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WWII civilian casualties to be honored anew
The In Memoriam committee members enjoy a light moment after discussing plans for this year’s commemoration of all civilian casualties of World War II. The meeting was held yesterday at the American Memorial Park conference room. (Jon Perez)
The In Memoriam committee, headed by the Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council, has started making plans for this year’s event in a meeting held yesterday at the American Memorial Park conference room.
This will be the third straight year that the municipal council is organizing the event, which commemorates all civilians that were affected and became casualties of World War II.
Northern Islands Mayor Jerome Aldan, former representative Bill Torres, Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council members Lareina C. Camacho and Alice S. Igitol, Veterans Affairs Office executive director Lt. Col. (U.S. Army Reserve) Gregorio “Tam” M. Sablan Jr., Women’s Affairs Office special assistant Doris Drew, and council staff Frances C. Muna and Donna Cabrera were present in the meeting.
The committee has designated each member specific tasks to complete to make sure the October service, held at the AMP, would go on without a hitch. They would also reach out to the Tinian and Rota mayors so they could include those who died in their islands on the list.
The committee would drum up their campaign through appearances in a radio talk show, television interviews, and newspaper advertisements and press releases.
The Saipan Southern High School’s Manta Ray Battalion and the choir and symphony band of Ruthi Fruit’s group have confirmed their participation but would wait for the start of the new school year since new students are coming in.
They would also involve the offices of the Women’s Affairs, Indigenous Affairs, and Carolinian Affairs in educating women, and Chamorro and Carolinian families of the respective roles they played during the war.
They would also have an essay writing contest with “Marianas Memorial: Civilian Casualties of World War II” as the suggested theme.
