Battle of Guam 75th Annivesary Commemoration at the WWII Memorial

On Sunday, July 21st at 11:30 a.m., the Friends of the National World War II Memorial will hold a brief ceremony and wreath presentation to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Guam, the American recapture of the Japanese-held island of Guam.

Guam had been a territory of the United States since its capture from Spain in 1898 until it was captured by the Japanese on December 10, 1941 following the attack on Pearl Harbor. By 1944, Guam had a large Japanese garrison.

American forces landed on Guam on July 21, 1944 and encountered heavy Japanese resistance. However, on August 10, 1944 the organized resistance ended and the island was declared secure.

A few Japanese soldiers held out in the jungle after the official fighting on Guam ceased. On December 8, 1945, three U.S. Marines were ambushed and killed. And, on January 24, 1972, Japanese Army Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi was discovered by hunters on the island. He had lived alone in a cave for 28 years.

During the July 21st ceremony at the World War II Memorial, founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Jan Scruggs will serve as the emcee; the Military District of Washington will provide military support; and WWII veterans and their families will present wreaths at the Pacific Arch of the Memorial in honor and remembrance of the 3,000 Americans killed, and the more than 7,000 wounded during the Battle of Guam.

If you are a World War II veteran, or know of one, who would like to participate in the
Battle of Guam 75th Anniversary Commemoration at the Memorial,
please email hrotondi@wwiimemorialfriends.org!

We hope you'll join us on July 21st at the WWII Memorial!

The Friends of the National World War II Memorial's WWII 75th Anniversary Commemoration is generously sponsored by AT&T.

Generous support has also been provided by the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation and Worthington Industries.