60 years of freedom remembered

By Shan Seman and Cassandra Hamman
Reporters

Overcast skies that later turned into a downpour failed to douse the patriotic spirit of hundreds who trooped to Beach Road and the American Memorial Park yesterday afternoon for the parade commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Battles of Saipan and Tinian.

People waving small American flags stood three-deep and good-naturedly shivered in the drizzle to give a rousing cheer to the veterans who gamely went on with the parade and waved enthusiastically to the crowd that turned out to honor their exploits during the war.

Families smiled and waved to the veterans, while children dressed in flag-inspired attire—red, white and blue—cheered as cars packed with veterans passed by. Although the skies were covered with a thick blanket of gray, the energy remained positive.

At one point, three helicopters flew overhead, sending a ripple of excitement among the crowd, who all craned their necks for a look. Later a huge military aircraft shook the ground and the crowd hollered.

The shoulders of Beach Road Garapan were filled from Kristo Rai Church to the American Memorial Park. Among those people was Michael L. Saures, who stood along the sidewalk to get a glimpse of the World War II heroes.

“I just came here to show the veterans that I appreciate everything they’ve done,” he said. “I thank them for all the sacrifices they made and I recognized those sacrifices as the reasons why we live the way we do today.”

Although only seven years old, Jason Santos didn’t mind waiting for a few hours to greet the veterans. “My mom told me stories about the war, so I want to give thanks to the people that fought. It’s fun to be here and wave my flag and see the people that fought in the war. They look happy,” he said.

After the parade, people migrated to American Memorial park to witness the Commemoration Ceremony and that’s when all hell broke loose, with sheets of rain brought by Typhoon Dianmu engulfing the crowd. People laughed and shivered, pulling themselves in small clusters, trying to remain serious and listen to the speeches and the war stories.

All through the different speeches given by the dignitaries present, one common thread could be clearly discerned: admiration for the men who fought during World War II.

“If you asked these men if they would do it again, they would say yes,” said Master of Ceremonies Antonio LG Cabrera, USMC. “They would be willing to face the challenge they did 60 years ago.”

Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Interior David B. Cohen also got his turn at the mike, saying, “You [veterans] left these islands when you were still young men. These islands are alive…all the landmarks, the war relics, Suicide Cliff…” He gave honor to these men, saying the bravery and patronage of American soldiers who are now fighting a different war in Iraq are the legacies of the men who fought on Saipan and Tinian 60 years ago.

Some veterans could be seen coming close to tears at the memories provoked by the occasion, remembering the struggle they faced on the islands 60 years ago.

As the speeches pressed on, the crowd stomped in the mud and tried to keep dry. One man took an umbrella and pushed the roof of the tent covering the crowd to release a gallon of water that was dripping over the veterans. “Stand back,” he said, as water poured into the grass.

The most anticipated speech, though, came, when Brig. General Paul W. Tibbets USAF slowly entered the podium “I intended to make remarks entirely different than what I am going to make now,” Tibbets said.

His speech was not on paper. It was a conversation. He spoke of old war stories—what it was like to be in the Air Force, the radios they used. “Those damn things weighed about 50 pounds,” he said.

He didn’t talk about bloodshed or the suffering that took place, remaining positive and lighthearted. “Something that held the Air Force back…we were not permitted to fly our airplanes 10 miles offshore. Sounds stupid doesn’t it?” he said. The crowd laughed. “It was stupid as hell,” he said. “See, we were being operated by rules that were made by the army.” The veterans exploded with laughter.

In the middle of random and humorous stories, Tibbets interrupted himself due to the poor sound system. “I thought someone was moving lumber,” he said about the vibration of his voice against the microphone. “Maybe it’s me, but I’m not that uh…wooden-headed.”

A man in the front row held up a sign for Tibbets. “I can’t read that; oh, I got five minutes!” One veteran yelled, “Who cares!” They wanted more.

Afterwards, the presentation of medals carried on the ceremony and later wreaths with white and red flowers were placed in honor of the veterans. The 21-gun salute kept the crowd alert, only to be followed by another extreme downpour that had everyone fleeing for shelter.

Fr. Ryan Jimenez from Kristo Rai Church did a final prayer for the evening. He said, “May the Lord support you all day long, till the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, and the world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and your work is done.”