Guam, part of War in the Pacific National Historical Park, has been in the news a lot lately, and not because of the history or natural wonders it preserves/NPS photo from Asan Bay Overlook
Guam, a focal point of the war in the Pacific during World War II, is in the spotlight again with North Korean threats to fire ballistic missiles in its direction.
The American territory saw devastating battles during the war, with U.S. troops fully exposes to enemy fire as they came ashore and struggled up steep slopes to take the island back from the Japanese. Today, those stories and more are explained at War in the Pacific National Historical Park sites on the tiny island.
As the National Park Service explains in some of its interpretive materials, "historic sites preserved at War in the Pacific National Historical Park are inseparably tied to the natural resources of Guam and cultural traditions of the Chamorro people. Understanding how the reefs, grasslands, and forests were sustainably harvested and how they recovered from being a battlefield can help us preserve these resources for future generations."
Among the park's resources on Guam are freshwater streams, wetlands that nourish nipa palm trees, colorful coral reefs, and limestone forests.
War in the Pacific National Historical Park, authorized on August 18, 1978, was established “to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of those participating in the campaigns of the Pacific Theater of World War II and to conserve and interpret outstanding natural, scenic, and historic values and objects on the Island of Guam ....
Like many other Pacific islands, Guam contains historical features associated with World War II, especially the 1944 American liberation. The park itself has seven separate units. They are located in or near the villages of Asan, Piti, and Agat, on the west side of the island facing the Philippine Sea.
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