On this Memorial Day
Amidst the difficulty that we had to endure in the cooled relationship between the NMI and the federal government, we take time off this Memorial Day to remember our fallen brothers and sisters, including veterans who have fought in foreign wars in defense of freedom and American Democracy.
It is an unusual holiday that doesn’t include opening up presents like we do during Christmas, nor do we carve up turkey and ham like we do on Thanksgiving, nor do we start setting huge fire crackers to light up the skies of paradise, a New Year’s day activity. Yet, there are troubling issues that remain quite dominant in our minds. They include:
• The fate of indigenous men (many of whom have died) who participated alongside US Marines in scouting out war stragglers from caves between here and the Northern Islands. Would this longstanding issue be settled in their favor once and for all after more than 50 years?
• Shouldn’t Uncle Sam grant some special Citizenship Award to families like the late Miguel Tenorio of San Roque for guiding American ships locate and bombard and compromise military stronghold of Imperial Japan’s Army here during the war? Mr. Tenorio’s contributions effectively shortened the battle on this island saving both military and civilian lives from turning into wastes.
• Little is known of the fact that the late Elias P. Sablan and his late daughter Maria S. Reyes suffered humiliation, fear and hunger when both were jailed by the Imperial Japanese Army on suspicion of working as spies for the US military. His family definitely deserves some special award from Washington.
• Locals used by the Japanese Imperial Army to beat-up and kill our own Chamorro brothers on Guam definitely deserve an official apology from the Government of Japan. While Japan remains stubbornly resentful of acknowledging and making amends for atrocities she committed before and during World War II in and around Asia and the Pacific, it must once and for all put this matter to rest by making amends to innocent people she’s unnecessarily subjected to death and abuse more than 50 years ago.
As this day sails into the sunset, we should equally be wary of the regional tension gradually building up between Taiwan and mainland China, China and the Philippines over sovereign ownership of certain islands, Japan and North Korea or South Korea and North Korea. Let us hope that through diplomacy, differences among these nations in Asia would take precedence over the use of force or nuclear warheads. Happy Memorial Day!
Strictly a personal view. John S. DelRosario Jr. is publisher of Saipan Tribune
