Today, which means forever because it will depend on what day you read this, I honor my mother Rosita Leon Guerrero Cruz Punzalan. Her parents are the late Ignacio Manibusan Cruz (Manggåfan Mafongfung yan Jai) and Rosa Salas Leon Guerrero (Manggåfan Matias yan Teyu).
Mom comes from a family of what was supposed to have been 19 siblings. Unfortunately, nine of her siblings were lost prior to birth and in the mid-to-late 1920s Mom had lost two more sisters as children due to several epidemics that swept through Guam.
Part of Mom’s childhood included the traumatic experiences of World War II, the re-building of Guam after the war, and the influence of Americanization. Her family originally hailed from Palai, Piti, then moved to Hagatna, and after the war to Tamuning.
When Mom was single, she worked for a short period at the original Town House store. Not too long after Mom dated my father, the late Eustaquio Anderson Punzalan (Manggåfan Che’ yan Pansi), they were married. Dad was already in the Air Force and stationed on Guam waiting for the Air Force to figure what they were going to do with all the Chamorro men who underwent basic training on Guam; but, that’s another interesting story on its own.
While on Guam, Mom and Dad had their first three children on Guam: Irene, David and Rosemarie. Once Dad had orders for his assignment to Laramie Air Force Base, Wyoming, Mom would have to travel with her three children and without being accompanied by Dad. Given the time period of world events in 1960, I can hardly imagine the stress Mom went through and how she was able to harness her courage and strength to get through all that and then resettle into an environment foreign to her.
After all, Mom is an island girl that never left her home prior to marrying Dad. Security clearance requirements to come in and out of Guam were still in effect and there were “overseas” vaccination requirements. Her English was not quite stellar so she placed a lot of faith and trust in people to help her navigate requirements. I’m sure there were tons of other bureaucratic hurdles Mom needed to overcome, but she weathered through them all! 
After the move to Wyoming, I was born. Then, my brother Tom was born in Spain, Charlie was born in Okinawa, and Paul was born in California. That would make seven of us children that Mom had to ensure that we were “properly credentialed and travel ready for the military,” for Dad's next assignment. Seven children to take care of when Dad was on temporary duty (TDY) away from the family; seven children to take care of when Dad was deployed twice to Vietnam; and, seven children to move from one military assignment to another. We were all over the globe!
My youngest sibling, Noreen, did not come until much later and after Dad retired from the Air Force. But all-in-all, Mom had to tend to her eight competing interests needing her love and care.
Mom acknowledges that she wasn’t a perfect mother. But hey, there’s not one human being that I am aware of that was born and readily armed with any parental experience. Mom followed her instincts and learned from it, just like we all seem
to do. Seriously, how many of us these days can claim that they successfully raised eight or more children?
As I reflect back in time I am in awe with what my mother had been put through and the things she sacrificed for us children. When we reminisce about the past together, I can see it in her eyes that she is very proud of us. She sheds many tears of joy, pain and love for us. I for one as a child gave her plenty of worries with my illnesses and accidents that landed me in the hospital on more than one occasion.
My mother is definitely a Super-Ordinary Woman, my Guardian Angel, and my Hero! I am so blessed to be alive to share this story with you!
