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STATEMENT
OF CONGRESSWOMAN MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO
AT THE FIRST MEETING OF THE
GUAM WAR CLAIMS REVIEW COMMISSION
OCTOBER 3, 2003
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Hafa Adai Commissioner Benjamin Cruz,
Commissioner Antonio Unpingco, Commissioner Robert Lagomarsino,
Commissioner Mauricio Tamargo and Commissioner Ruth Van Cleve:
Congratulations on your appointments to the
Guam War Claims Review Commission. It is my distinct honor
to welcome you to Washington for this historic first meeting of
the Commission. Your appointments from Secretary Gale Norton
in accordance with Public Law 107-333 mark a milestone in the
struggle of the People of Guam to have an issue of great
importance to our people addressed.
We owe a debt of gratitude to the work of my
predecessors in Congress, former Congressman Ben Blaz and former
Congressman Robert Underwood, for their tireless work over the
years to bring this issue to the attention of Congress. In
particular, I want to congratulate Congressman Robert Underwood
for passing the Guam War Claims Review Commission Act in the 107th
Congress.
The work that begins today is the start of a
process that we hope will finally bring closure to the issue of
war reparations for the People of Guam. You have been
entrusted by the President, the Congress, and the American people
with the task of reviewing the record of Guam’s occupation under
enemy forces during World War II and the handling both in law and
in practice of the effort to address war reparations for the
American nationals in Guam in comparison to the handling of war
claims and reparations for other Americans in similar situations.
May I say quite frankly that you have your
work cut out for you. The People of Guam view the issue of
Guam war claims as a matter of grave injustice not as a matter of
financial gain. I am confident that you will understand what
I mean if you give this work your best effort and your sincere
empathy. We know today from headlines and news stories the
meaning of the words brutal regime, occupation, war, and atrocity.
The People of Guam have lived this history and they have a
chilling story to tell.
I urge you to hold a field hearing on Guam so
that the records you review will have context and meaning as a
living history of people who are still alive to tell the story
firsthand. I believe that a visit to Guam and a site visit
to Manengon, Fena, Tinta, and other historic sites where Chamorros
experienced atrocities would help in your understanding.
I also request that you make an exhaustive
search of historical documents and records that exist on Guam and
within the federal government so that a comprehensive assessment
of how war claims were handled could be established. You
will have the cooperation of the Government of Guam and you will
have the support of Congress in this endeavor. You have an
enormous task but you also have the authority to accomplish this
task. If you encounter difficulty and you need assistance in
this task, I will help you clear any obstacles that may arise.
I also request that you use the authority
entrusted to you to make concrete recommendations to the President
and the Congress so that a clearly defined road map for closure on
this issue can be undertaken. The President and Congress
will be well served to know what your findings are and what
appropriate steps may need to be taken to resolve your
conclusions.
This is a most important day for Guam and for
our nation. I would like to again congratulate you and to
extend to you the best wishes of the People of Guam for your work.
We appreciate your willingness to undertake this task and
for that we are extremely grateful. We trust in your
fairness and we have great confidence in your ability –
Secretary Norton has appointed a distinguished Commission for this
important task. Si Yu’os Ma’ase.
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