Preserving the ties that bind

Lucy Seman Iriarte woke up early in the morning to attend the 6 o’clock Mass at the Kristo Rai Church in Garapan, walking several meters away from her home. Hailing from the bloodline of Chief Aghurubw, the 84-year-old Iriarte started the day with prayers to commemorate her birthday, just as many residents paid tribute to the legendary Carolinian chief.

At her age, Iriarte has had countless experiences in life, witnessing the atrocities of World War II during the Battle of Saipan, serving as a nurse after the war, unexpectedly touching Pope John Paul II with her hand amid a jampacked crowd on a Guam village in the mid-1980’s, and appearing in the new book We Drank Our Tears.

“I have a good life. I feel good. I’m so happy,” said Iriarte, as she sat in front of the dining table inside her house, caressing the book We Drank Our Tears, where she is one of featured witnesses to the Battle of Saipan.

Iriarte has managed to preserve and constantly rekindle her value for her family, which has given her happiness and which, she claims, is the secret to her long life.

“I keep praying to the Lord to give me more time to stay with my kids and my grandchildren. That’s my secret,” she said, smiling.

A mother of nine, Iriarte also finds joy in spending time with her grandchildren. She now has at least 35 grandchildren, including great grandchildren. “You need patience,” she said of babysitting, which she does most of her time, besides cooking.

She exemplifies the local tradition of family closeness, placing family unity as the virtue she values most. Although her children now spend their respective lives in different portions of the United States, she desires to get together with all of them. “It makes me happy.”

Iriarte’s love for her family could be seen from her face as she narrated her experiences during an interview inside her Garapan home that is decorated with pictures, books, and recognitions that constantly remind her of family.

She proudly said that she is Carolinian-Chamorro, pointing to a history book narrating how the legendary Chief Aghurubw found his way to Saipan in 1815. When Chief Aghurubw asked permission from the Spanish governor of Guam to settle on Saipan, the governor gave the Carolinian chief a cane and a hat.

Based on historical accounts, Aghurubw became known for wearing this tall, black hat that made him popularly called as “Parung.” Iriarte said she hails from the Parung family.

Iriarte witnessed the evils of war in the 1940s, which claimed the life of her mother. Her face became pensive as she recalled her experience during World War II, when she and her family were forced to hide inside a cave. Iriarte believes that American soldiers accidentally shot her mother to death in their attempt to fire their guns at a Japanese soldier, who suddenly joined them in the cave.

“They hit my mom inside the cave,” Iriarte said. “I’m so sad when I found out that my mom was dead.”

Iriarte became teary-eyed when she recalled the memory of her husband, the late Lorenzo “Larry” Iriarte, a Masters of Public Health graduate from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, who served as public health administrator on Guam and on Saipan.

She met Larry on Guam while serving as a nurse after World War II. She and Larry, a decorated public health administrator, decided to tie the knot in 1949 and started a family of their own.

One of her memorable experiences happened in the mid-1980s, when Pope John Paul II visited Guam. She said she was looking for Larry amid a jampacked crowd on a Guam village when she suddenly realized she was touching the Pope, who was clad in his all-white official attire. “It’s like a touch of heaven.”

Iriarte has been blessed with nine children: Terry Coalson, retired Army master sergeant; Mary Lou Lujan, retired public health administrator and social worker; Benny Iriarte, boat captain; David Iriarte, corrections officer in Florida; Rudy Iriarte (deceased), who used to be a radio disc jockey; Eddie Iriarte, restaurant manager; Vicky Benavente, Marianas Visitors Authority managing director; Cathy Sablan, Retirement Fund administrator; and Larry Jr., air marshal in California.