The Freedom of Information Act allows anyone to review government documents. If you want to learn how to FOIA public documents from GovGuam and how this led to the discovery of a secret hidden from the people of Guam for 30 years, this upcoming book launch is for you. 

On Monday, the Guam Bar Association and Heidi Ballendorf will be celebrating UOG Press’ launch of the second edition of “The Secret Guam Study” by Howard P. Willens and Dr. Dirk A. Ballendorf. 

The Guam Study is a secret federal initiative hidden from the people of Guam for 30 years.  "The way that it was discovered that this study actually existed was through the Freedom of Information Act," said Attorney Jacque Terlaje.

In the book “The Secret Guam Study,” Willens and Ballendorf unveil how the us government had been prepared to negotiate a commonwealth status for Guam in 1975 under the direction of President Gerald Ford, and how government inaction hid this from Guam’s elected officials. 

"The people of Guam during this military buildup are asking the question: whatever happened to our political status? It seems almost like we stopped talking about it," she said.

The public can have those answers and learn how to get answers of their own.  UOG Press is launching the second edition of the book through the help of Terlaje, the Guam Bar Association's president, Ballendorf’s daughter Heidi.

"Dad was very proud of the fact that he had to have his own attorney for this book. And that the FBI had a file on him. If you know Dirk, that’s his style. He liked that," she said.

The two-part event takes place on Monday at Capitol Kitchen. From 4:00 to 5:30pm, Terlaje will be teaching the community how to FOIA. "It’s open to the public. If you want to learn how to obtain compliance with public document disclosure, what documents are you entitled to get from the government, and not allowed to get from the government, these kinds of questions," she said.

The book launch itself will be from 6 to 8 pm. Terlaje said, "As part of that paid event, you get a copy of this book. The thing is we’re really excited also because April 22 is also a very special day." Ballendorf added, "My dad would have been 85 years old had he lived. We’re happy to honor his 85th birthday with this relaunch. He would be really excited about it."