by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - As the island prepares to commemorate Liberation Day, several memorial services are being held, including Friday's solemn ceremony at the site of Chagui'an massacre. "This is really all about them, to remember them. They're not here to tell their story," stated Yigo mayor Bob Lizama.

A story that starts shortly after the liberation of Guam began, August 8, 1944 a U.S. Marine patrol from the 21st Regiment discovered the site of the Chagui'an massacre, 45 young Chamorro men were found with their hands tied behind their backs decapitated. It's story that was uncovered through secret journals and research conducted by college students. "We had got wind of the area back in 2004 by the students of the University of Guam. In 2008 was the first memorial service," said Mayor Lizama.

Its stories like what happened at Chagui'an and others involving the Japanese occupation of Guam during World War II. Like in Tinta and Faha and Manneggon, that Mayor Lizama says must continue to be told and shared for other generations to pass on. Lizama's father was 15-years old during the war. "My father is 86 years old and he's not able to tell a story. Right now he's bed ridden and sick. He's a bed patient and the thing with that is he shared some of the atrocities during the Japanese occupation all those issues of forced labor just beatings things of that nature. He expressed to us and his experience," he said.

For Juan T. Guzman he was seven when the bombing began in Sumay and by the end of the occupation he was ten. He was one of the thousands that were marched to Manenngon, but one of the lucky ones that survived. "The Chamorro people are softhearted maybe the softhearted of this world, they can forgive but they will never forget," he said.

And Guzman hopes that their stories will not be forgotten saying it's up to the island's new generation to pass them on. "We the third generation of the war we're already turning 79, 80 who knows we might pass away the next day or next week and whose gong to follow up the history of the island during the war," he said.

For a schedule of memorial services that are being to commemorate and honor those who died during the Japanese occupation go to http://mcog.guam.gov.