Landmark 40th Anniversary Issue

LANDMARK

The official publication of USS Emory S. Land

VOL X / ISSUE III

4 0 Y E A R S O F H I S T O R Y FEATURING

Catching an Opportunity

By MC2 Jordyn Diomede

The Battle of Guam

By MC1 Jason Behnke

L A N D O F O P P O R T U N I T Y

LANDMARK MAGAZINE

TABLE OF CONTENTS THE COMMAND TRIAD COMMANDING OFFICER Capt. Michael D. Luckett EXECUTIVE OFFICER Cmdr. Ritchie L. Taylor COMMAND MASTER CHIEF (ACTING) CMDCS Paul James

LANDMARK MAGAZINE STAFF PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER Lt. Daniel Moore LEADING PETTY OFFICER MC1 Steven Khor LEAD EDITOR MC2 Jordyn Diomede ASSISTANT EDITOR MC1 Jason Behnke SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER MC2 Richard Miller STAFF JOURNALIST MC3 Destinyy Reed

Landmark Magazine is an authorized publication for Sailors aboard the USS Emory S. Land (AS 39). Contents herein are not the views of, or endorsed by the United States government, Dept. of Defense, Dept. of the Navy, or the Commanding Officer of the ESL. All news, photos, and information for publication in Landmark Magazine must be submitted to the Public Affairs Officer of the USS Emory S. Land. Landmark Magazine is produced by ESL Media Services department.

ESL is manned by an integrated crew of Sailors and civilian mariners under the administrative control of Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and operational control of the Commander, Task Force 74. As a forward-deployed naval force, ESL is tasked to provide epeditionary, intermediate-level maintenance and repairs, hotel services, and logistics support to deployed Guided-Missile and Fast-Attack submarines deployed in the 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet areas of operation.

REPRODUCTION OF ANY PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MUST BE AUTHORIZED BY THE PUBLISHER AND CREDITED TO LANDMARK MAGAZINE AND THE CONTRIBUTORS INVOLVED. 1

LEADERSHIP

Pg. 03 - Commanding Officer Pg. 05 - Executive Officer Pg. 06 - Command Master Chief

FEATURES

Pg. 07 - Catching an Opportunity Pg. 09 - 40 Years of Tradition & Heritage Pg. 13 - Emory S. Land Plankowners Pg. 15 - Lessons from “The Land” Pg. 17 - The Battle of Guam

Washington: The birthplace of mountains and submarine tenders.

Cover photo: Personnel from ESL’s 1978-1979 cruisebook.

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Capt. Michael Luckett Commanding Officer, USS Emory S. Land

ESL’s 40 Years of Service ESL has traveled the world. We’ve done things to support surface ships and submarines all over the world, and we’re not done yet. Obviously, we’re going to be doing some expeditionary ops here in the near future.

If you look at the longer term, the ship’s probably going to be in service for another 10 years or more. I’d say to all the Sailors, both civilian mariner and Navy that take care of this ship on a day-to-day basis, that your work on maintaining the material condition of the ship is very important because this capability is important to the Navy, and we need to make sure we keep the ship fit to fight for the remainder of its service life.

A Message to the Crew I’d like to give a couple of shout-outs to some organizations who have recently had some external inspections. The medical department completed a medical readiness inspection a little while ago and had some good solid results. The ship as a whole completed the antiterrorism certification very successfully, and I’m proud of the crew’s performance on that. We’re still working hard to get the submarine maintenance mission done, and in the background working on the turnover to hand our responsibilities for Guam here back to the Frank Cable, and then prepare ourselves for deployment. So I know there is a lot going on, and people are being pulled in various directions, but we have to keep all these plates spinning. We have to get through all of these milestones so that we can keep the mission going here and get ready to do the next mission that we’ll be heading out for.

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Guam’s Strategic Importance Guam is a very important place for our nation from a geostrategic and security perspective. The capability that the Navy has in Guam to support our forces, not just here but throughout the western Pacific, is very strategically important. So, it’s important to the nation and the Navy that we are able to have the facilities here and do the things here to support the fleet that we need to. It’s important that we, the Sailors here in Guam, work well with our community, be good neighbors and be a part of the community. Many of us actually live here, and I intend to retire here, so I consider this my home.

