President Donald Trump marked the 81st anniversary of Guam’s liberation from Japanese occupation with a message honoring the American forces who reclaimed the Pacific territory on July 21, 1944.
The Presidential statement emphasized America’s continued commitment to defending its territories and interests through military strength.
“As Imperial Japanese forces tried to hold their ground, they struggled to withstand the full might of the U.S. Armed Forces,” Trump said in his White House message.
The battle for Guam lasted three weeks across challenging terrain. American forces fought through jungles, caves, and rugged hills to regain control of the strategically vital island. The victory positioned U.S. forces within striking distance of ending the war in the Pacific.
The liberation came at a steep cost. More than 1,200 service members and over 1,000 Guam residents died during the campaign.
Trump characterized the 1944 victory as “a bold reassertion of American sovereignty at a time when our future and our freedom were in peril.”
“Under my leadership, the United States remains committed to upholding a foreign policy of peace through strength,” the president stated. He pledged that America would “never waver in defending our interests, our citizens, our territory, and our glorious way of life from all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
The liberation ended nearly three years of Japanese occupation that began December 10, 1941. Guam served as a crucial base for subsequent American operations in the Pacific theater.
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