MY TRIP TO GUAM

written by Robert W. Barrett:
The adventure began as a result of a consulting assignment I obtained for the Bank of Guam. When I left for Guam on May 1st it was snowing. When I arrived on Guam it was 90 degrees and 95% humidity. The arrangements were for a three week trip to the island of Guam out in the Pacific over by the Philippine islands. Guam is a US territory. The United States "obtained" as a result of the Spanish American War. Spain had claimed Guam as a result of its discovery by Magellean back in the 1500's. Japan conquered Guam at the start of WWII and the US took it back in July/August 1944. One Japanese soldier remained hidden on Guam for 27 years finally surrendering in 1972. He got married after going back to Japan and then took his honeymoon back on Guam of all places!

The flight out to Guam is a grind. I flew to Hawaii and then from Hawaii to Guam. The flights last about 17 hours and you "lose" a day crossing the international date line. Guam is about 30 miles long by 15 miles wide. It is tropical, hot and steamy.

Our father (William G) visited the island back in October 1944 not long after it was retaken. He was there on the escort carrier, USS Altamaha. He remembers getting a beer ration of three beers which he gave away (he says) and of swimming in the ocean there and almost being swept out to sea by the currents and being in the sharp coral on the reef.... he is a thrill seeker. Soon after this visit to Guam his ship was caught in a Super Typhoon in the Philippine Sea and sustained considerable damage. Thrill seeker Bill wanted me to swim in the ocean at Guam so I did take a benign swim at the hotel's beach (Marriott). I saw bonefish swimming by and all was relaxing and comforting until I was attacked and nipped a few times on my legs by a pesky 12 inch fish with an attitude. That ended the swim and my version of thrill seeking for me.

During my three weeks on Guam I was threatened by a Super Typhoon and experienced an earthquake. The Typhoon just missed the island with the outer rain bands coming onshore. The earthquake didn't miss. I was 18 floors up on a Saturday morning and the 6.7 quake came rolling through making the hotel building sway back and forth. That was unnerving and I realize how terrifying it would be to have everything falling down around and on top of you. Guam has strict building codes to deal with the typhoons and earthquakes so we did not sustain any damage. Just a few days later the China quake occurred and the result was not near as good due to their building codes and the more intense strength of their quake.

Guam is a pretty place and it would be nice to take a vacation there and not work but...... it is so far away that I don't think I'll be vacationing there anytime soon. When I complained to Dad about how long it takes to get there, he essentially said "Oh quit your crying it took me six weeks to get there on a ship."