So the work that we do here defends our home on the island and defends our nation in general.

Guam Liberation Day Liberation Day is a huge event in Guam. I have been continually impressed by the patriotism and dedication of the Americans here in Guam. We are going to be involved with some of our sister villages, particularly with the village of Asan where the two landing beaches are located. Sailors from the ESL will be participating in some of the commemoration activities at the Asan landing beach. We’ll also be participating with both Asan and Dededo in the actual parade itself. The parade is a really important part of history and traditions here.

It’s typical that many families will go and stake out the spots where their grandparents or great grandparents stood during the actual liberation 75 years ago. Carrying out that tradition is an important part of life here. I’m happy that we are a part of that tradition this year.

The Battle of Guam I would encourage Sailors, if they don’t know much about the battle, to learn a little bit about it. I would encourage them to go to the visitor’s center, right outside the main gate on base. It has some great exhibits, and it tells the story very well. The Marianas Island Campaign was a very important turning point in WWII. It encompassed the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and then the invasions of Saipan and Tinian, and the liberation of Guam. So if you look at all of those together as the Marianas Campaign, it accomplished a couple of very important strategic objectives for the United States in the war. First of all, during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Japanese Navy’s offensive aviation capability was effectively destroyed. For the remainder of the war they were not an effective combat force. The invasion of Saipan and Tinian and the liberation of Guam provided a forward base for both the Navy and the Army Air Corps. For the Navy, Guam became the main logistics hub in the Western Pacific. Admiral Nimitz moved his headquarters here forward from Hawaii. By the end of the war there were more than 1,700 ships a month coming and going in Apra Harbor. So it was a huge logistics point. The Army Air Corps set up bases here in Guam, where Anderson Air Force Base is now, and in Saipan and Tinian. By the end of the war there were 1,000 B-29’s flying daily sorties to conduct raids on the Japanese homeland. On a more local and personal level, it’s important to understand how tough of a fight that was. The organized Japanese resistance in Guam during the battle lasted just under three weeks. There were many people in the local population that suffered during the Japanese takeover, the occupation and then during the liberation. Many locals were killed, displaced or injured. So that was a pretty significant event in their lives. A lot of American Soldiers, Sailors and Marines died to take this island back. The casualty figures for the Japanese defenders were even more dire.

ESL’s Evolving Wartime Mission I know there have been a lot of discussions about where we’re going and how long we’ll be there. I just want to tell people to be flexible. There certainly is a schedule, but the schedule is always subject to change.

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s very important to watch the news, because what happens in the world affects our day-to-day lives. It’s always important to keep an eye on that and remember that our mission is to support what the fleet commander needs, and what, eventually, the combatant commander needs for the security of our nation. So, we’ll adjust our missions as required to answer that call.

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Cmdr. Ritchie Taylor Executive Officer, USS Emory S. Land

ESL is approaching her 40th birthday; with this being your 3rd tour onboard the submarine tenders how have you witnessed the changes over the years?

Even though it’s my third tour, to be completely honest, all three have been very different. I’ve had to learn each time and use the best leadership principles I can in each of those endeavors. If you take care of Sailors, they take care of you.

How monumental is it for a ship to remain commissioned for 40 years?

It speaks testaments. Everybody makes fun of the tenders about how broken they are, but I remember walking on the Frank Cable when I was a third class or second class in Charleston, South Carolina, walking parts because I was a RPPO. To remember looking at them then and looking at them now, it’s almost like time has stood still. It’s not a time warp, it’s the same tender. They serve an important role for submarines, and so it’s impressive. They’re talking about going at least another 10 years. They’re talking about doing 50 years on each.

How confident do you feel in the crew’s sea capabilities as we prepare to get underway?

