The Beaches of Guam
Two of Guam’s Best Beaches are in a National Park
Every year we remember what happened on July 21, 1944
The National Park Service manages the eight units that comprise the War in the Pacific National Historical Park on Guam. Two of these places are beaches that we have visited several times on our trips to Guam over the years: Asan Beach just south of Guam’s capital, Hagatna; and Agat Beach just south of Guam’s huge Naval Base at Apra Harbor.
On July 21, 1944, 55,000 Allied forces, mostly US soldiers (Asan) and Marines (Agat), landed on these two beaches to bring the Japanese occupation of the island to an end. Japan invaded and conquered Guam on December 10, 1941, soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The American forces in 1944 were up against 18,500 Japanese soldiers.
Asan Beach
In 2004 we visited Asan Beach with our younger daughter Debbie and her husband Brian.
The NPS also maintains the war memorial at the Asan Overlook up in the hills above the beach. The Wall of Names contains the names of the 1888 American servicemen and the 1170 Guamanian civilians who died on Guam during the war. Another portion of the wall lists the names of all of the Guamanian survivors of the war.
My brother-in-law’s name is on top and my father-in-law’s name is third from the bottom. Several other members of my wife’s family also have their names on the memorial, including her mother, her maternal grandparents and a host of uncles, aunts and cousins.
Agat Beach at Ga’an Point
In April 2015 we visited Ga’an Point to attend a Park Ranger Program sponsored by NPS. My wife’s sister Anita was with us that day and she participated in the program by talking about what she remembered from the day (December 10, 1941) of the Japanese invasion when she was 5 and also the day (August 10, 1944) she was liberated by U.S. soldiers when she was 7.
The plan was to have the Asan unit take over the cliffs and hills overlooking Asan and then swing north as far as Tarague on the northeast corner of Guam. The Agat unit would push eastward and then north, eventually meeting up with the Asan unit.
On July 31st U.S. Army troops of the 77th Infantry Division arrived at Camp Manenggon and liberated the 15,000 Guamanians there. My wife was seven months old when she and her family were liberated from the camp. Ten days later the Battle for Guam was over.
Of the 18,500 Japanese defenders on Guam, 1291 surrendered. Most of the rest died — either killed in action or by suicide. A few hid in jungles. The last of the latter was captured near his cave in the jungle by Talafofo Falls in 1972 — after hiding for 28 years.
NPS also manages the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center in Santa Rita near the main entrance to Big Navy — what the locals call Naval Base Guam, just north of Agat. The Visitor Center contains an excellent World War II museum. Most of the books I have read about Guam during World War II were purchased at the bookstore here.
Liberation Day is celebrated in Guam every year on July 21st. It’s the biggest holiday of the year.
Sources
[War in the Pacific National Historical Park — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_the_Pacific_National_Historical_Park)
[War In The Pacific National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)](https://www.nps.gov/wapa/index.htm)
[Microsoft Word — wapa_gmp1983.doc (nps.gov)](https://www.nps.gov/wapa/learn/management/upload/WAPA-General-Management-Plan-1983.pdf)
[Park Archives: War in the Pacific National Historical Park (npshistory.com)](http://npshistory.com/publications/wapa/index.htm)
[War in the Pacific National Historical Park (Guam) — All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (tripadvisor.com)](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60668-d292669-Reviews-War_in_the_Pacific_National_Historical_Park-Guam.html)
[Ranger Programs for April 2015 — War In The Pacific National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)](https://www.nps.gov/wapa/learn/news/park-programs-april-2015.htm)
[gaan-point-2012.pdf (npshistory.com)](http://npshistory.com/brochures/wapa/gaan-point-2012.pdf)
