Beware - this is going to be a long post because I have had an absolutely incredible day - I loved the people the first day I went to work here - and after today I am in love with this tiny dot in the Pacific Ocean.
I started out the day thinking that I would go to all the War in the Pacific parks (there are seven) but after going to two, I just drove and took pictures - I will go to more later.
My first stop was Asan Beach. Last night I watched a newsreel about this fierce battle and I was hooked, I wanted to see these places. So take yourself back to July of 1944 - setting - Guam. The Japanese had taken over the island - this was an important island because of it's central positioning in the Pacific Ocean. The Chamorro (natives of Guam) were either in Japanese concentration camps or hiding out in the mountains in fear. The Spanish American War had left the island of Guam to the Americans but in 1931, the president demilitarized the island and left just a small number of Marines there. In 1941, Japan sent a massive strike force to take the island. Now back to 1944 - the US made plans for operation Stevedore and to take back the island, but somehow the Japanese found out - they reinforced the possible landing sites and mountains but made one critical mistake. They put the bulk of their forces at the beach in Tumon (where my hotel is). The US chose Asan as their first strike. On July 21, the US made their move - Marines hit Asan beach first. It had to be a hard way to come in - the water here is lined with lava rocks - not an easy landing - on top of that - it's HOT here and steamy humid. Close to the water, you can feel the tradewinds, but once in the jungle, you can't feel anything. Now back to the present. Asan is a popular tourist beach and it was very noisy today - but the luckily I suppose the Japanese don't enjoy visiting the site of one of their worst defeats in history - so i pretty much had the war stuff to myself.
This picture was taken from the beach - see all the rocks - they are everywhere - and they are rough and sharp - probably why the Japanese didn't expect them to land here. However - they still had the beach covered and did not make it easy for the marines. I really wanted to see some of the bomb holes - so I decided to take one of the trails into the jungle. (At the point, Robbie is thinking how stupid his wife is to go hiking alone with weak ankles - and truthfully, I was thinking the same thing - but more about being alone in the jungle than turning my ankle - but I may never be back - I had to go) So literally I went into the jungle.
I wasn't thinking too much about it being uphill, but let me tell you it got hot - and really looking at this picture - that is probably more of what the marines had to trek through instead of the nice mowed lawn back at the beach. As I moved up the hill, it got quiet - I had the trail completely to myself. It also got progressively hotter and miserable. I got to a clearing and cooled off a bit with the breeze. Once I was up the hill and not huffing and puffing, I began to really enjoy this. I stopped and realized that I was surrounded by butterflies - they were everywhere! Not like those pictures you see on TV - but one time I saw seven all at once above my head. I kept hearing noises in the bushes and prayed it wasn't the brown snakes (they say that there are millions here- not kidding) and I was beginning to wonder if I was going to see the bomb holes. Unfortunately, they don't believe too much in putting signs up here. I was on my own. I happened to look to my right and see a concrete slab and wondered what it was - I walked over and looked down and was rewarded with this:
It looked a little creepy and a lot snakey, but I went in.
I finally saw what I came for. Bomb holes and a place where the Japanese were stationed with their guns. The picture below is where the Japanese used concrete to create a place for the gunners - they crouched down and placed their guns on the concrete ledge. The white wood that you see is where it's been reinforced for preservation. It looks like in the back that it was hit by mortar fire. I am just guessing though - it could just be crumbling from age.
Below is one of the bomb holes - Since I didn't have a sign to tell me, I am assuming that by bomb hole, they mean it's where a bomb from the US hit. Some of the signs back at the beach said that it was still possible to find unexploded bomb and such - that's a lovely thought to a girl all alone in the jungle...
As I moved on down the trail, I realized that I was getting back to the ocean - to my surprise, I had discovered my own little beach. I was all alone in the world - just me and the tiny little crabs that were everywhere. And I do mean everywhere - if
it wasn't a crab, it was a lizard - but I was thankful that it wasn't a snake - especially the brown kind. Two pictures of my little private beach are below. I stayed here for a long time - for a couple of reasons - one it was hot in the jungle and this let me catch some of the breezes and cool off a bit before I started back and two it was just so peaceful. I have NEVER had a beach to myself. The beaches I have been to have always been crowded - this to me was a truly magical moment. As I sat on a rock on my beach, I closed my eyes and tried to imagine that day in July in 1944.
I tried to imagine this beauty with blood everywhere from Americans and Japanese and the sound of mortar fire and machine guns and airplanes. Shouts and screams......and then I heard it.....my mind came immediately back to the present because the sound I had just heard was the high pitched whine of a mosquito in my ear! Shoot! I had watched enough TV to know that there are ALWAYS mosquitoes in the jungle! No bug spray with me - time to retreat.
Back onto the highway to the next beach. Agat beach. Back to 1944 - Once Asan was taken it was time for the next wave to move in- a group of Marines and Army were next. Their orders were to move in on Agat beach and take the mountain and the peninsula close by. This was a very strategic battle because taking the peninsula gave the US control of the harbor and air field. The Japanese were ready for this battle though. This was an easier landing for the troops - no rocks like the beach at Asan. Not only was there a stronghold on the beach plus numerous pillboxes and blockhouses in the water just off the beach, but there were also over 20 large guns used by the Japenese. Two are on display on the beach.
According to the internet (there actually was a sign for this, but it was ruined), this first gun was a machine cannon that was used to fire on the battleships. The other gun directly above was an anti aircraft machine gun. This picture is taken from where the Japanese soldier would have been standing in 1944. It felt kind of creepy to be standing there - like the ghost of the Japanese soldier was there with me - seriously. Below is a picture of a pillbox from the outside - there was a lookout on the top of the pillbox.
This picture shows one of the block houses. It's hard to see but there are small square holes for men to stick their guns out of. There were actually Japanese men in the water in these concrete squares. Definitely NOT the place to be stationed - there was no retreating from one of these.
Time to leave the ghosts - I was tired from my hike and decided to drive awhile. The scenery was absolutely amazing. One minute you were driving up a mountain - then you would round a curve and the scenery would open up to an incredible view. Below are some of my pics.
Bear Rock - can you see it?
Wanna Ride? And the answer to the burning question in your mind - yes that woman did get up on this beast - I chose to spare her dignity and not take a picture.
There are many more pictures on facebook - I didn't put them all here. It's time to take a shower and relax. It's the end of a perfect day. Tomorrow church and more sights or maybe I will just sit on the beach and read - I meant to do some of that today - but was overcome with sightseeing!
Good Night - or Good Morning to you ;)
Kristi
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