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Tinian to unveil 2nd Marine Division Monument
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Posted on Jun 23 2011
The Tinian Mayor’s Office has invited military and government officials as well as the public to attend the 2nd Marine Division Monument dedication ceremony on Friday, July 1, 2011, at 10am at Tinian’s Historic North Field.
Welcoming remarks will be delivered by Tinian Mayor Ray Dela Cruz, followed by brief remarks from Gov. Benigno Fitial; Rear Adm. Paul Bushong, commanding officer, Joint Region, Marianas; and CNMI Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan.
Col. Robert Loynd, USMC, Officer-in-Charge, Marine Corps Activities, Guam, will deliver the keynote remarks.
The U.S. Marine Corps will perform color guard duties, while the Tinian High School ROTC Stallion Battalion will provide escort duties.
Unveiling the monument and wreath laying will follow Loynd’s remarks.
Maj. Rick Spooner, 2nd Marine Division, USMC, (retired), who participated in both the Saipan and Tinian invasions as a sergeant, will be guest of honor.
“The 2nd Division memorial is an important commemoration to the historical events that occurred on Tinian,” said Dela Cruz. “The Tinian Mayor’s office is inviting all residents and visitors to attend the dedication ceremony that will take place on Tinian’s North Field, a National Historic Landmark.”
Both the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions invaded the Japanese-held island of Saipan on June 15, 1944. During that bloody, strategic engagement, both divisions lost nearly 25 percent of their effective force. Nevertheless, on July 24, with only two weeks of “rest and recuperation,” both divisions participated in what was dubbed “the perfect amphibious operation of World War II”—the invasion and capture of Tinian.
For the last several years, a monument to the 4th Marine Division has stood alone at Tinian’s historic North Field. Due to impetus provided by a former Marine visiting Tinian with Military History Tours, Michael L. Emerson, a monument to the 2nd Marine Division has been constructed and will now stand side-by-side with its companion 4th Marine Division monument. [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]
