Sixty nine years ago today, Captain George McMillin, USN, surrendered on Guam, after a brief battle against Imperial Japanese forces. The were about 550 sailors, Marines and militia with a total of 12 automatic weapons matched against about 5,500 Japanese soldiers, fully armed with modern weapons. Isolationists in Congress led by Rep. Joseph Martin (R-Mass.) had opposed any defensive measures that would have armed the sailors, Marines, and militia and enabled them to give real resistance. Three militia men were beheaded near the Governor's residence in Agana.
Guam was initially bombed on December 8 at 8:30 a.m., three hours after Pearl Harbor was attacked. Some residents of Guam were unaware of the attacks on Pearl Harbor and were attending Mass at the Agana Cathedral as it was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The bombing attacks continued until ground trooops came ashore on December 10. The brutal Japanese occupation lasted until July 21, 1944.
No comments:
Post a Comment