Page 502 - Visitor Guides
P. 502

Sightseeing & Historical Landmarks                                                                                                                Sightseeing & Historical Landmarks







                       the inland advance. Two heav-                  top of the complex are the re-                                   ill. A small park dedicated                    including the unique site of
                       ily camouflaged guns near the                  cently dedicated Hall of Gover-                                  to Padre Don Jose Bernardo                     the German SMS Cormoran II
                       beach helped Japanese forces                   nors and the Latte of Freedom.                                   Palomo y Torres, most often                    and the Japanese Tokai Maru.
                       subdue some approaching                        The two structures, completed                                    referred to as Padre Palomo, is                The site is the only place in
                       troops, although they were ulti-               in May 2010, offer a meeting                                     located next to the U.S. Naval                 the world where two ships
                       mately overcome. A pillbox still               venue and site for visitors.                                     Cemetery.                                      from two different countries
                       remains at the site, where the                 Both are historically significant                                                                               and two different wars touch
                       1st Provisional Marine Brigade,                and host a spectacular view of                                                                                  beneath the surface. The Ger-
                       followed by the 305th Regimen-                 the island’s coast.                                                                                             man cruiser, scuttled by the
                       tal Combat Team and the 77th                                                                                                                                   ship’s captain in 1917, lies
                       Army Infantry stormed the                                                                                                                                      at 130 feet underwater, just
                       shores.                                                                                                                                                        beneath the Tokai Maru, an
                                                                                                                                                                                      8,300-ton passenger-cargo
                       Mount Alifan                                                                                                    SMS Cormoran Monument at                       ship that sunk amid fierce
                       Home to bomb crater remains,                                                                                    U.S. Naval Cemetery                            fighting in 1944.
                       this undeveloped unit is the                                                                                    Now a favorite dive site in
                       former site of a WWII Japanese                                                                                  Guam’s Apra Harbor, the Ger-                   The harbor is also home to the
                       command post. Due to its                                                                                        man cruiser SMS Cormoran                       1,900-ton freighter Kitsugawa
                       location, access is difficult for              Governor Ricardo J. Bordallo                                     II arrived on Guam in August                   Maru sunk in 1944, which sits
                       visitors.                                      Complex                                                          1914 requesting fuel. Then-                    upright at 160 feet, and an
                                                                      The 20th Guam Legislature                                        Gov. William Maxwell refused                   American Tanker.
                       Fonte Plateau                                  dedicated the Governor’s of-                                     to comply with the cruiser’s
    50                 Once a Japanese naval com-                     fice and surrounding complex                                     request, forcing it into intern-                                                                         51
                       munications center located                     at Adelup to the late Gov. Ri-                                   ment on Guam. The ship is
                       on Nimitz Hill, the site was                   cardo Bordallo in 1997. He is                                    also said to have been the
                       one of the more bitter battles                 noted as one of Guam’s great                                     site of the first shots fired
                       between the U.S. Marines and                   leaders for having sound                                         by the U.S. military in WWI.
                       the Japanese. The unit was                     business sense, vision for the                                   As German crews preparing
                       later renamed Nimitz Hill,                     island’s future and a love of                                    to scuttle the ship worked
                       after Admiral Chester Nimitz,                  farming.                                                         aboard, nearby U.S. Forces
                       who served as Commander in                                                                                      fired a shot over the bow. A
                       Chief for the Pacific Command                                         Padre Palo-                               monument dedicated to SMS
                       (CINCPAC) headquarters.                                               mo Park                                   Cormoran is located at U.S.
                                                                                             On December                               Naval Cemetery.                                Apaca Point
                                               Adelup                                        11, 1859, Don                                                                            In 1944, Apaca Point played a
                                               Point                                         Jose Bernardo                             Southern Guam                                  pivotal role to the American
                                               South of                                      Palomo y Tor-                                                                            liberation of Guam. Located at
                                               Hagåtña,                                      res became                                                   Apra Harbor                 Agat Beach, this point offers
                                               Adelup Point           the first Chamorro priest after                                                     Shipwrecks                  visitors an opportunity to
                       is the government complex                      being baptized more than 20                                                         Dive shops                  view unique limestone forma-
                       where the Governor’s Office                    years earlier by village par-                                                       across the                  tions along the shallow reef.
                       and other government agencies                  ish priest Padre Don Ciriaco                                                        island offer                In addition to the limestone,
                       are located. There are meeting                 del Espiritu Santo, who was                                                         numerous boat               explore the labyrinth of tun-
                       rooms and a small display of                   praised for ministry to numer-                                                      dives each week             nels and caves hastily exca-
                       pre-contact artifacts. At the                  ous natives even while falling                                                      to Apra Harbor              vated in July 1944.
   497   498   499   500   501   502   503   504   505   506   507