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‘Marianas buildup’
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Posted on Apr 05 2009
I really enjoyed the article “Marianas buildup, not Guam military buildup.” I was excited for two reasons. I was in the Marine group 50 years ago as a young Marine. We were stationed in Japan at South Camp Fugi. After six months the entire group was moved to Okinawa. Now 50 years later, they are moving to Guam. The second reason is that since I am familiar with these Marines and with Guam and Saipan, I intend to return to Guam and work to help the Marines get acquainted with the islands.
Of most interest to Saipan, Tinian, and Rota is that Marines need a place to spend a weekend or a short leave. The perfect place is the CNMI. Sapain has room to roam for them to explore the former Marine battlefield as I did when I first came to Saipan. I found a spent rifle shell casing on Tank Beach and I stood there with it in my hand and wondered if that bullet had killed someone. We learned many things from the street battle that nearly leveled Garapan. I learned street fighting tactics and went through a demolitions course. Also, Tinian has the beautiful casino and Rota has the resort and golf course, among other things.
I plan to teach until December and then return to Guam to work toward the above goals. My wife is a graduate of UOG and she is excited about it too. We plan to spend at least 6-8 months in the CNMI and Guam and then return to Arizona for the rest of the year to visit our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
I think it is a great idea to utilize both Guam and the CNMI for the Marines.
[B]Franklin Keiper[/B] [I]Mayer, Arizona[/I]