I feel very confident. Obviously, we just completed Winter Patrol 2018, and I know everybody was winding down, myself included, but if you really take the emotion out of it and our personal views and feelings, we are the right tender for the job to deploy.

What are you looking forward to most about our upcoming deployment schedule?

I look forward to exercising our capability as a sub tender, both with subs alongside and showing the American flag. It looks like we’re going to cross the line again. We have a lot of Shellbacks on here now, and we have to get rid of those pollywogs. It should be fun.

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What are some of your favorite places you’ve visited in the Navy and what makes them stand out?

Of all the ones that I’ve been to, there are two that stand out the most. One is Hong Kong, I just loved it; it was a different vibe. It was everything from A to triple Z. If you can’t find it in Hong Kong, you can’t find it anywhere. Some of the other ports I enjoyed were in South America. I was able to hit Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and it was just gorgeous, with good food and liberty time.

Liberation Day is one of the biggest events of the year in Guam. How would you encourage the crew to get involved in the festivities?

I’m huge about being very respectful for wherever we are at, homeported or visiting, because there are people who have been born and raised here. This is their whole life, so be respectful to them and learn about their culture and background here and try their food, because that’s what it’s about, it’s about food here and fellowship. I just say embrace it and try to learn from it.

We are representing the Navy, we are representing the Emory S. Land, and you’re representing your own family, so just be respectful.

Do you have any farewells to the crew that’ll be leaving us for the Frank Cable?

It’s hard to believe I’ve been onboard nine months, and it’s gone so fast. It’s the one thing that never changes in the Navy, Sailors always come and go, you kind of get used to it. It’s sad to see some go; sometimes you’re glad to see somebody go too. I always tell everybody with the most heartfelt thanks for everything they’ve done on Emory S. Land. Some of the Sailors checking out have been here three or four years and I know they’ve seen a lot of change and been through a lot. Most of them are first-termers; I tell them that it’s a hard first tour. I give them a hardy thank you, fair winds and following seas.

Would you like to add anything?

I do look forward to the mission. You know what I say, do the right thing, because it’s the right thing to do.

CMDCS Paul James Command Master Chief, USS Emory S. Land

You recently assumed the position as CMC, what are some of your expectations of the crew during your time as CMC? I assumed the position of CMDCM on May 5, 2019.

Some of my expectations for the team are to display a professional behavior and be good pillars in the community.

The communities in which we live and serve expect it from us as they should. An incident out in the community involving our Sailors regardless of how minor it may appear has the magnitude of bringing discredit upon the command and the Navy. Second, I expect the team to hold themselves personally accountable for their actions. We know the right thing to do even when it may not be clearly stated in writing or otherwise.

Once trust is lost, it’s hard or almost impossible to gain it back.

Don’t compromise your integrity. Third, continue to develop yourself personally and professionally. Work to be the best in your rate. You not only help the ship meet its mission, you also open up career opportunities that will assist you to get where you want to be in your career in the future. Lastly, be a good shipmate. Don’t be a bystander, if you see a shipmate putting themselves in a potentially risky situation, intervene, your willingness to act could save a sailor from making a destructed decision which they can’t recover.

What are some things you are currently working on as CMC? A few things I am currently working on is our upcoming pre-deployment night, command picnic, CPO Initiation plan, meritorious advancement, port briefs, and other matters that will assist our Sailors and families prepare for deployment.

Additionally, I am working with the JEA, SCPOA, and leadership from the FCPOA to develop a program for our junior Sailors to sponsor activities on the weekends as an alternative to consuming alcohol. Guam is small, but you need transportation to get around the island.

What do you enjoy most about being the CMC? Each day I experience something new and have the chance to solve potential issues within the command before they become a problem. I have the opportunity to talk with Sailors at different ranks and paygrades on a daily basis and hear their concerns; take their feedback and recommendations on how we can improve our command. It’s truly a joy to work onboard Emory S. Land and see the team grow together. .

How do you encourage the crew to stay flexible?

