by Sheila O'Connor

he romantic among us will thoroughly enjoy visiting Two Lovers Point on the Pacific island of Guam. This, as it happens, turns out to be the most visited area on the island. And not without good reason. Here you will get one of the best panoramic views of the whole island, which ranks as the largest of the Marianas islands and is a US territory.

Legend has it that back in the 1500s, a young couple were madly in love and decided to spend their lives together.

The father of the young girl, however, had already promised his daughter to a Spanish sea captain. Not wanting to be with a man she had no feelings for, the young girl decided she would spend the rest of eternity with her lover, a young local man. In one daring and final deed, the young couple tied their long hair together and leapt several hundred feet to their deaths. This way, at least, nobody could come between them.

Today, you can see the padlocks left on the fence as a reminder of the young couple who dared to “lock in” their love and see the storyboards that give a rendition of what happened so long ago. If you get the chance, check out the wedding chapel where young couples can tie the knot these days in more serene surroundings.

Here you will get one of the best panoramic views of the whole island …

This love setting is very much in contrast to much of Guam’s past, which endured many military invasions and attacks. Did you know, for instance, that the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor is also the same day they invaded Guam, causing the locals to run to the jungle, in fear of their lives? Two years and eight months later the Americans came to once again liberate this island gem. The first time it was from the Spanish in 1898, during the Spanish-American War (see the story below).

Guam: www.visitguam.org.

by Chuck Brady

he “conquest” of Spanish Guam is quite a story. It had been a Spanish colony since 1668. Captain Henry Glass, in the cruiser USS Charleston was enroute from California to Manila at the start of the Spanish-American War in 1898. He opened sealed orders, which directed him to proceed to the island of Guam and capture it.
During the voyage Capt. Glass drilled his inexperienced crew, so they would be able to handle any hostilities.

Upon arriving at Guam he fired 12-rounds at the fortress from his cannon. There was no return fire. Soon a vessel flying the Spanish flag came out and a Spanish officer came aboard the Charleston. He apologized, and asked to borrow some powder so they could return the “salute.” Capt. Glass told the officer that war had been declared between Spain and America, and that he was a prisoner of war! He then paroled him and sent him back to the island with the order to surrender the island.

The Stars-and-Stripes was raised on the island, and it has been a U.S. possession ever since, except for the time it was occupied by the Japanese in World War II.

The U.S. landing party found that the island had no adequate defense — the only cannons found were vintage 1600 or 1700s and were considered unsafe even for ceremonial purposes.

Capt. Glass’ orders included destroying the fortress, but he decided that it was in such disrepair that he just left it as it was.

It seems that Guam was a possession that Spain just forgot about! Not a drop of blood was shed in the “conquest.”

Source: wikipedia.

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