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News • Guam • United States • 2012-01-29

Iwo Jima Veterans Reunite on Guam

Iwo Jima war veterans will meet on Guam for a Reunion of Honor on March 10-12, 2012. The reunion is being arranged and promoted by the Iwo Jima Association of America.

The participants will room at Guam’s Outrigger Guam Resort, enjoying beachfront access and upscale accommodations. They will visit historical Spanish sites and tour the Gef Pa’go Cultural Village in Inarajan, experiencing a traditional Chamorro meal. Half the group will tour Guam’s lush and hilly southern end including Asan Beach Park, Asan Overlook, COM-NAVMAR (Commander Naval Forces Marianas) Museum and the War Dog Memorial. The other part of the group will tour Andersen Air Force Base, including Andersen Wives Club Boutique, Arc Light Memorial, and Heritage Museum. The tour will end with lunch at Top of the Rock at Terague Overlook.

Guam was colonized by the Spanish in 1565, 44 years after Ferdinand Magellan first landed three of five ships in Umatac Bay. Spain ruled until 1899, when the U.S. formally purchased Guam and other Spanish-held territories for $20 million. Guam was eventually part of the Pacific Ocean Theatre of WWII. Older residents still remember bloody battles between the United States and Japan, finally being liberated from Japanese occupation on what is now celebrated as Liberation Day, July 21, 1944.

The reunion package also offers pre-tour excursions on Guam’s neighboring islands, Saipan and Tinian, both part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. A post tour to Peleliu, part of the Republic of Palau, will allow veterans to continue to experience Micronesian hospitality and unparalleled island beauty.

The Iwo Jima Association of America (IJAA) is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the history of the Battle of Iwo Jima for future generations. Annually, IJAA sponsors two educational and historical symposiums, in the Washington, D.C. locale and on the island of Guam. The symposium on Guam includes the \"Reunion of Honor\" memorial services on Iwo Jima, jointly held with the Iwo Jima Association of Japan (IJAJ). The primary purpose of these symposiums is to honor those on both sides who sacrificed so much by educating the younger generations on the history of the battle in particular, and World War II in general.

For more information, visit www.iwojimaassociation.org.

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