When I get overwhelmed, I like to watch the ocean. This past week, unable to fathom all the senseless killing going on in the US at the moment, the country that is supposed to save and rescue people, I tried to cope by watching the waves and focusing on a noble time in our history... a time when young men, near the age of the crazed 22 yr old shooter Loughner, risked their lives to RESCUE and not kill others. I sat at a WWII site in Asan called War in the Pacific Park . There were huge waves from an off shore storm crashing onto this landing beach. Having recently seen the mini series "The Pacific," my minds eye could see those 3 US cruisers in the ocean with young men wading across this pounding reef, amid torrential gunfire, attempting to rescue the island people of Guam who could not defend themselves.
55,000 US Marines, Navy sailors, army soldiers and Airmen in operation code named 'Stevedore" risked their lives to retake this beach nicknamed Devils Horn to save their Chamorro "brothers," who were being slaughtered and abused under the Japanese occupation. From that noble operation of July 24, 1944, a total of 2124 US troops died in action.
Two thousand young men from America, gave up all they had --their lives-- to rescue and save their Chamorro brothers, whom they had never met, who lived on a distant shore in the middle of nowhere in the Pacific.
I was moved to tears when I read the plaques all over the park. The one below says "who were these people [who came to rescue their brothers on Guam]? They were young men "from farms, the hills and little town and cities." They "left their families and jobs behind and did what they had to do."
And then, a dark cloud crossed over my mind, and I wondered if we have lost all that was good and noble in our country? Have we become a nation of Jared Loughners of Phoeniz AZ , who would kill rather than defend a public official or judge or representative like Gifford because their views and affiliations are different than our own?
Are we only about destruction now?
But as I refocused on the waves and these news images of the past, my faith in mankind was restored. I know there are still brave and valiant soldiers out there still fighting the good fight in Afghanistan for those women and children who have no one to defend and champion them. And I thought about what Scott, Gifford's brother-in -law said about the shooting: "These days, we are constantly reminded of the unspeakable acts of violence and damage we can inflict upon one another, not just with our actions, but also with our irresponsible words."We're better than this," he said. "We must do better." I know we can be better as a nation.
I couldn't help but think one way we can be better as a nation is to be grateful instead of hateful. The plaque above that emphasizes the "deep gratitude" of victims who now live in peace and enjoy freedom, should be bronzed in our hearts and be so apart of our makeup that we have no place for hate.
This broken remain of a Japanese pillbox, that had guns pointed at our serviceman, is still one of many that dot the shoreline. In fact they were pointed at a member of our family-- Great-Uncle Carvel Bingham who helped with the liberation and restoration of Guam. These pillboxes serve as a reminder of how hatred is still around, but needs to be torn down and dismantled one gun at a time.
I find the people here an inspiration. As Americans, we need to live in gratitude like the liberated on Guam. 66 years have passed since the war and occupation but the Chamorros still appreciate and commemorate every year their US liberators. They have learned to liberate themselves from hate. We have been known as a country of tolerance, of love, one that takes the best of all nations and embraces it. But some have begun to embrace the hate. We can't fight hate with hate only with love and forgiveness.
As a family, people continue to question our sanity for returning to the shores of Guam.
WHY would we want to live on a distant shore so far from home and family? How can we possibly be happy here?
One reason is people here don't have short memories, or supplies of love, forgiveness or gratitude. People still thank Steve for convicting and trying corrupt public officials and for continuing to keep officials honest. Guamanians have tried to repay the debt to their rescuers by heartfelt gratitude.
Another reason we enjoy living here is watching first hand how Chamorros embody forgiveness in action and demonstrate how hatred can be dissolved. They forgave the Japanese for rounding them up and massacring them in caves. They have forgiven the government for taking their ancestral lands to build bases on them and they forgive one another. Politics gets heated on island during election time, but Chamorros remember that their opponents and people in the neighboring villages are their brothers in the end. They choose to rescue instead of harm. They REMEMBER the good, dwell on that and let the hate get washed away with the tide.
I think Guam's example might be a liberator for the mainland US. It is not perfect here, but daily there are reminders that gratitude, forgiveness and tolerance are possible and divine.
As I sat on the shore, I remembered all the lifesaving endeavors that the US is involved in, home and abroad. Even in our dark days, we are after all one nation, under God-- and I know that good will always conquer even if we go under, and perish.... as a majority I believe we will always be found clasping our brothers in a saving embrace and not in a killing rage. 
2 comments:
I cried through your whole post! At work we have the news chanel on and all they will cover is the Shooting in AZ. In our line of work it is easy to forget that there is good out there. Thank you for finding the good! Thanks for helping me remember the good!
I too appreciated your post. It made me stop,think and ponder. Thank you!
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