I encourage the crew to be flexible by decimating as much information as possible through the chain of command, ALL Hand Site TV, Plan of the Day, OMBUDSMAN, Family Readiness Group, Command Enlisted Associations, CMC Corner board managed by the Junior Enlisted Association, walking around the ship speaking with Sailors about their concerns and answering question, as well as through the CO’s suggestion box. By providing timely and accurate information, it allows the crew the ability to properly plan the best way they can for upcoming events. Emory S Land’s mission is tied to homeported and deployed unit schedules. When their schedules change it can lead to our schedule changing as well.

ESL will be celebrating her 40th birthday, how monumental is this for the ship’s history?

First, Happy Birthday Big LAND! It’s a big deal. It shows the value the submarine tender brings to the Navy. For forty years Emory S Land has been an integral part of submarine operations. Her service allows the submarine force the flexibility to virtually be on mission anywhere in the world and receive critical services from the tenders. This allows the unit to get back on station to carry out missions vital to national security without skipping a beat.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I would like to thank the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer for the opportunity to serve as Command Master Chief onboard Emory S Land. I would also like to thank the Chief Mess, Wardroom, MSC, and the best crew on the waterfront for the support that allow us to be a successful team 6

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CATCHING AN

PP RTUNITY

ESL Sailor gets Invitation to Join U.S. Military All-Stars Team on Summer Tour Story by MC2 Jordyn Diomede Photo by Sophia Hayes

For one ESL Sailor, the prospect of and it’s something I should take,” he have a little bit of fun, and build up playing baseball for the U.S. Military said. “It was a tough decision, but his resume for when he retires or All-Stars team this summer is now a we decided it was a good idea.” gets out of the Navy, he said. reality.

Morris will be traveling between He said he sees a lot of guys get Damage Controlman 2nd Class Oregon and Washington for discouraged after they end their Joe Morris has been playing baseball three weeks this summer playing sports careers. After coming out of since he was three years old. high school and joining the military, “I never thought I’d get Now, he is on the line-up as a they think that aspect of their this opportunity on active duty, but life is over, but there are always catcher for the U.S. Military All-Stars team. the command was so willing to let me opportunities in the military to This year is the team’s things. do this and entrust me to represent do“Idifferent 29th anniversary. It is the never thought I’d get this them in a good way.” only baseball team in the opportunity on active duty, but the world to incorporate all five command was so willing to let me branches of the armed forces. Out of in 25 games against teams in do this and entrust me to represent a roster of 38 people, he will be one of developmental leagues. The teams them in a good way,” he said. “I think only three catchers on the team. he’ll face will include juniors and that’s the thing I take the most pride His friend, who had played on the seniors in college, who will likely go in is I get to go out, play a sport I team before, had submitted a package on to play professionally, and some love, and represent what we stand for him without his knowledge. He teams from Australia, he said. for. Along with it, you’re not only looked in his inbox one day and saw Scouts from the Milwaukee doing for your command or yourself, an acceptance, he said.

Brewers will be traveling with the you’re also helping other people out.”

“I was pretty shocked, because a team for two weeks. He said that a During the tour, the U.S. Military lot of these guys go and play Division lot of the guys have the opportunity All-Stars are scheduled for 45 1 baseball, or play at the Naval to get looked at and possibly sign meetings and events, to include: Academy, or some of them actually with a professional team. local police stations, reenlistments played a couple minor league rounds Not only will there be scouts, on the diamond, 15 or 16 VA before they ended up going to the the All-Stars will also be coached hospital visits, and ceremonies for military because that didn’t pan by a couple of former professional Gold Star families. out,” he said. “So a lot of these guys players, to include Mark Lemke, “It’s a good opportunity to be a have been a lot higher than me in the second baseman for the Atlanta part of all of that; it’s a very special baseball.”

