Dear Family, Friends, and Readers:
On January 29, 2011 Kara and I visited American Memorial Park in the village of Garapan. It is a small, well designed museum/park with lots of information to digest concerning WWII and the soldiers/locals who died during the war. I suppose I should give you a brief summarization of the facts about Saipan before, during, and post WWII, which is what we learned while there.
Pre WWII Saipan was a time of population boom where the most developed village “Garapan” was the unofficial beating heart of the island. The Japanese had a large sugar cane plantation on the island and Garapan Village was 15,000 people strong consisting of Japanese, Okinawans, Koreans, Chamorros, and Carolinians. As WWII approached during the 1930’s around 42,000 Okinawan and Japanese people have relocated to Saipan and Tinian. These relocated workers join 1,000 forced laborers from Korea and the 4,000 Chamorro/Carolinian workers. For those of you curious as to how long the Chamorro people have called the island of Saipan home…we saw a sign that stated they had lived on the island for 4,000 years prior to the Japanese and that the Carolinians came in the early 1800’s. The arrival of WWII on the shores of Saipan would change the island forever as so much progress would go down the drain in a matter of weeks.
In 1942, WWII was underway, but Japan’s possession of Saipan would soon be abolished. The decisive victory by the Allied Forces at The Battle of Midway would soon prove to be the tipping point against Japan. By 1944 the Mariana Islands became strategically important to Japan’s defense against foreign attack/invasion at home. As a reader of history, I found it interesting that Saipan and the Mariana Islands as a whole were not fortified as much as they should have been. I am not sure if it was preoccupation or pride that led to Saipan being forgotten strategically. I say pride because I wonder whether the Japanese really believed the war would be brought close to their shores. Little did Japan know that the atomic bombs would eventually be loaded onto two B-29 bombers at the neighboring island of Tinian (right across from Saipan). The B-29 known as “Enola Gay” carried Little Boy (1st atomic bomb) on August 6, 1945. The second bomb, Fat Man, was carried by Bocks Car several days later, but that would be getting ahead of the story. The invasion of Saipan started on June 15, 1944 at 8:40 A.M. with landing parties arriving on Saipan’s shores. This day is what is known as “Dog Day”. It was given this name because on this day countless Japanese die and over 2,000 U.S. Servicemen are dead (not to mention innocent civilians caught in the cross fire). In the end Saipan is declared secure on July 9th, 1944 after 25 days of fighting and totals combined from both sides (Japanese & American) total 43,000 dead!
After the war there were a few Japanese who refused to surrender as the Boshido honor code does not allow for surrender. The 24th infantry (an African American unit) is sent to the island to clean up the strong hold of about 300 men led by Captain Sakae Oba. After a year of skirmishes the island is officially “mopped up”.
The story of Tinian’s capture by U.S. Forces is equally tragic, but I will not go into too much detail here. What I will say of that event is that Tinian took 43 days of bombing, 9 days of fighting to conquer, 328 dead, and 1,571 wounded. Japanese losses at Tinian are nearly 8,000 men some by fighting others by suicide on Tinian’s cliffs. Tinian was taken on August 1, 1944. When the islands were finally secured many things needed to be answered, such as: What country would control the islands? What about repatriation? What about reward for service for valor on Saipan?
Thanks to President Gerald Ford, Saipan would become allied with America when he signs the covenant between the U.S. and the Mariana Islands on March 24, 1976 (many years after the war). The repatriation of Japanese, Okinawan, and Korean citizens occurs in 1946. The Chamorro and Carolinian internment camp prisoners are released from Camp Chalan Kanoa on July 4, 1946. For military service the 24th Infantry earns a Presidential Unit Citation and a Purple Heart and Gold Star medal are awarded to Cristino Sablan Dela Cruz for his efforts in helping clean up remaining Japanese hold outs in many of Saipan’s caves as part of the Mariana Marine Scout Unit of 64 Chamorro and Carolinian men (he died 9 days after receiving the award in old age).
Now that you have had a brief history of Saipan’s place in WWII, I can talk briefly about the pictures I have posted.
Picture 1: KJ and I in front of a little lagoon leading into an area where a couple of boats are docked near the end of the park.
Picture 2: KJ & I standing inside an open circle stone monument that is dedicated to all the locals who died on Saipan during the WWII conflict and battle for its possession.
Picture 3: KJ in front of a large monument at the park called the Courtyard of Honor. The flags that are flying above her represent each branch of the armed forces that fought in Saipan. All around the Courtyard of Honor are names engraved of each unit and man that was killed during the siege that took place here.
Picture 4: A cool picture of the lagoon where the ships are docked. I was standing on a cute little bridge at the park when I took this picture. I like it because it is tropical.
I would have posted more pictures, but I didn't want to put any museum photos I took up since I was not the original creator of those photos. But I can send more to those of you who would like to see images from the museum.
