Memorial Day & Wake Island Defenders From Guam

In memory of all the Chamorro people who have in one way or another made sacrifices during a time of unfortunate war. Our condolences and prayers are with the families of Corporal Dwayne W. Flores and Sergeant Eugene Aguon. God Bless them all as we honor them on Memorial Day!

1940 Census and Wake Island Defenders from Guam...

A while back ago I wrote one of the significances of the 1940 Census is that we can get a glimpse of where most people resided prior to World War II.

As I continue to transcribe the 1940 Census of Guam, I have noted that some people were enumerated as absent "ab." What's interesting to this category of Chamorros is that some of them were Pan American Airways employees were either working on Midway or Wake Island. Not too long after, some even became known as the "Wake Island Defenders," when World War II in the Pacific broke loose on 8 December 1941. This particular Census image shows Silvestre Arriola Sablan as absent with his family from Sumay.

If you research beyond the Census of Guam you will find some the names of these Chamorros also enumerated in Midway Island, within the Hawaii Census, "Pan American Airways Compound." This is also where I found Silvestre Arriola Sablan listed as a Mechanic on Midway Island.

Sablan is also listed as a Wake Island Defender in "I Manfåyi: Who's Who in Chamorro History Volume II (Hale’ta), 1997. He was killed in action on Wake Island.

There were 45 Chamorro men working for Pan Am on Wake Island. 10 were killed on the first day the Japanese attacked Wake Island. The remaining 35 helped to defend the Island, but were all captured and sent to prison camps in Japan and then to China. Two men died as prisoners of war while confined to the camp.

It was not until 1982 under Public Law 95-202, when the U.S. recognized these Chamorro men and granted them military veteran status. Mr. Francisco Chaco Carbullido is the last remaining survivor of the Defenders. He is also the father of the Honorable Chief Justice F. Phillip Carbullido.

The following is a list of the “Wake Island Defenders from Guam:”