Guam-A Different Perspective

June 26, 1998.  It was a day that I remember very well.  He asked me the week previous to grab coffee at a neighborhood eatery during one of his many visits to the island for a respite from the fast paced life he was living in Fairfax, Virginia.  The visits were therapy for a man who had traveled the world many times over and at this particular time, his visits to Guam were to see his grandchildren far removed-five time zones to be exact-and to be with his siblings and other close relatives and friends.  This was an invitation that I was not used to. But it was the start of what would be over the next 15 years a series of fascinating reunions and talks that would remind me of my heritage and our collective love of our island paradise of Guam. 

We started this particular talk with the usual, "Hafa Adai".  This time the talk followed with no explanation of the possible origin of the expression.  If I wasn't listening to the previous lectures on the traditional Chamorro greeting by the then 69-year old survivor of World War II occupied Guam, I may have been witness to yet another installment of the history of our island from his perspective.  Not this time.

The two of us grabbed our coffee and sat in the corner of this particular Harmon establishment.  He told me that he wanted to give me something.  From a paper lined bag, he brandished a gold covered book.  The cover prominently featured his portrait, the flags representative of our identities as Americans and Native Chamorro and two island landmarks- Two Lovers Point and "Pleasure Island".

"Thank you", he remarked.  His voice, reminiscent of the famed actor Sean Connery, was upbeat.  I remember how puzzled I was with the statement at the time. He asked me to open the book to page 131. The storyteller revealed to me that it was our relationship that inspired him to write this particular portion of the book and that it was his way of expressing how very proud he was of me and my accomplishments to that date. 

It reads:

"...in historical times, there has always been an element of diversity on Guam.  During the Spanish Era, Spaniards and Filipinos settled here. But there was also a contingent of Carolinians, and the name, Tamuning, is a vestige of their presence.  In 1940, the population included 39 Japanese, two Chinese, 13 Spaniards, two Germans, 32 Filipinos, and 73 non-military American residents.  Among them, they had more than  600 children who were part Chamorro, judged along genetic lines.  For the Chamorro people, however, those children were fully Chamorro. This blending with and acceptance of other people is reflected in names that are common today on Guam: Antonio Yamashita, Brian Gumataotao, Jose O'Brian, Manuel Chang, Gordon Garrido, and George Scharf, among many others."

"You are the Brian Gumataotao," the author remarked. "If I would have placed your name, people would have asked why you and not others whom I had known for the nearly seven decades of my life."

I was honored for the reference and his explanation.  We talked further about my wife and children.  He asked me how life at home was and our kindred spirits spent what seemed like days talking about the similarities between my kids and his grandchildren whom he adored.  Just before we parted ways, he grabbed the book back and made an inscription. He then shook my hand, gave me a hug and with a smile said, "...good-bye."  We would repeat this many times over the next decade and a half. 

I write this as I got word just hours before this blog post that this great island leader and decorated war veteran passed away. Initially, I was saddened.  But, the news reminded me of his stories and his writings-that gold covered book sitting to the right of my computer.

A T.S. Elliott quote, used in the introduction to one of his books, sums up my memory of Ben Blaz:

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."


Thanks General for your friendship and may the angels lead you into that special place in the sun.