GUAM,
Mariana Islands

An ADAIR APA-91
WWII stopping point

Adair made one more round-trip voyage to the western Pacific in December and Janurary.She carried replacements to Guam where she replaced them with another draft of replacements bound for Tientsin, China.

Just 30 miles long and less than 9 miles wide, Guam is the largest of Micronesia's islands, three times the size of Washington, DC. Guam is also America's gateway to the West Pacific and Asia.

Volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in center, mountains in south 

Guam was ceded to the US by Spain in 1898. Captured by the Japanese in 1941, it was retaken by the US three years later. 
The military installation on the island is one of the most strategically important US bases in the Pacific. Organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior 

 
July - August 1944 This American territory was attacked by the Japanese on December 8, 1941 three hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Guam surrenders to Japanese on December 10th.

During the height of the war, Approximatly 19,000 Japanese soliders and sailors on the island including ground crews at the height of the war. Guam was liberated by the US Marine 3rd Amphibious Corps on July 21, 1944 after a 13 day pre-invasion bombardment.

Click map left for War Dates
The Japanese managed to contain the attackers on two beachheads, but their counter attack failed. The Americans renewed their assault, and reached the Northern tip of the island on August 10, 1944. After the island was secured, a large American base was established for B-29 Superfortresses. Japanese guerrilla activities continued until the end of the war, and some even were holdouts for many years afterwards.
from: http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/marianas_guam.html


Andersen AFB covers approximately 24.5 square miles. It consists of two major areas and several smaller areas, called annexes. The major areas, collectively known as "the main base," are North Field, containing the base's active operations, and Northwest Field, containing abandoned runways and landing fields. The annexes are scattered throughout northern Guam and contain base housing, communications services, and water and petroleum storage facilities. The two largest annexes are the Marianas Bonins Command (MARBO) Annex (also known as Andersen South) and the Harmon Annex. The MARBO Annex lies about 4 miles south of the main base and covers approximately 3.8 square miles. The Harmon Annex, 4 miles south of Northwest Field, covers about 1,817 acres in western Guam. Both the MARBO and Harmon annexes are largely deserted and covered with brush (USAF 1993; SAIC 1991).

During World War II, the U.S. Army Air Corps built and maintained three air bases on the island: North Field, a B-29 bomber facility; Northwest Field, a fighter-plane base; and Harmon Field, an aircraft depot and maintenance base. After World War II, large quantities of war materials and left-over equipment (e.g., ammunition, artillery, and vehicles) were disposed of at Andersen AFB. Harmon Annex and Northwest Field closed soon after the war ended, but the rest of the base continued to be used for ongoing Air Force activities, including logistical and military support during the Korean and Vietnam Wars (USAF 1992a, 1993). 

Guam...................................Go To Central Pacific Map