Over 1,000 troop to new Visitor Center

Over 1,000 guests trooped to the American Memorial Park Visitor Center which officially opened Saturday afternoon.

AMP park ranger Chuck Sayon said he was extremely glad about the turnout, especially on Saturday night, when the visitor center was kept open until 10pm just to accommodate the swarm of visitors.

Sayon said the center’s book and gift shop also sold at least $2,000 worth of books and souvenir items.

He said a long time of planning and hand work finally paid off and he thanked the people behind its success.

The AMP Visitors’ Center was officially opened at 5:30pm after a brief opening ceremony held in front of the 710,000-square-foot building. The Visitors’ Center was completed at a cost of $5.7 million.

Several officials from the government and private sectors attended the ceremony. Marianas Visitors Authority board chair David Sablan was the master of ceremonies.

Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente congratulated the people behind the success of the new center. Gov. Juan N. Babauta could not make it as he was at another engagement.

In a speech, World War II veteran Carl Matthews told of his experience during the war and the significance of the CNMI in the battle for peace and freedom. Matthews recalled the loss of a friend during the war and how significant the visitor center is to commemorate the courage and sacrifice of thousands of Americans who perished during the war.

Instead of the usual ribbon, officials used a lei that was cut by a phalanx of officials including Benavente, Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Juan L. Babauta, Matthews, Sayon, Saipan Mayor Juan B. Tudela, visiting officers from the USS Frank Cable and National Park Service, war veterans, and Japanese consul Takeo Saito.

Guests were then allowed inside center, where they viewed a documentary on the battles involving the Marianas inside the state-of-the-art, 120-capacity auditorium. Due to the huge traffic inside the center, visitors’ entry to the museum was controlled.

Kenji Kawano, the official photographer of the Navajo Code Talkers Association from the National Reservation office in Arizona, also had his book signing inside the center.

The celebration was capped by a 15-minute fireworks display, which was also seen and witnessed by visitors during the Taste of the Marianas final night.

Sayon said they are still finalizing the regular schedule of the Visitor Center for public viewing.