today guam celebrates liberation day: 61 years ago, american forces ended japanese occupation of the island during world war 2. the brutality was so great that even i, a non-native guamanian who has never experienced the horror of war, am grateful to all that brought some semblance of normalcy back to the island.
'course, i'm not so sure what i think of the guys who brought the SPAM. 
update: found these wonderful photos of chamorro refugees in saipan (a nearby island) in an american encampment after the war. yes, there was SPAM.
20050721
liberation day.
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santos.
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10 comments:
7/21/2005 02:39:00 PM
Hi Santos,
Happy, happy! I still have the can in one of my kitchen cupboards by the way! =)
7/21/2005 04:02:00 PM
Congratulations
Liberation is good.
But Spam, jeebus, everyone else got chewing gum and nylon stockings.
Reid, it's safer there, let it be.
7/21/2005 08:07:00 PM
Hi Ate! Happy Liberation Day! To commemorate the day with you, I opened a tin of Garlic Spam. My mom was surprised what has gotten into me, hehehe!
What I remember Lola saying about the Americans bringing here was powdered potatoes. Spam and potatoes go well together...
7/21/2005 08:23:00 PM
hi reid--is it next to your can of hawaii spam?
hi anthony--liberation *is* good. i heard the american soldiers also brought over canned corned beef. just for a change, i suppose.
hi karen! have you seen bacon spam? i heard it's a little frightening, even to avid spam lovers. did you ever hear the stories about lolo hiding american soldiers in the old house from the japanese troops? i remember the one weird hidey-hole near the staircase, and the secret room between one of the bedrooms and the dining room, but i wonder if there were more....
7/21/2005 11:46:00 PM
Santos,
Thanks for the reminder about Liberation Day, even though I have been away for such a long time, I still think of Guam as my home. Childhood memories are not easily forgotten or erased. The island housed my family when we ran away from another war.
I also can't forget that I love SPAM, esp. the Guam Slam at Denny's, fried rice or red rice, SPAM or Chorizo, eggs and Hawaiin Punch with extra ice.
7/22/2005 02:53:00 AM
I think I saw a tin of Bacon Spam the last time the Hawaiians were here but don't know who got it. Another thing I just remembered is powdered eggs and as a child I was really puzzled how EGGS can be transformed that way!
Yes, heard the stories from Uncle Pitts and I know that hidey-hole with a lock on both sides, if I remember right. We used to play there a loooonnnggg time ago. In that big house, I suspect there were more. You want me to examine the backyard next time I'm there? Hehehe!
7/22/2005 02:29:00 PM
Hi Santos,
I actually think the Guam can is on top.
7/22/2005 08:56:00 PM
hi gia-gina--i have hazy memories of the encampment in asan back in 1975, but my dad remembers bringing medical supplies down there. i remember having only a few vietnamese playmates when i was growing up, but i know their families were wholeheartedly accepted into the neighbourhood. i hope you had a similarly positive experience.
do you want a can of "only-on-guam" spicy spam? it's totally goofy, but i wouldn't mind sending you one :D
hi karen! my mom completely remembers the powdered eggs, but not the potatoes. she also remembered those grey-green rations cans of jam that had a hard candy in the center. was there another floor in that giant house that we don't know about?? i'm thinking there might have been a basement room somewhere...maybe under the chicken coop!
do you want a can of only-on-guam spam??
hey reid--better eat that suckah, we're on the 61st liberal day already :)
7/25/2005 12:52:00 AM
Santos, thanks for the offer of spam but i may come home this x-mas and then i can treat him to one of my faves, spam kelaguen!
7/26/2005 03:50:00 PM
hi gia-gina--yay! a trip home! don't forget spam sushi and spam fried rice :)
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