Guam Guy here....

Hey Guys! I had an account here before but for some reason i cant remember it. I created a new one since i picked up a 2016 TRD Sport 4x4. My formers were 4x2 2001, 2003 and a 2004 4x4 double cab with 92k miles. Glad to be back though...

 

My Friend was an ATC there in the early 90's, I was at Anderson for 2.5 years in 1980. Dave was big time into Suzuki Samurai after market mud builds.
I took a YouTube tour of the Island a couple months ago, and downtown Dededo, Tamuning or Agana (now Hagatna) look like one giant fancy strip mall. It was so foreign to me now 40 years removed I could not tell which town, although I assume Dededo?
Used to hand out at Talafofo, North Field training and jumping, weekend evenings at the local haunts, Jeff's Pirate Cove, and diving. Guam was both pretty, and had a lot of opportunities. Had two good friends there I long lost track of; Sante Blanco a Filipino baker, and Frankie Mendiola a civilian on Anderson.

 

hey!

I used to live on guam for a few years. I think like 79 to 83 ish.

Pretty island. Can't say I miss it all though. Locals so racist back when I was in HS. Hopefully things have changed since then.

 

Wow small world..yeah its summer all year round here! Jeffs Pirates Cove got great food and people to hang with. The challenge is always shipping hahah

 

Welcome to TW! Thank you for your service!

 

Welcome to TW

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome back!!

 

It definitely had its issues with race divisions, but I was able to largely overcome them by adopting and respecting the culture while out among the Chamorro people. I did not understand it, because the Chamorro people relied heavily upon the Navy, Air Force and Marines stationed there for shopping power, as well as jobs related to both on base positions, and positions off base that were largely supported by military incomes and revenues. Near the end of my tour Frankie asked me to marry his daughter, but while I appreciated his acceptance, and his daughter was a very attractive young lady (a couple years my senior), it would have been an affront to their culture. Chamorro people have a commendable desire to maintain their heritage and what remains of their bloodlines. I was always invited to wakes, christenings and other festive celebrations. When invited I always went (unless I was on the Alert pad or mobility), I'd bring a house gift and a gift for the wife. The latter action was critical when you attended a Filipino party, and it was a major insult to the wives if they were offering food, and you came with nothing in return (never alcohol). The Filipino ladies loved costume jewelry, and with the worlds largest Ben Franklin's on Guam, I always had that covered.

Sounds like you might have been there a couple years longer than me, and if you were going through High School, I can only imagine how difficult having to live and function among their native teens could have been, and would certainly have soured a person on the cultural divide.

I was at The Cat club one weekend and a massive brawl broke out. It was Tongan's, Samoans, and Chamorro, and a group of 12 of us "Special" guys. We only had one guy get injured and it was from a metal chair being thrown. Us mil types were all taken to the Apra Harbor (both AF and Navy), and our Col Philbrick had to come get us, as well as pretend to be hyper pissed off. All of the aforementioned aggressors were not teens, but I'm guessing in their early 20's. When the defecation connected with the rotary oscillator, the Chamorro's were the first to give up, followed by the Samoan's, but them crazy Tongan's wanted to fight the Shore and Navy Police. They bagged 10 of us military guys, and the Island police bagged 22 of the other guys. I did not hold a grudge for being attacked, largely because we did not even get a letter for our actions, but it was a glimpse into what others saw all of the time.

In my 30 months there I'd get Island sickness all the time, and no amount of distractions could change that. Since the Island is so small (half the size of Oahu, 1/20th the size of the big Island of Hawaii) and at the time you could drive the island in a few hours, drinking and fiesta's had a shelf life. You could dive (the blue holes and the American Tanker in Apra Harbor, you could hunt coconut crabs, you could spend time at the falls, but those activities too would age out.

I have a small desire to go back and visit, but I expect the expense would be huge for travel and the cost of living would be as bad as, if not worse than Hawaii. I'd be afraid of disappointment.

 

Welcome back

 

Welcome aboard