Situated on a plateau located just outside Bonifacio Global City, one of the most prominent neighborhoods in the Philippines, is the immaculately groomed, 152-acre Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
It is there that you will find inscribed on special tablets the names of 14 CHamoru U.S. service member casualties of World War II.
They were among the fallen that were honored at the annual Memorial Day ceremony held on Sunday, May 26, at the military cemetery.
The names of the CHamoru service members are included in the 36,286 names on the “tablets of the missing,” displayed at the memorial, which also features 16,589 headstones that mark the graves of those who lost their lives in WWII operations in the Philippines and New Guinea.
The headstones are contained in 11 plots that form a circle at the cemetery, which is the largest of its kind in the world, and is cared for by the American Battle Monuments Commission, ABMC, which was established by Congress in 1923 to manage the commemoration of American armed forces overseas.
The CHamorus whose names are inscribed in tablets at the Manila American Cemetery all served in the U.S. Navy in WWII, and entered the service in Guam. They are:
1. Florencio S. Aflague, Steward’s Mate First Class, U.S. Navy. Died Dec. 15, 1945. Status: Missing in action.
2. Adriana Castro Borja, Steward Third Class, U.S. Navy. Died Oct. 27, 1943. Status: Missing in action.
3. Felix R. Castro, Steward Third Class, U.S. Navy. Died July 8, 1942. Status: Missing in action.
4. Jose S. Cruz, Chief Cook, U.S. Navy. Died July 30, 1945. Status: Missing in action.
5. Joaquin M. Diaz, Steward’s Mate Second Class, U.S. Navy. Died July 12, 1945. Status: Missing in action.
6. Vincente C. Garrido, Ship’s Cook First Class, U.S. Navy. Died July 1, 1942. Status: Missing in action.
7. Julio M. Guzman, Steward’s Mate Second Class, U.S. Navy. Died May 8, 1943. Status: Missing in action.
8. Jesus L. Manibusan, Steward Third Class, U.S. Navy. Died Oct. 26, 1942. Status: Buried at sea.
9. Guillermo L. Quitano, Mess Attendant, U.S. Navy. Died Oct. 26, 1942. Status: Buried at sea.
10. Tomas R. Rosario, Steward’s Mate Second Class, U.S. Navy. Died Oct. 26, 1942. Status: Buried at sea.
More from this section
Israel denies Netanyahu to address US Congress over Jewish holiday
Carter handed retrospective flagrant foul after Clark clash
US funds study on deep sea mining for EVs, automakers split on their support
11. Jose C. Santos, Steward Second Class, U.S. Navy. Died Jan. 3, 1946. Status: Missing in action.
12. Jesus C. Taienao, Mess Attendant Second Class, U.S. Navy. Died Aug. 10, 1943. Status: Missing in action.
13. Joaquin J. Taimanglo, Cook Third Class, U.S. Navy. Died Oct. 27, 1943. Status: Missing in action.
14. Luis N. Tenorio, Steward Second Class, U.S. Navy. Died Nov. 10, 1944. Status: Missing in action.
Each of the CHamoru names on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines tell a story.
Chief Cook Jose S. Cruz, for example, who entered the U.S. Navy from Guam, was serving in the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) when it was sunk off the Caroline Islands on July 30, 1945. Torpedoes from a Japanese submarine hit the USS Indianapolis, sinking the ship within 12 minutes.
Cruz was lost in the incident and has not been associated with any remains recovered from the area after WWII.
Of the 1,195 crew members aboard, approximately 300 went down with the USS Indianapolis, and the remainder jumped into the water. Although the ship sent out a distress call, reports were not acted on until nearly four days later, when a Navy aircraft on a routine patrol spotted survivors.
An estimated 600 men died from dehydration, saltwater poisoning, or shark attacks before 316 survivors were rescued. In total, approximately 900 lost their lives as a result of the sinking, the greatest single loss of life at sea from a single ship in U.S. Navy history.
Back to the Manila American Cemetery, at the center of it is an elegant white chapel, with sculptures and mosaic maps that highlight the achievements of American forces in the Pacific. Carved in the floors are the seals of the American states and its territories.
The American Battle Monuments Commission opened a new 11,000 square foot, high-tech visitor center at the Manila cemetery in October 2019 to honor the American and Filipino sacrifices during the fight for the Pacific in WWII.
These cemeteries and memorials are among the most beautiful and meticulously maintained shrines in the world, according to the ABMC.
The ABMC operates 26 permanent American military cemeteries and memorials, which are located in 17 foreign countries, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and the British Dependency of Gibraltar. Four of the memorials are located within the mainland United States.
Guam ceremony
On Guam, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and the Guam Office of Veterans Affairs will lead the Memorial Day commemoration at 10 a.m., May 27, at the Guam Veterans Cemetery in Piti.
