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Lizama, Hipolito_WAPA-246_WAPA 4170_OralHist_Video.mp4
Hipolito Pablo Lizama was born in Agana, Guam on November 6, 1920. He graduated from the 6th grade and joined the service in April 1941 after hearing “a rumor” that Guam was going to be having a war with Japan.
Mr. Lizama said the Guamanians had just started the Insular Force Guard in April at the time he enlisted, and the purpose of the Guard was to replace the Marines on guard duty when the war broke out. In December of 1941, when the Japanese invaded Guam, the Insular Force Guard was ill equipped, did not have weapons, and were easily overcome by the Japanese. Mr. Lizama served in the Insular Guard for three months and was still in boot camp training when the Japanese invaded Guam.
According to Mr. Lizama, the Japanese forced most of the Guamanian people to work for them. In the concentration camp they were not provided food by the Japanese and were forced to work, building air strips and runways. At the same time, in Mr. Lizama’s words, the people had to “scrounge” for food for their families. They survived on breadfruit and coconuts.
When the Americans took over the island and liberated the concentration camp, he and other Guamanians were given physical exams and he eventually was stationed with the CBees Battalion. They built the naval station and lived in Quonset huts at the time.
Mr. Lizama had heard of George Tweed but never met him. He said the Guamanian people felt that George Tweed was a “symbol of the United States,” and that the they did what they could to keep his identity and hiding place a secret.
Mr. Lizama described hunger, disease, and the difficulties of living conditions in the concentration camp. He said the Guamanians in the concentration camp composed a song he described as “Uncle Sam just come back to Guam,” and that they sang it for encouragement because they knew the Americans were going to return to Guam.
Mr. Lizama’s only regret about the war was that his people had given their land to the American military for military bases and had never gotten an agreement that the land would, at some point, be returned. He stated that after the war he went to the United States to attend school and took some college courses, but eventually returned to Guam. He returned to farming and raising chickens and cattle.
U.S. National Park Service, War in the Pacific National Historical Park
This digital asset is in the public domain. This digital version was made possible through the National Park Service by a grant from the National Park Foundation through generous support from the Mellon Foundation. When using this asset for any purpose, including online, credit 'Courtesy U.S. National Parks'.
Public domain
Video
War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Code: WAPA
Guam , Guam
War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Guam , Guam
Latitude: 13.3905000686646, Longitude: 144.654006958008
War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Guam , Guam
Latitude: 13.3905000686646, Longitude: 144.654006958008
2025/03/07
T. Stell Newman Visitor Center, