Whereas Guam is an unincorporated territory of the United States in the Mariana Island Chain;

Whereas Guam was invaded by Imperial Japanese forces on December 8, 1941, hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor;

Whereas the CHamoru people of Guam endured almost 3 years of harsh occupation and atrocities by Imperial Japanese forces during World War II until it was liberated in 1944;

Whereas the CHamoru people were forced into labor camps to carry supplies, farm, and complete other duties for the Imperial Japanese soldiers;

Whereas family members would mysteriously go missing without any warning or explanation;

Whereas the people of Guam continued to display their courage and loyalty to the United States by risking their lives to hide and protect surviving United States soldiers from Imperial Japanese forces;

Whereas 1,000 civilians (nearly 10 percent of the population) were confirmed deceased from the camps alone;

Whereas, in July 1944, the Imperial Japanese forces forced nearly the entire civilian CHamoru population (approximately 18,000 people) to march to a concentration camp in Manenggon;

Whereas people of all ages, from infants to the elderly, were forced to march for several days from villages across Guam, covering long distances with little food or water and enduring senseless cruelty from the Imperial Japanese soldiers along the route;

Whereas many accounts describe innocent people dying during the strenuous march, babies being born and forcefully left behind, and families being torn apart when people fell behind or became ill;

Whereas, once at Manenggon, the CHamoru people of Guam had to build basic shelters and forage for food and water;

Whereas the full extent of deaths and suffering endured at Manenggon and the other smaller camps during the forced marches is unknown;

Whereas tens of thousands of brave Americans from throughout the nation, from Suffolk County, New York, to Sacramento County, California, to Hawai’i, fought against tyranny and oppression thousands of miles from their homes;

Whereas these brave servicemembers engaged the enemy in an area unknown to many for the cause of freedom, making the ultimate sacrifice to liberate Guam and its people from Imperial Japanese occupation;

Whereas, on July 21, 1944, the United States launched the Marianas Campaign to liberate Guam, with over 55,000 American troops carrying out an amphibious landing at Asan Bay;

Whereas Asan Bay was the site of intense fighting in the initial operations to secure a foothold and liberate the island from the Imperial Japanese forces;

Whereas nearly 1,200 young Marine and Army soldiers were killed in action on Asan Beach on the first day of fighting;

Whereas securing Asan Bay was pivotal for the American victory over Imperial Japan in the Pacific;

Whereas control of Asan Bay allowed American forces to establish airfields and naval facilities on Guam that proved instrumental in launching the eventual invasion of Imperial Japan;

Whereas, on July 30, 1944, American soldiers from the 77th Division reached Manenggon, liberating the camps by July 31, 1944.

Whereas the capture of Guam was completed on August 10, 1944, ending nearly 3 years of Imperial Japanese occupation;

Whereas over 2,000 United States servicemembers were killed in action in the span of 100 days;

Whereas the Guam campaign was one of the deadliest campaigns in the Pacific theater;

Whereas Guam provided the United States a crucial base to neutralize other heavily fortified outposts controlled by Imperial Japan, accelerating and securing the recovery of the Pacific theater;

Whereas the recapture of Guam provided an integral foundation for transporting troops, equipment, and supplies toward Imperial Japan in preparation for a final battle;

Whereas Guam’s geographic position made it an indispensable strategic asset for the United States future advances against Imperial Japan at Iwo Jima and Okinawa;

Whereas Imperial Japan surrendered to the United States of America only 13 months after the liberation of Guam;

Whereas Liberation Day reinforces Guam’s resilience, loyalty to the United States, and the cultural identity of the island; and

Whereas July 21, 2025, marks the 81st anniversary of Guam’s Liberation Day, commemorating the freedom regained from occupation and honoring those who fought for Guam’s liberation: Now, therefore, be it