Guam website aims to win recognition for World War II survivors of Japanese occupation

Website aims to help Guam’s World War II survivors

HAGATNA, Guam — Regina Reyes, 95, remembers making corn titiyas, or flatbread, and selling it by the side of the road for 50 cents to survive during the Japanese occupation of Guam during World War II.

Her husband was taken away by the Japanese for labor and never returned. One day, a Japanese soldier came to her house in Agana Heights, armed with a gun and bayonet.

“He pushed me down and raped me,” said Reyes, who was seven months pregnant at the time.

Reyes is among Guamanians seeking long-denied compensation and recognition from Congress for their suffering during the war.

“I know that the Americans agreed to the Japanese that they’re going to take care of everything, but they didn’t take care of me,” she told the Pacific Daily News.

Her son-in-law, territorial Sen. Frank Blas Jr., has set up a website to tell the stories of 30 survivors, including Reyes, and elicit support for their cause. The site allows community members to submit their own stories and photos, and it includes a section where people can sign a petition to Congress.

According to the site, more than 22,000 civilians lived through the war on Guam but fewer than 1,000 are still alive today. Guam’s delegate to Congress, Madeleine Bordallo, has submitted legislation that would set aside $126 million to compensate living survivors.

Japan was absolved from having to pay war reparations by the treaty that ended the war.

In the year following the war, the Guam Meritorious Claims Act allowed residents to receive compensation from the U.S. government.

But Guam officials say many residents were unaware of the offer at the time. The one-year limit and the application process were also impractical for residents of the war-torn U.S. territory 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii.

Despite years of efforts on the part of Guam delegates, many have never received reparations or recognition they seek from Congress.

Reyes’ daughter and Blas’ wife, Tillie Blas, said her mother kept her story a secret until a public hearing on the war was held during the past decade.

“None of us knew,” Tillie Blas said. “She kept that in her for a long time.”

Tillie Blas said hearing her mother’s story made her realize the importance of recognizing the suffering of war survivors, and compensating them for their losses.

“It’s time that our people find that closure,” Tillie Blas said. “Because they don’t have it yet, and they are dying.”

She said it’s not so much about money, but about gaining visibility for a people and culture.

It’s also important as a way to define Guam for something more than its strategic military importance — a characteristic that has fueled a large U.S. buildup on the island in recent years.

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Online:

www.guamwarsurvivorstory.com

Information from: Pacific Daily News, www.guampdn.com/