Guam Day 120 - Chagui'an Massacre Site





 6/22/2022 - This was another new site I found while driving around this week. The Chagui'an Massacre Site sits about a mile from our tiny house, tucked away between a few privately owned pieces of land. You wouldn't know it was there unless you saw the signage in these back roads. The story like many of those from WWII is quite sad. As the US pushed inland from Asan and Agat beaches in 1944 the Chamorro people were either let go from their concentration camps as the Japanese fled, or were tortured and killed. The later occurred here on this site, 20 Chamorro men were found slain at this very location. One more of those really difficult to swallow visuals of a time that was very tumultuous here on Guam and the world. 

The site today was quite calm and peaceful with exception of a tied up cow at the entrance, the first image. I found on the way in, no problem with getting past this creature, but on the way out he had enough rope in tension to block off the road. The peace had to be broken with the sound of the Mazda honking away until this poor beast decided it wasn't worth taking out the car for its small select grass on the far side of the road. The funny things you see on this island. 

Im enjoying looking for new things on the island once again, the time is just flying by. 

Comments

  1. Dave S.June 28, 2022 at 6:18 PM

    Yes, I agree history can reveal such cruelty. Didn't know of this, so sad. Am thankful for your sharing this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. CurtJune 28, 2022 at 8:27 PM

    Good find. Makes me wonder what the motives were for killing these people. Was it covering up war crimes that they knew about? Was it anger or spite or frustration over losing the island? Meanness? We see examples in our world of senseless, needless loss of life - Ukraine, illegal immigration attempts, or mass shootings. Interesting contrast with the cow - peace returns and life goes on.

    ReplyDelete

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