The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., often known simply as "The Vietnam Wall," contains the names of over 58,000 Americans who gave their lives in that conflict, but there's another Memorial Wall with more than 17,000 names from World War 2 in America's most-distant national park. The Asan Bay Overlook Memorial Wall at War in the Pacific National Historical Park had been damaged by storms and vandals, but rehabilitation of this wall has now been completed.

Guam Was the First American Possession Occupied by the Japanese in World War II

Within hours of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the island of Guam was also under assault. Two days later, it became the first American possession to be occupied by the Japanese during the Pacific War. The American campaign to retake Guam began on July 21, 1944, and the island was declared as "captured" on August 10, although fighting continued in scattered locations on the island for months after that date.

The local residents of the island paid a heavy price during World War II, and especially during the campaign to retake the island in 1944. An exhibit at the War in the Pacific National Historical Park notes:

At the peak of the U. S. bombardment to recapture Guam, Japanese commanders forced nearly 80 percent of the Chamorro population to march to inland camps to keep them from aiding the Americans. They were now prisoners in the jungle. The land provided their only source of food, water and shelter. They awaited their fate under armed guard. Thousands avoided the marches by hiding; others were taken for work crews and never seen again.

One of the bronze bas-relief panels at the memorial. NPS photo.

Memorial Constructed to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of Guam

As part of the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of Guam in 1994, a memorial was constructed at the Asan Bay Overlook. The memorial included bronze sculptures depicting the invasion, occupation and liberation of Guam; over 1,500 surviving U. S. Veterans and their family members joined local war survivors at the dedication ceremony.

A second phase, dedicated in 1996, added a Memorial Wall that listed the names of American servicemen who were killed in Guam during the war and the people of Guam who suffered the atrocities of the occupation. A two-year effort combined a search of existing records with a mass media campaign both on and off the island to compile the list of names for the memorial.

The completed Memorial Wall included 16,142 names etched in bronze panels, and it was dedicated on July 22, 1996. Unfortunately, Super Typhoon Pongsona struck in 2002, devastating the island and damaging the memorial, exhibits in the park visitor center, and other facilities.

Theft of Brass Panels Outraged the Island Community

In 2007 a human vandal did even worse damage to the Memorial than the storm; 34 brass panels from the Memorial were stolen and sold to a scrap yard. According the a park publication, the "island community was outraged with this devastation of the Memorial." The perpetrator was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to 21 months in prison. Later that year, temporary acrylic panels were installed to replace the stolen bronze panels.

Efforts to secure funding to restore the Memorial Wall began the following year, and as part of that project, a second, extensive campaign was begun to ensure the list of names on the Wall was as accurate as possible. The public was invited to submit applications to make corrections or add missing names in an effort coordinated by the offices of the governor and Guam's Congresswoman. The campaign included local partner groups and radio and TV announcements both on and off the island.

Once the application period ended, the offices of Governor Camacho and Congresswoman Bordallo compiled a new list of certified names which was then provided to the park. Now, some six years after efforts began, work on the Asan Bay Overlook Memorial Wall has now been completed.

New Panels Have Updated List of Names

The new Wall includes over 100 panels with 17,771 names etched into black granite. Listed on the panels are the names of 1,880 U. S. servicemen who died during the Battle for Guam or while defending the island between December 1941 and October 1942. There are also names of 1,170 people from Guam who died and more than 14,000 who "suffered personal injury from forced labor, forced march or internment during the occupation of Guam between December 8, 1941 and July 21, 1944."

Completion of the work was announced earlier this month and the site was opened to the public on December 6, 2014, and Superintendent Jim Richardson welcomed the news. "We thank the public for their patience as construction continued. We now welcome Guam residents and visitors to view the Memorial Wall and commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of those affected by World War II on Guam."

Volunteers, including Junior Rangers, helped refurbish bronze relief panels at the site. NPS photo.

According to a park spokesperson, "In addition to the new panels, park staff and volunteers have refurbished several bronze reliefs at the site, each depicting a touching scene of the war experience on Guam. We extend our sincere appreciation to all who helped, including the Junior Rangers, special stewards of the park."

The Asan Bay Overlook, at the top of Route 6, Nimitz Hill, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. An official rededication of the Memorial Wall is planned for early next year, with a date to be announced in the near future. You can view or download a list of the names on the memorial at this link.

The park website offers a nice summary of this memorial:

"Often monuments and memorials contain the names of the leaders of nations or high ranking military officials and rightfully so. This Memorial Wall of honor, sacrifice, and remembrance, however, includes the etched names of ordinary men who fought with extraordinary bravery on the front lines and the names of the civilians; the men, women and children, who as neighbors, friends, and families, suffered the consequences of nations at war, many paying the ultimate sacrifice."