Figure 1.--Here Marines help Chomorros escasping from the Japanese reach the refugee camps set upn for them. Refugee groups often had Marine or Army escorts to protect then from the Japanese and help them get to the camps set upn for them in rear asreas.

The American landed (July 21). There was tough fighting to secure the beachhead. The Japanese had the high ground with artillery zeroed in on the landing beaches. Once the beachead was secured, the Americans were able to add the power of land artillery to the awesome power of naval artillery and carrier close air support. Adm. Nimitz was converned about the possible inadvertent casuasltuies anong bthe Chamorros. He raised this with Gen Roy Geiger, who commanded the III Amphibious Corps that invased and liberated Guam. Americans patrols finally had reached the outskirts of the Manenggon concentration camps (July 30). The men of the Army 77th Division overran the main camps (July 31). Some of the Japanese guards were killed, and the rest fled. The Americans were horrified at what they found. The Japanese camps were camps in name only. There were no real facilities. There was little shelter. The Japanese were providing little or non food, The Chamorros were starving. And there was no medical care being provided. Starvation and disease festered in the camps. The troops handed out handed out C-rations, candy, and cigarettes to the hungry refugees. There were no facilities at these camps. So the Americans set up refugee camps with needed facilities along the coast. The Chamorros trekked back westward across the center of the island to refugee camps set up at Finile in Hågat and Anigua. The Marines and soldiers escorted them for security and aided those unable to make the journey on foot. Here they were provided with shelter, medical care, and clothing.

Created: 4:09 AM 1/18/2024
Last updated: 4:09 AM 1/18/2024