Braves from 1988 to 1997, and time,” he said. “The whole purpose of After talking the idea over with his Randy Myers, a professional pitcher it is to build up the military to show wife, they came to the conclusion that for several different Major League that we are a lot more than a fighting a partial tour with the team would be Baseball teams from 1985 to 1998. force. We’re here for everyone back the best idea due to Morris’ current In regards to playing professional home.” operational commitments. baseball, Morris believes those years To learn more about the team, go “The way we looked at it was I are behind him. He sees this new to https://usmilitaryallstars.com. might never get this opportunity, opportunity as a chance to go out, 8

40 YEARS OF TRADITION HERITAGE TRIUMPH

CONSTRUCTION START DATE:

March 2, 1976

LAUNCH DATE:

March 4, 1977

BUILDER: Lockheed Shipbuilding Co. COMMISSIONED:

July 7, 1979

LENGTH: 643 feet 8 inches CONSTRUCTION:

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12,500 tons of steel

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*Photos from ESL’s 1978-1979 cruisebook* 12

PLANKOWNERS: Former Sailors share their thoughts

about Emory S. Land

y ship’s Bos’n. Man s a t n e tm r a p e D eck mmissioning.

2 served in the D o 8 c 9 ’s 7 . ip r h e s n , w it o s k n n l tra “Pla y Replenishment, as Panama Cana a h w c r u e s d n s U ie r x, o a f m li e a H great m ia, Palma, Israel, uper shipmates S rc . a G in a o g g a ie s D k , c p e u d k the GITMO wor ould love to walk W . n o s e o g t s li Bahamas. The - Bob Grey r Tender!” aboard the Supe

“I flew out the ship whe n it was in Diego Garcia . I flew around half the world and cam e back to Norfolk the ot her half!

Talk about being scared to death!”

-Blake Twilley

*Partial quotes taken from ESL’s Facebook page* 13

, bus ride akland, e h t e d a O d’s Inn, m the boat ride to n a L d r a o k Came ab Bremerton. Too layed around. . r e n w o ,p d “Plank t. Enjoye olk. Laid around home. h g i l f e h rf w made t o and No o Garcia and fle m t i G , o Acupulc at ride to Dieg ts AYE!!”

S o T b T e A nald Wat h t o W R .

9 3 Took AS irthday Happy B

s being and mis re d e v lo nal. The ner and plankow the Panama Ca ith. a m I’ , s year rough ouch w “Wow 40 . Loved going th hat I’m still in t we were all t L ut e S on the E ipmates on her ve seen them b h a s h eneen are still 0 years since I -Steve D 4 It’s been her.” et g o t in S2

“I am a plankowner and was the very first of the crew to arrive at Sand Point in Seattle. We worked on the ESL when it was still in the civilian shipyard before it moved to Bremerton, WA and the rest of the crew joined us.”

-Anthony Diana Sr.

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Lessons from “The Land” Former ESL Sailors Reflect on their Time Aboard Story by MC2 Jordyn Diomede Photo provided by MCCM Terrina Driscoll USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) has reached her 40th birthday since commissioning in Bremerton, Wash., July 7, 1979. Throughout those 40 years, Sailors have come and gone from her decks, many taking with them life lessons they learned while serving aboard.

One of those Sailors is Master Chief Mass Communication Specialist Terrina Driscoll. She arrived to ESL in March of 1999 as Journalist 3rd Class Terrina Reed.

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At the time of her arrival, she said there was no newsletter and no real media presence at all. In fact, she was the only journalist assigned to “The Land.”

“This was my first ship,” she said. “I was forward deployed, I was the only JO on the ship, and I was scared. I had what I learned in school and not much more. But I was creative and I was not afraid to fail. Those two things have always worked in my favor.”

She said no one really had jobs for her to do, so she employed herself by starting a newsletter. Since internal communication with the crew members wasn’t very good, her first mission was to inform ESL crew members by writing stories on new Sailors arriving to the command and on shops around the ship.

“Eventually, we started external campaigns,” she said. “We would invite media onboard, do tours, send out fleet hometown news stories, and

JO2 Reed (right of the camera), and JO3 Carrillo (bottom middle), pose for a photo with the rest of the media division in a makeshift studio aboard ESL in early 2001.

just try to get ourselves out there.

Then I got more JOs, eventually made JO2, and things really started to come together.”

