If you’ve driven through Mangilao lately, you may have seen flags fluttering in the breeze, and a striking new look to Guam’s Vietnam War Memorial Wall. This Memorial Day, KUAM spoke with the people behind the restoration, who are working to honor the island’s fallen heroes.

You may drive by it on your way home from work, or maybe it’s caught your eye more than once. Along Route 10 stands Guam’s Vietnam War Memorial Wall, engraved with the names of 77 brave souls who gave their lives in service to our nation.

More than just a landmark, it’s a sacred place - one that carries a story of its own. 

Miki Craig Leon Guerrero, regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution Mariana Islands Chapter, shared with KUAM News how the wall, built in 2005, quietly slipped into neglect. “This wall became abandoned–forgotten. Graffiti showed up, trash mounted–it was total disrespect to the names on that wall.”

In 2018, the regional chapter adopting the memorial, hoping to breathe new life into it. But time had taken its toll–some names had faded. Others were missing. That’s when the group decided, it needed more than care—it needed restoration.

Their efforts to revive it gained momentum, but just as progress began, disaster struck. Leon Guerrero explained, “We started that in 2023, right before Typhoon Mawar. And it didn’t go after that, and the wall took further damage from the typhoon–it was a mess.”

Still, the group pressed on. With an artist's help, they lovingly restored each name and added a latte stone beside each one—a symbol of strength and cultural pride. This Memorial Day, they’ll place a flag for each fallen hero.

“There’s nothing that gives us greater pride than to put out the flags. So many of us have family members whose names are listed on that wall. And when we put out the flags, we have so many people honking. What’s amazing is that since we started refurbishing the wall and taking care of it, people actually stop at the wall, get out of their cars, and walk the wall," said Leon Guerrero.

For associate member Jamie Perry, it’s a sign of their promise to remember, as she said, “I just have great respect because I’m a veteran myself, and for all the other veterans, that they gave their life–that they gave the ultimate sacrifice is what it means to me–so I’m totally grateful to them and their sacrifice.”

“I say a prayer for every service member I put a flag out for," Leon Guerrero added. "They have just given  the ultimate–and it’s not just these individuals who we recognize every Veterans Day or every Memorial Day. I feel the same way for each individual–every Guam son and daughter–who has given their life.”