harbor Day 70 Years Later

We started dinner today with a few words about Pearl Harbor Day, and Guam. Misa had some questions and announcements, one of which was this: "My teachers said that Guam wasn't a part of WWII. Was it?" I felt a strong emotional reaction to this. After clarifying the facts, and the truth, we moved on to dinner and other topics of conversation. At the end, it drifted back to WWII and Guam, Chamorros, Grandma Doreen, and the United States. It was a good night for a history lesson.

Here is a picture of the Guam Memorial Wall, where my mom is recognized as one of the Chamorros who was injured. During a battle, my mom was in my Grandfather's arms. My grandfather was shot, and that bullet skidded her back. I've seen her scar - a deep spade-shaped imprint. She doesn't talk about it much, I think over the years she's actually forgotten its impact. Or, I think the wound and the events that happened were just minimized. I've interviewed others her same age about the event, and they all share the memory of how she was wounded. Someday, I'll record it in its entirety.

For now, here are some pictures and links about the history of War in the Pacific.


To see the Memorial Wall honoring those who suffered personal injury, forced labor, forced march, and internment and click on "N" for Naputi, you can see my mom's name: Doreen Leon Guerrero Naputi.