OIA PRESS RELEASE

Wreath Laying Ceremony to Commemorate the 63rd Anniversary of the Liberation of Guam and the Battle of the Northern Marianas

Washington, D.C. (July 10, 2007) — This morning at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, Congresswoman, Madeleine Z. Bordallo from Guam, Resident Representative, Pedro A. Tenorio from CNMI, and the Acting Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, gathered together for the laying of the wreath ceremony to commemorate the 63rd Anniversary of the Liberation of Guam, the Battle for the Northern Marianas, and the War in the Pacific.

The Battle for the Northern Marianas and the Liberation of Guam were turning points in the Pacific during World War II.  On June 15, 1944, the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions and the 27th Army Infantry Division fought to establish a strategic base in the Northern Marianas from which to strike Japan and secure the land for the people of the Northern Marianas.  On July 21, 1944, units of the 3rd Marine Amphibious Force and the 77th Army Infantry Division liberated the people of Guam who had survived thirty-two months of enemy occupation.

The Wreath Laying Ceremony was comprised of the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, the March On of the Honor Guard, the March On of the Colors, the Presentation of Arms, and the Laying of the Wreath.  Then after the wreath was laid, Taps was played and the arms and the colors were retired.

This Wreath Laying Ceremony commemorated the suffering endured by the people of Guam and the Northern Marianas and honored the sacrifices of the Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and Airmen who gave their lives for freedom in the Pacific.

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