Faces of MCIPAC: The CHamorro Marine legacy

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Donald Pangelinan, training non-commissioned officer for Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, poses for a photo with his wife, Tatiana, and their son while in Guam on March 26, 2022. Pangelinan’s hometown is Tanapag, Saipan, and he is a graduate of Marianas High School. (U.S. MARINE CORPS/GUNNERY SGT. RUBIN J. TAN)

The Marine Corps shares a rich history with the people of Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands dating back to the landing of the first U.S. forces in Guam in June 1898, during the Spanish American War. Marine Barracks Guam was officially established in August 1898 and permanent structures completed in the village of Sumay in 1901. The Marines maintained a continuous presence in Guam until December 1941, when the island was captured by Imperial Japanese forces at the beginning of World War II. On July 21, 1944, Marines and soldiers of III Amphibious Corps landed in Guam, retaking the island on Aug. 10 and concluding the Marianas campaign. Marine Barracks Guam was reactivated on June 1, 1946, and deactivated on Nov. 10, 1992. On Oct. 1, 2020, Marine Barracks Guam was reactivated as Marine Corps Base, Camp Blaz continuing the long association between the U.S. Marines, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands.

CPL Donald Pangelinan is an infantry rifleman and a native CHamorro from Tanapag, a small village on Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. Tanapag played a major part in Marine Corps history when on June 15, 1944, Tanapag Beach was the landing site for Marines from the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions, accompanied by soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 27th Division, during the amphibious assault on the heavily fortified island defended by Imperial Japanese forces. The Battle of Saipan concluded with U.S. forces capturing the island on July 9, 1944, with both sides sustaining heavy casualties.

Pangelinan currently serves as the training non-commissioned officer for Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz. His responsibilities are to ensure unit-level training events are properly planned, coordinated, and executed; that Marines are afforded the opportunity to attend professional military education; and they receive specialized training for their career advancement.

The base, currently under construction, is named after the late Brig. Gen. Vicente “Ben” Thomas Garrido Blaz, a Guam native and the first CHamorro Marine to attain the rank of general officer. He later became Guam’s elected delegate to Congress. MCB Camp Blaz is the first newly constructed Marine Corps base since 1952.

“In the past couple of years, you always hear about people who are able to put the place they are from on the map and it really is an example for us—especially for us,” said Pangelinan. “Not a lot of people know about the history [of] Guam, Saipan, and other islands in the Marianas, so it’s really cool to know the base itself is named after a CHamorro.”

In 2018, Pangelinan graduated from Marianas High School on Saipan and knew he wanted to be a Marine. His inspiration came from his father, Dustin Pangelinan Sr., and his uncles, many of whom served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Like himself, his father served as an infantry rifleman and was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Dustin Pangelinan Sr. served with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment as part of 1st Marine Division and deployed twice to Iraq before being medically retired due to injuries sustained in Iraq in 2004.

In 2019 Donald Pangelinan received his first duty assignment after completing the initial training for all entry-level infantry Marines. His first duty station—2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division—the same regiment his father previously served in. A year later in 2020, Donald Pangelinan deployed with his unit to Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

“Although I arrived to the unit during a different time period, a lot of the base principles and key points my dad wanted me to learn and to anticipate was all the same,” said Donald Pangelinan. “Just being a part of the same things he went though at that point of his life, making the same run up 1st Sergeant’s Hill, the same helo pad, it was always in the back of my mind that helped me get through it— Oh, if my dad did this, I can too.”

Donald Pangelinan’s journey in the Marine Corps was his first time living on his own and away from family, an experience most Marines share. But unlike most Marines, living in the United States was a major culture shock.

“I’m not going to lie, it was a really crazy experience and it wasn’t anything the Marine Corps could have prepared me for and it wasn’t anything my parents could prepare me for; and my parents tried,” said Donald Pangelinan. “It really was just me leaning on the Marines to my left and to my right.”

To compound those feelings, Pangelinan was more than 6,100 miles from home.

“I’m sure as much as I helped them with the whole ‘homesick’ feeling, they also helped me and we all took care of each other. You can’t put a value on the friendship and feeling of camaraderie we all had,” said Donald Pangelinan.

One Christmas while visiting family on Saipan, Donald Pangelinan was able to present his girlfriend, Tatiana, with a gift in a little brown box. Although she did not understand what she was looking at, he explained that inside was his military orders directing him to conduct a permanent change of duty station to MCB Camp Blaz.

Donald Pangelinan is now married to Tatiana and they have one son. With home now only roughly 140 miles away, they take the opportunity to visit Saipan when able. Donald Pangelinan plans on serving in the Marine Corps for 20 years. Afterwards he hopes to continue living in the continental United States until his son is able to complete high school.

“I would let joining the Marine Corps be my son’s choice and I will support him either way,” said Donald Pangelinan. “It’s not for everyone and I will support any decision he makes.”

March is Guam History and CHamorro Heritage Month, also known as Mes CHamoru, celebrating the unique culture, heritage and history of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. CHamorros are the original inhabitants of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, descendants of Austronesians who arrived from Southeast Asia as early as 2000 BC.

By RUBIN TAN 
Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz