Asan, Guam — Pacific Ocean (Marianas Archipelago)

Attack, Occupation, Liberation

Courtesy of Thomas P. Martin

1. Attack, Occupation, Liberation Marker

Inscription.
Attack The Japanese conquest of Guam began on December 8, 1941, an hour after the attack on Pearl Harbor. A small force of U.S. Marine and Navy personnel, joined by members of the local Chamorro Insular Force Guard and Naval Militia, opposed the overwhelming Japanese invasion. After two days, the defenders were forced to surrender.

Occupation During the two and one-half year Japanese occupation, the Chamorros had possessions confiscated and were subjected to indoctrination on the “Spirit of Japan.” The people of Guam endured rationing, forced labor, beatings, executions and near the end, concentration camps.

Liberation On July 21, 1944, 55,000 Americans landed at Asan and Agat beaches. After a deadly struggle, U.S. troops freed the interned Chamorros and secured the island on August 10, 1944.

Erected 1994 by the National Park Service. Bas-relief sculptures by Eugene Daub.

Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is August 10, 1944.

Location. 13° 27.594′ N, 144° 42.913′ E. Marker is in Asan, Guam. Memorial can be reached from Highway 6, 0.2 miles south of Turner Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker

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is in Asan Bay Overlook in the War in the Pacific National Historical Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hagatna GU 96910, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Guam 1941-1944 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Inland Offensive (within shouting distance of this marker); Banzai Charges (within shouting distance of this marker); War in the Pacific National Historical Park (approx. 0.9 miles away); Silent Guns (approx. 1.4 miles away); Japanese Two-Man Submarine (approx. 3.7 miles away); Hidden Defenses (approx. 5.3 miles away); Japanese Anti-Aircraft Gun (approx. 6.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Asan.

Also see . . .
1. WWII: Oral War Histories of the Chamoru People (Guampedia). Survivors recount their horror during the Japanese attack, life under harsh Japanese occupation and joyful liberation by Americans. (Submitted on November 12, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. WWII: From Occupation to Liberation (Guampedia). First-person accounts and photographs of the Chamorro's ordeal. (Submitted on November 12, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

3. National Park Service - Asan Bay Overlook. Excerpt:

The Asan Bay Overlook is the most recently developed unit in our park. It was completed in
Courtesy of Thomas P. Martin

2. Attack, Occupation, Liberation Marker detail
1994, in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary commemoration of the Liberation of Guam. This unit features bronze sculptures which depict the events on Guam during the Japanese occupation in 1941-1944. The artist, Eugene Daub, is a sculpture instructor at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. His father was a soldier in World War II, and the first bas relief has an engraving on the bottom right corner that states ”This one’s for you, dad.”

(Submitted on August 7, 2022.)

Attack, Occupation, Liberation Marker detail image. Click for full size.

Courtesy of Thomas P. Martin

3. Attack, Occupation, Liberation Marker detail

Courtesy of Thomas P. Martin

4. Attack, Occupation, Liberation Marker detail

Credits. This page was last revised on August 9, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 463 times since then and 47 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week August 7, 2022. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 11, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.