Annual ceremony honors victims of Chagui'an massacre

Today marked the culmination of this year's World War II commemoration events. The final ceremony was to remember the victims of the Chagui'an massacre, one of the single-most horrific incidents of the two-and-half year Japanese occupation. 

At least 45 CHamoru men were marched from a concentration camp in Manenggon to a remote, jungle location known as Chagui'an in the northernmost village of Yigo. When they got there they were forced to dig a wide pit, perhaps not knowing that it would be their mass grave site.

On August 8, 1944, U.S. Marines scouting the area for Japanese soldiers came across a horrific sight: the bodies of the men, who were beheaded, their hands tied behind their backs.

Each year, Yigo holds a ceremony in memory of the victims. Mayor Anthony Sanchez said, "We must never forget these brave men, often referred to as the forgotten 45, who marched to this location during the Japanese occupation to meet their fate as casualties of war. It is not without fallen thought that we come together as a community to ensure that these brave souls will always be remembered in our hearts," he shared.

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero also spoke at the ceremony, telling the crowd, which included representatives from the Japan Consulate and the Japanese Club of Guam, that time has helped heal and has brought forgiveness and peace. Still, the victims of Chagui'an will never be forgotten.

The governor announced, "And, of course, to our war survivors here who have been with us throughout this trail - we certainly honor you, we certainly empathize with your pain and the sacrifices that your families have made during the war. Families from my family, from all of our families - we know the stories, and we will never forget."