Driscoll was a driving force in starting up the Landmark newsletter once again.

She credits “The Land” for teaching her many lessons. She earned her Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist pin, she met lifetime friends, and she learned how to be a Sailor on ESL. She said she spent countless nights standing watch and walking the perimeter of ESL. She was only 17 when she joined the Navy and says that she learned responsibility onboard.

While Driscoll was serving on ESL, she met Seaman Recruit Erika Carrillo, now a chief mass communication specialist. She arrived aboard ESL in January 1998 as an undesignated seaman working in the deck department.

Carrillo was in and out of trouble, but once she met Driscoll, things for her changed. She asked Carrillo if she wanted to do some on-the-job training to learn more about the JO rate.

“She recruited me to help her write stories,” Carrillo said. “I decided I wanted to be a JO.” Driscoll became a mentor to Carrillo.

“There were so many undesignated Sailors and then somebody took the time to mentor me,” Carrillo said. “Back then, you didn’t have a big mentorship program in place. All of that was

relatively new.”

She said that Driscoll didn’t give up on her.

“It made me the chief that I am now because I don’t give up on my Sailors,” she said. “When I see them struggling or I see them having issues, I don’t count them out. I try my best to keep them in, especially if I know they love it.”

She fought for the JO rating aboard ESL. She was even told that she wouldn’t be able to cross-rate to JO because she didn’t have this, or she didn’t have that, she said.

The converting process included a request chit to take the JO3 exam, and a board with the CMC, other chiefs, and JO2 Driscoll.

“I let them know that I was really adamant about writing stories, and I would contribute to the Navy by telling the Navy’s story,” she said.

She also expressed how she had improved as a Sailor since training with Driscoll.

Eventually, after taking the advancement exam and having her “A” school waived, Carrillo was frocked to JO3 and began working full time with Driscoll.

“One thing which I will always remember from the ESL is to never give up,” she said, “and to always stay positive no matter the circumstances. I was a kid going there, and nothing was impossible.”

Driscoll remembers how Carrillo’s spirit was exactly what the ESL needed onboard, she said.

“She was the hardest working person on the ship,” Driscoll said.

“She would do her work in deck and

then she would come to our shop and do what we were asking her to do. In fact, she didn’t even lose her spirit when we needed her to do things in our shop that mirrored the work she was doing in deck.

She always had a positive attitude.

I knew there were days she would struggle, and I saw a lot of myself in her. So on those days I would make sure to give her extra motivation and encouragement.”

The ESL’s rich history revolves around Sailors like Driscoll and Carrillo, who have served onboard.

Nearly two decades have passed since their time on the ship, and although not every detail is crystal clear, the memories and life lessons remain forever branded in their minds.

Carrillo may have arrived to ESL as an undesignated seaman with no idea of what her future would hold, but she left as a journalist. She still serves today in the U.S. Navy Reserve as the leading chief petty officer of the USS Constitution Reserve Unit in Boston and the senior enlisted leader of the Operational Support Unit for the Navy Operational Support Center in Houston.

Driscoll is now the senior enlisted leader for Naval Public Affairs Support Element, Headquarters, Reserve. Although she was only stationed aboard ESL for two years, she said that the ship helped raise her into adulthood.

“That ship belongs to every Sailor it served, and it served me well.”

“It made me the chief that I am now because I don’t give up on my Sailors.”

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THE BATTLE OF GUAM Remembering the Three-Week Battle that Liberated Guam Story by MC1 Jason Behnke

A

merica was close to landing a knockout punch against Japan in the Pacific in early July, 1944. After three hard fought weeks of battle in Saipan, U.S. Sailors, Soldiers and Marines defeated the Japanese forces there and gained a crucial airbase that would allow our bombers to strike the Japanese homeland. Another major battle would begin later that same month.

Early morning on July 21, with the deafening sounds of naval gunfire, and bombs exploding from planes launched off USS Wasp (CV 7) and USS Yorktown (CV 10), Soldiers and Marines began to go ashore and the battle to liberate Guam had begun.

