Getting settled on Guam

Guam is volcanic and earthquakes are frequent, but none occurred during our stay; it is fringed with coral reefs and the mean annual temperature is 81 degrees. During the hot summer months, when the southwest monsoons are blowing there are occasional typhoons. (I have garnered the information on Guam, and some following information, from the 1955 Encyclopedia Americana). Guam was the ancient home of the proud and warlike Chamorros, but under Spanish rule around 100,000 of them were slaughtered or dispersed; those remaining intermarried with the Tagalogs of the Philippines, and with the Spaniards, produced the Guamanians of 1944. In the peace treaty with Spain the U.S. acquired Guam and there has been further introduction of American genes into a small amount of the Chamorro population. The Chamorro are a small people, yellowish brown with black hair and they are very strong.

When we disembarked from the Island Mail we were taken by truck up to a high point above the city of Agana, where we quickly set up our tents, set up areas to eat our k rations, and some men prepared heads nearby, with a wire screen protecting from flies. When we finally finished we looked down upon Agana and found it had been almost completely destroyed by naval guns in the storming of the beaches by the Marines. There were no inhabitants, but Agana had 10,000 people in 1940.