Around the World in 128 Days - Guam With an Awesome Greeting

 

Travel Day 46 - February 18, 2024 - 10,276 Steps

The people of Guam are very proud to be Americans.

The ever present tug when we dock in port always looks different  and never seems to have any work to do.

Coast Guard patrol boat with bow gun manned always in the vicinity of the ship as we docked.

Trying something different for breakfast. It sure was good.

Are berth was in another working port.

First it was the Coast Guard, then it was Navy watching over us.

80 years ago US Marines were storming ashore to liberate the island from the Japanese forces.

We had an afternoon tour today. Looking out from the verandah in the morning I noticed one of the life raft canisters had been deployed.

Just after taking the above photo there was a loud boom. the two halves of the canister flew off and the life raft started to inflate.

If you've ever wondered what those drums near the lifeboats are for.

Two great meals in a row, ow about that.

80 years ago US ships filled the waters below as the invasion began.

Soon an enormous US military presence sprang up and shipload after ship of material poured ashore as the island was changed forever.

The US strategy was called island hopping and there were plenty of islands that were affected and many, many thousands of resulting casualties.

The Japanese were extremely cruel to the people living on Guam after they invaded the island in 1941, forcing them to work as slaves to build up the Japanese defenses. It all proved be for nothing as the US took only 19 days to retake the island i late July and early August 1944.

Thousands of names on the memorial.

Remnants of the many caves the Japanese dug into the hills of Guam.

A Linda flower photo.

People have lived on Guam for nearly 2000 years. Remains of the foundation stones of the houses of those early peoples.

White Tern perched in a tree.

If there are chickens to be seen, Linda will see and photograph them.

Two White Terns perched in a tree.

Love locks adorn the fence near Two Lovers Point.

The the point to where they leaped to their deaths. The girl, a daughter of a chief was going to be forced to marry a Spanish Military officer according to the modern version of this Guam folktale, when she and her boyfriend fled towards the 3000 plus foot cliff overlooking the ocean. As the Spanish closed in on them they jumped to their death. Needless to say the modern tale bears only passing resemblance to the first recorded version, but that is way of every tale from long ago.

It's a long way down to the water.

A  Navy Submarine Tender, the USS Frank Cable at its home base in Guam.

The only other Submarine Tender in the Navy, the USS Emory S. Land also at its home berth.

In case you wonder how to identify them, it is the number on their bow I used.

Leaving Guam.

My thoughts were of my Dad being here shortly after the battle, as we cleared the entrance to the harbor.

Another gorgeous Pacific sunset.