The Landing The landing would have been much more difficult without the weeks of preparation leading up to it. A bombing and shelling campaign lasted for weeks. Additionally, Navy underwater demolition teams cleared beach obstacles, often in range of enemy small arms fire. They exploded 640 wire obstacle cages filled with cemented coral, blew a 200-foot hole for unloading in the coral reef and removed half a freighter that blocked a channel.

The initial landing involved the 3rd Marine Division and the 1st Marine Provisional Brigade. They came ashore to the north and south of the Orote Peninsula.

According to Maj. O. R. Lodge in his 1954 historical monograph “The 17

Recapture of Guam,” the men making the first landing felt that nothing could’ve lived through the barrage of gunfire and bombing the Americans were assaulting the island with as they moved toward the beaches.

“This illusion lasted only until mortar fire started to fall among approaching LVT’s (Landing Vehicle Tracked),” Lodge wrote.

The Japanese sank 20 LVT’s, but shortly after the assault began, there were U.S. tanks on both beaches, enabling the Marines to push inland, and making it possible for more troops to follow.

The Japanese counter attack became increasingly intense throughout the morning. Not only did the Marines pushing inland have to suffer the mortars, machine gun fire and sporadic attacks from an enemy entrenched in caves, but the terrain also proved incredibly difficult.

After taking the highground on the beaches, the plan was to take the steep cliffs. Marines fought to gain a foothold around the cliffs and then began the punishing climb through

the difficult terrain.

“As Marines inched up the rough, bare rock, the day grew hotter, and the long shipboard confinement began to take its toll as men fell by the wayside,” Lodge wrote.

When the Marines finally did take that first high-point, the Japanese began an assault of machine gun fire from another nearby cliff and began bombarding them with mortars. As the Marines on the cliff dug-in, naval guns pounded enemy mortar positions and Marines continued to take out other Japanese defenses.

The Americans penetrated 6,600 feet by nightfall.

The landings continued until the final Americans made it ashore, July 23.

Lacking enough amphibious vehicles, many Soldiers and Marines were forced to fight the surf and wade ashore.

Taking the Island It took a week for the Americans

to fully secure the Orote Peninsula.

Within days after that the Japanese had abandoned the south of the island and Agana was liberated July 28.

None of this came easy, though.

The Japanese continually harassed the Americans, often at night. According to a testimony from the Japanese 29th Division’s operations officer, Lt. Col. Takeda, the Japanese defenders knew by July 26th that the battle was lost. They had lost too many soldiers, including up to 95 percent of their officers.

Additionally, 90 percent of their weapons were destroyed and they knew they would receive no additional support from Japan.

That’s when the Japanese changed the mission from defending the island, to inflicting losses to the Americans in the interior of the island.

As Americans moved north, they dealt with extreme terrain that often immobilized their vehicles and exhausted the men. Traveling the roads was treacherous due to the many mines the Japanese placed. Additionally, they often dealt with small groups of Japanese soldiers who wanted nothing more than to take as many lives with them to the grave.

Sometimes the Americans would

be attacked in the dead of night with chaotic banzai attacks. Other times they would find well-armed Japanese soldiers entrenched in secure bunkers. All of this though was only a stall tactic. The Japanese knew the end was near.

The Aftermath The Americans announced the island was secure, August 10. However, it would be weeks before the final scattered Japanese soldiers were captured.

Famously, one soldier, Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi, held out until 1972, remaining hidden in the jungle.

In the end, 1,783 Americans were killed and 6,010 wounded in the battle.

The Japanese suffered heavier losses with 18,337 killed.

America continued the campaign through the Pacific, ultimately cutting off the Japanese supply line and establishing critical airbases used to bomb the Japanese homeland into submission.

As Liberation Day is celebrated July 21, it’s important not only to remember the service members who gave their lives liberating the island, but also the Guamanians who suffered through the Japanese occupation. To learn more about the battle, visit the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center located outside the front gate of Naval Base Guam.

Men and equipment of the 306th Infantry snake through the water over the reef as they come ashore on July 23, 1944

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