| Hagatna (Agana) Part II |
The decaying Lujan House.
One of the few pre-war
structures to surive the
Battle of Guam, the house
is listed as a historic
landmark. Aug. 2004.
One of the few pre-war
structures to surive the
Battle of Guam, the house
is listed as a historic
landmark. Aug. 2004.
Hagatna not only bears the marks of the war, but retains a faint shadow of the sleepy, idyllic village it was
before 1941. A few homes remain that actually survived the destruction of the rest of the village as the
American forces pushed the Japanese back through it. Sadly, of these seven structures, many are now derelict
and rotting away, despite their inclusion on the Guam Register of Historic Places. Still, in the quiet of a Guam
evening, as rush-hour traffic speeds by a few blocks away on Marine Corps Drive, one can stand in the cool air
and listen. If you are still enough, you can almost see a village full of these spacious homes open to the tropical
breezes. You can just hear a hint of the pre-war jazz playing on old, scratchy turntables and maybe catch the
putter of a propeller-driven airplane over head as the China Clipper wings in towards Apra Harbor. Much as
Hawaii experienced, it is a colonial life that was very short-lived in American history, and now is faded forever.
before 1941. A few homes remain that actually survived the destruction of the rest of the village as the
American forces pushed the Japanese back through it. Sadly, of these seven structures, many are now derelict
and rotting away, despite their inclusion on the Guam Register of Historic Places. Still, in the quiet of a Guam
evening, as rush-hour traffic speeds by a few blocks away on Marine Corps Drive, one can stand in the cool air
and listen. If you are still enough, you can almost see a village full of these spacious homes open to the tropical
breezes. You can just hear a hint of the pre-war jazz playing on old, scratchy turntables and maybe catch the
putter of a propeller-driven airplane over head as the China Clipper wings in towards Apra Harbor. Much as
Hawaii experienced, it is a colonial life that was very short-lived in American history, and now is faded forever.
The pre-war Leon Guerrero House
is in great shape. Still occupied, it
is cared for and freshly painted. It
stands on Padre Palomo Street,
directly opposite the collapsing
Lujan House (above). The contrast
in these historic homes' conditions
is startling.
For all those interested in my life,
that little green 1996 Hyundai
Accent in the foreground is my 'new'
car, bought from my pastor and
friend to replace a Buick that was
as obstinate as any mule that's
begging to be shot. August 2004.
is in great shape. Still occupied, it
is cared for and freshly painted. It
stands on Padre Palomo Street,
directly opposite the collapsing
Lujan House (above). The contrast
in these historic homes' conditions
is startling.
For all those interested in my life,
that little green 1996 Hyundai
Accent in the foreground is my 'new'
car, bought from my pastor and
friend to replace a Buick that was
as obstinate as any mule that's
begging to be shot. August 2004.
About a block from the Lujan
and Leon Guerreo houses is the
L. D. Flores House on Father
Duenas St. It is in bad shape.
You an see part of its roof is
wrecked in the photo at left. In
the above smaller photo, I'd
gone up the side stairs and
entered the upper floor to get a
better idea of this damage that
was so obviously caused by
typhoon winds. Aug. 04.
and Leon Guerreo houses is the
L. D. Flores House on Father
Duenas St. It is in bad shape.
You an see part of its roof is
wrecked in the photo at left. In
the above smaller photo, I'd
gone up the side stairs and
entered the upper floor to get a
better idea of this damage that
was so obviously caused by
typhoon winds. Aug. 04.
Hagatna also boasts a large number of caves along the cliffline. The modern Obrien Str. runs under these
cliffs, and you can occaisonally catch a glimpse of a cave through the jungle growth. Unlike the caves on
Naval Base Guam and in the National Park Sites, these caves are not blocked by gates or sealed partway inside
by concrete. These tunnels and fortifications are waiting to be explored, but only by very, very cautious
adventurers. The tunnels may not be stable after 60 years of earthquakes, and deep in the coral mountain
could be live ordnance and even the remains of Japanese soldiers who never made it home.
cliffs, and you can occaisonally catch a glimpse of a cave through the jungle growth. Unlike the caves on
Naval Base Guam and in the National Park Sites, these caves are not blocked by gates or sealed partway inside
by concrete. These tunnels and fortifications are waiting to be explored, but only by very, very cautious
adventurers. The tunnels may not be stable after 60 years of earthquakes, and deep in the coral mountain
could be live ordnance and even the remains of Japanese soldiers who never made it home.
(Right) This cave along Obrien
St. was pretty easy to spot.
Available daylight filtering in
that evening enabled the
explorer to penetrate to the back
of the second chamber; the
camera's flash revealed a tunnel
that still goes deep into the
mountain (above). The evening
daylight glows bright in the
entrance as one makes their exit
(right). Aug. 04.
St. was pretty easy to spot.
Available daylight filtering in
that evening enabled the
explorer to penetrate to the back
of the second chamber; the
camera's flash revealed a tunnel
that still goes deep into the
mountain (above). The evening
daylight glows bright in the
entrance as one makes their exit
(right). Aug. 04.
The park honoring Father Jose Palmo Y Torres is located on the site
of the old "Padre Palomo" School, destroyed during the war. The park
is located next to the old Agana Cemetery along Marine Corps Drive.
It is in a bad state of disrepair, as you can see from the condition of
the padre's concrete bust (right). 31 Dec. 2004.
of the old "Padre Palomo" School, destroyed during the war. The park
is located next to the old Agana Cemetery along Marine Corps Drive.
It is in a bad state of disrepair, as you can see from the condition of
the padre's concrete bust (right). 31 Dec. 2004.
