Survivors of Japanese occupation of Guam during World War II seek compensation, recognition

Guam’s World War II survivors seek compensation

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 30 survivors whose stories are featured on a new website aimed at helping Guamanians win long-awaited recognition and compensation 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,” Reyes told the Pacific Daily News.

The website, www.guamwarsurvivorstory.com, allows community members to submit their own stories and photos, and includes a section where people can sign a petition to Congress. It was set up by Reyes’ son-in-law, territorial Sen. Frank Blas Jr.

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.”

She 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.

Many survivors who showed up at a launch ceremony for the website Tuesday said it was a step in the right direction.

Chalan Pago resident Barbara Maria Castro De La Cruz, 75, witnessed the beheading of three Chamorro men as a child.

“I am a survivor, and I am waiting for what’s coming to me,” said De La Cruz, whose testimony also is featured on the website.

Rita Santos Cruz, a 73-year-old whose family was beaten during the war, said the time has come for survivors to be compensated — but more importantly, recognized — for the suffering they endured.

“It’s not the money. It’s not the dollars that they’re going to give us,” said Rita Santos Cruz. “It’s just to be recognized that you know, these thing happened to us, because to this day, we haven’t heard from the federal government that we went through this.”

_____

Online:

www.guamwarsurvivorstory.com

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