Post History

American Legion Mid-Pacific Post 1 has a proud history dating back to 1930. The Post is believe to be the oldest in the Western Pacific Pos and has survived occupation by Japanese forces during World Wide II. Throughout our history, the territory of Guam has given many sons to the U.S. Military. Today, Guam is a metropolitan island occupied by native Chamorros, mainland U.S. , Japanese, Korean, Filipinos, Australians and Europeans and a significant population of active duty U.S. Military and veterans.

Documentation of Post history is scarce. Most of the original post docuents were captured and destroyed or claimed as souvenirs by Japanese occupiers during World War II. The following history was developed from the few surviving documents, newspaper articles, correspondence between Mid Pac Post 1 and American Legion National Headquarters, applications for Post Charter and chronicles a Post that has been active for over seventy-five years.

The Beginning/Pre World War II

Mid Pacific Post 1 was established on August 26, 1930. The official charter can not be located. The Application to establish the post (1) lists J.A. McCormack as the Post Commander and 17 charter members consisting of local veterans and active duty members of the U.S. Navy government of Guam. The September 1930 issue of the Guam Recorder (2) covers the first public function of Post 1, held on 28 August 1930 and attended by numerous island dignitaries including an address by the Territorial Governor, and lists the following officers:

Commander: J.A. McCormack
Vice Commander: H.W. Elliott
Adjutant: Jose Rosario
Finance Officer: F.T. Flores
Historian: J.S. Aflague
Sergeant at Arms: Otto Cox

In a an election of officers on 13 November 1931, the above incumbents were all re-elected as was a new Chaplain Rev. Francis Lee Albert and the Executive Committee at Large members Willis W. Bradley, Jr., Vicente Rosario and Daryl Wigle. In a letter of 26 January 1938 (3), Commander M. Sgambelluri reported to the American Legion National Commander election of the following officers:

Commander: M. Scambelluri
Senior Vice Commander: V. Rosario
Junior Vice Commander: V. Munoz
Chaplain: E.M. Garrido
Adjutant: J.S. Aflague
Finance Officer: V. Manglona
Historian: P. Sanchez
Sergeant at Arms: J. Perez

Japanese Occupation
December 1941 through August 1944

Just hours after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 (December 8 th on Guam), the Japanese invaded Guam . The Naval Governor surrendered Guam to the Japanese on December 10 th . The Japanese occupation was brutal on the local populace and membership in the Legion was exceptionally precarious. As noted in a 1945 article in the Indianapolis (Indiana) News, every precaution was taken to hide membership. Known or suspected Legionnaires were under constant surveillance, often arrested and seven were accused of being spies and beheaded. The Japanese either destroyed, or kept for souvenirs all Post records, flags, uniforms, caps and other paraphernalia they could find which explains the lack of documentation of early Post history.

Guam Liberation and Post Reactivation

During the early hours of July 21, 1944, the U.S. 77 th Army Division, 3rd Marine Division and 1st Provisional Marine Division, landed at Asan and Agat beaches, South of Agana (present day Hagatna). Although the Japanese refused to surrender and a few holdouts remained hidden in the Guam jungles (the Last known holdout, Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi was discovered living in a cave in 1972), organized resistance ceased and the Americans regained control of Guam on August 10, 1944. Today, July 21st, Guam Liberation Day, is a major public holiday complete with parades honoring veterans of this and other conflicts.

The 1945 Indianapolis New article, reported that Mid Pacific Post 1 was reactivated with 51 members (Post 1 had over 100 members before the war) and that, for the first time, had a unit of the American Legion Auxiliary. The articlealso reported the following officers:

Commander. W.T. Raplee
Vice Commander: Enrique M. Garrido
Adjutant: Jose C. Cruz
Chaplain: Ignacio T. Barcinas
President of the Legion Auxiliary: Mrs. Consolacion C. Siguenza

In May 1945, an Application for Permanent Charter was submitted under cover letter from Vice Commander E, Garrido. The application lists Post officers as:

Commander: W.T. Raplee
Adjutant: J.C. Cruz
Treasurer: Ben Guerrero
Historian: Pablo Sanchez
Service Officer: Juan S. Aflague

Records for the years 1945 through 1982 have not been located to date. But it is quite possible that the Post became inactive because the Charter was cancelled on 10 September 1961.

Rebirth and Reactivation

By 1982, two VFW Posts were thriving on Guam . Several veterans got together to explore the activation of a veterans organization for those honorably discharged service members who were not eligible to be members of the VFW. Most prominent among these veterans was Bobby Cobb who contacted the Department of Alaska and set the process in motion that resulted in the activation of American Legion Post 53 on Guam under the Department of Alaska, with 63 Charter Members and the following officers:

Commander: Bobby Cobb
First Vice Commander: Verne I. Harper
Second Vice Commander: Glenn A. Harkless
Adjutant: David R. Runyon
Judge Advocate: Mitchell P. Golden
Sergeant at Arms: Clyde P. Barnes
Historian: Ercil D. Cook
Public Relations Officer: Clyde A. Benge
Chaplain: Frank C. Christensen

In 1995 the Post requested and was re-designated it's original designation as Mid-Pacific Post 1.

Mid-Pacific Post 1 Today

Since it's re-activation, Mid Pacific Post 1 has occupied several Post homes until purchasing and relocating to the current home in Tamuning. The Post is active in community service, supports a Little League Baseball team, and the Boy Scouts and conducts an awards program for JROTC units at four island high schools. It conducts an annual flag retirement ceremony on 14 June and participated participates in memorial activities in conjunction with other veterans organizations.

References

1. Application for American Legion Post, dated 17 July 1930.
2. Article “American Legion Mid-Pacific Post 1 Hold First Public Function:, The Guam Recorder, Vol VII, Number VI, September 1930, Pages 107, 118 and 119.
3. Letter, dated 26 January 1938, from M. Sgambelluri, Commander Mid-Pacific Post 1, to the National Commander, American Legion.
4. Article “Legion Post Reactivated by Plucky Guamese”, Indianapolis News, August 1945
5. Letter, dated May 31, 1945, from Enrique M. Garrido, Commander, Mid Pacific Post 1, to Henry M. Dudly, Assistant National Adjutant, American Legion Headquarters.