Arizona Memorial Museum Association Home Page
World War II in the Pacific veterans Glenn Miller (left), Robert Klein (middle), and Fred Smith take part in the parade held in honor of the return of US servicemen to Saipan during the 60th Anniversary Commemoration held June 12-17, 2004.

American Memorial Park - Saipan
60th Anniversary of the WWII Battles for Saipan and Tinian

The following was written by Ray Sandla, editor of Remembrance, the quarterly magazine sent to AMMA members. The occasion was the Summer 2004 issue which covered activities involving the 60th Anniversary Commemoration of the WWII Battles for Saipan and Tinian.

I admittedly was a little leery about climbing down into Atomic Bomb Pit No. 1 on Tinian Island. It wasn’t only because I half-expected to hear, “Hey you, get out of that bomb pit,” from one of the workmen setting up for the ceremony later in the day. I also felt a strange sense of superstitious awe. This was the spot where time irrevocably had changed. The Nuclear Age, with all the baggage that particular term implies, began when the Enola Gay backed over a hole in the ground, loaded the first atomic weapon into its bomb bay, and headed toward Hiroshima, Japan.

The spot had been excavated for the occasion of Paul Tibbets’ return, the man who piloted the famous B-29 on August 6th, 1945. He was to speak at events in connection with the 60th Anniversary Commemoration of the World War II Battles for Saipan and Tinian. This issue of Remembrance focuses on that commemoration and tries to give an overall view of the week by looking at what I felt were a few of the more fascinating events. The ceremonies as a whole were compelling for a variety of reasons:

1) AMMA involvement - Even though AMMA ran satellite bookstores at several sites on Saipan during the event, the primary motivation for funding accommodations for guest speakers, publicity, organization, etc., was philanthropic. President Tom Shaw, Chairman of the Board George Sullivan and the rest of the Board of Directors of AMMA unanimously felt that helping to finance the activities on Saipan and Tinian furthered one of the main goals of the Association: to foster a better understanding and appreciation of the sacrifices made by veterans of World War II in the Pacific, their families, and by civilians living in these war-torn areas.

2) The relationship between the local Chamorro/Carolinian population and the returning veterans - Saipan had been a thriving Japanese possession since 1914, important strategically and industrially to the home islands. While the indigenous population was considered a second-class minority to the eventual 42,000 imported Japanese, Okinawan, and Korean workers, they did not suffer the torture and terror inflicted by the Japanese on the Chamorro of Guam.

Most people in Saipan view the American occupation in 1944 as the first step in their eventual release from decades of imperialism and exploitation. But they still remember the days and nights of shelling that destroyed entire towns in the necessarily violent and widespread pre-invasion bombardment.

The veterans themselves had expressed uncertainty about how they would be received. Some declined to come at all for their own, understandable reasons. When one veteran was asked if he would attend the commemoration, he said simply, “I didn’t want to go the first time.”

The commemoration proved to be a remarkable homecoming for the veterans however, as they were greeted by the Saipanese with sincere appreciation and respect. Stan Bader said upon his return home to Cape Coral, Florida, “That ribbon [60th Anniversary ribbon identifying visitors as VIP veterans] was not only the key to the city, it was the key to the island,” he remarked in an interview with a local paper. “If you were wearing it, you couldn’t do anything wrong. You couldn’t pay for anything. You had everybody from little kids to old grandfathers running up and shaking your hand.... It was unbelievable. The way we were treated and the attitude of the people — every guy there was treated like a rock star.”

AMMA would like its members to know that it is through your continuing generosity and dedication to the mission of the organization that all the men and women who fought in Pacific WWII battles far from home are remembered and honored. The veterans of Saipan and Tinian felt a welcome and an appreciation for their service far exceeding their expectations. AMMA thanks you for making our idealistic goal a reality.