Asan Bay Overlook

Completed in 1994 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Guam, the Asan Bay Overlook serves as a memorial to those that lost their lives or suffered atrocities during the World War II. The overlook features beautiful views of the seaside villages of Asan and Piti and an aerial perspective of the landing beaches used by Marines during the battle.

The Asan Bay Overlook includes landscaped walkways, a viewing platform with photos of the historic scene, and commemorative bronze sculptures depicting the events on Guam during the 1941-1944 Imperial Japanese occupation and Battle of Guam in 1944.

Things to Do and See

The Memorial Wall of Names

Often monuments and memorials contain the names of leaders of nations or high-ranking military officials and rightfully so. This memorial wall of honor, sacrifice, and remembrance, however, also includes the names of the ordinary men who fought with extraordinary bravery on the front lines and the names of the civilians who suffered the consequences of nations at war, many paying the ultimate sacrifice.

During the dedication of the Memorial Wall on July 19, 1944, Dr. Robert A. Underwood, Guam's congressional delegate, said:

This Memorial Wall will honor not only the valor of the soldier, sailor, airman and especially the Marine, but the sacrifice and dignity of our island elders—i manaina-ta—whose own story, courage and contributions have at times not been given the recognition they deserve.

This park, this wall, stands as a great testimony to the courage, heroism and sacrifice of two groups of people who came together in the name of freedom some 50 years ago—one was in uniform and the other was in rags; one used weapons of war and the other used tools for survival; one came in from the sea and the other came down from the hills; one left their families behind and the other tried to keep their families with them; and one liberated the island from without while the other liberated the island from within.

The Asan Bay Overlook Memorial Wall contains the names of the 1,880 U.S. servicemen who died in the 1941 seizure of Guam and those who died retaking the island in 1944 during the Battle of Guam. It also includes the names of the 1,170 people of Guam who died during the war and the 14,721 who suffered atrocities during the occupation and battles.

Download the complete list of names.

Sons of Guam Pearl Harbor Memorial

Many people believe the first CHamoru experiences with World War II occurred when the Japanese began the aerial bombing of Guam on the morning of Monday, December 8, 1941. Few realize that the first CHamoru causalities of WWII actually occurred a few hours earlier on the opposite of the International Date Line.

While countless CHamoru were brutalized or killed during the war, the first CHamoru to fall during World War II met their fate in Honolulu. Twelve CHamoru men were serving in the US Navy aboard the USS Arizona, USS West Virginia, USS Nevada, and USS Oklahoma when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. These men were not allowed to be citizens of the United States, but they bravely demonstrated their loyalty to the nation by enlisting in the US Navy. They never saw their homeland again.

The twelve men at Pearl Harbor were among the first CHamoru victims of the Pacific Theater of World War II, but they weren't the last. During the two and a half years Imperial Japanese troops occupied Guam, countless CHamoru suffered or died, were interned in concentration camps, forced to provide labor for the Japanese forces, and often beaten or brutalized.

While the occupation of Guam was a period of great suffering for the Chamoru people, it is important to remember that sacrifice and suffering of the CHamoru people began before the war arrived on Guam’s shores. The first CHamoru to die in the war were men who voluntarily chose to leave their homeland in order to serve in the United States Navy. While they may have died away from their homeland, their contributions, bravery, and sacrifice will not be forgotten.

To honor these men and their families and in recognition of the tie between the Arizona Museum Memorial Association (now Pacific Historic Parks) and Guam, the Sons of Guam Pearl Harbor Memorial was dedicated on December 6, 2003. The names of the Chamoru men who died aboard the USS Arizona, USS West Virginia, USS Nevada, and the USS Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor are inscribed on the black granite plaque.

Bronze Sculptures

The Overlook is decorated with bronze relief sculptures created by artist Eugene Daub depicting events during the occupation and battle. The sculptures were created by artist Eugene Daub.

At the edge of the parking lot is a spectacular sculpture of the landing scene on the beach. Daub engraved "This one's for you, Dad" in the bottom right corner of the first panel in honor of his father, who fought in World War II.

Two levels up, next to the Memorial Wall of Names, are two more sculptures. The first is a single plaque honoring "all who sacrificed for liberty" during the occupation and war. The second is a tryptic sculpture depicting the three phases of the war on Guam: Attack, Occupation, and Liberation.

Signposts

On the topmost level of the Overlook are three signposts pointing to the location of other significant battle in the Pacific with their distance from Guam and fatalities (both American and Japanese).

Hours

The Asan Bay Overlook is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Parking

The Asan Bay Overlook parking lot is adjacent to Rte 6. The path to the Memorial Wall of Names starts at the end of the parking lot.

Directions

From the airport, take Rte 10A to Marine Corps Drive (Rte 1). Turn left and go approximately 5 miles. Turn left on Rte 6 and travel approximately 4 miles. The overlook is on the right.