Aquaman?
"Chamorro Aquatic Prodigy," was one of the articles in The Guam Recorder, April 1934 edition that featured Vicente A[cfalle] Champaco. I was like, "Håyi gui?" That would be Tun Vicente Acfalle Champaco, also known by others as "Carabao," with an amazing talent for diving up to 20 fathoms deep in the water (approximately 120 feet).
Hmmm....Was he possibly the original and first "Aquaman" super hero? Perhaps not, but as a side note the Aquaman comic book character was not created until some seven years later in 1941.
So although our very own Aquaman prodigy may have had big lungs for such a feat, he was also described as "This likable and genial lad stands 6 feet 2 inches, weighs 210 pounds, is built somewhat like a 5-ton truck, and has a bicep measurement equal to that of the average man's leg."
I have made a copy of the 1934 article available.
Military Service and World War II
Although the article lists Vicente as a fireman first class, United States Navy (Insular Force), his last official Navy rank was Native Machinist Mate Petty Officer Third Class, United States Navy Reserves.
Unfortunately, Tun Vicente was one of 16 people fatally massacred at Tinta Cave, Guam on July 15, 1944 during World War II. (Babauta, 2009) You will find his name memorialized on the Guam Memorial Wall and the wall National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). Without a doubt he is a Chamorro hero! In fact, even after Tun Vicente's death, it was his canoe that took several "...Merizo men to their freedom." (Borja)
Genealogy Research Notes
Some genealogy research notes I want to share. These observations although specific to Tun Vicente and his family, are similar observations with other Chamorro families that you should be cognizant of when performing research within the early to mid-1900's period.
Tun Vicente's name was embossed with an additional letter "n" at the Punchbowl wall memorial (see photo above).
Within the military records listing Tun Vicente as being killed in action, his wife, Ana, was listed as Ava Espinosa Champaco.
Because of the cultural differences in surname conventions between the Spanish and U.S. Tan Ana's maiden name is recorded as Ana Espinosa Tedpahago or Ana Tedpahago Espinosa. In fact, Tan Ana's 1982 funeral announcement shows her surname variation.
And finally, I found a priceless family video of Tun Vicente and Tan Ana's descendants on YouTube that seems to be produced by one of their granddaughters, Annie Acfalle Stout
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrmyLA0-z3U
Sources:
Ancestry.com. World War II Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualties, 1941-1945 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
Leo Babauta, ' War Atrocities: Tinta and Faha Cave Massacres', referenced January 16, 2014, © 2009 Guampedia™, URL: http://guampedia.com/war-atrocities-tinta-and-faha-cave-massacres/
Paul J. Borja. (date unknown). Men Escape Nightmare in Merizo. Retrieved January 15, 2014 from: http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/npswapa/extContent/Lib/liberation14.htm
Guam Pacific Daily News. 1982
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl)
Annie Acfalle Stout. 2010. Y Familia II (video). Retrieved January 15, 2014 from YouTube.
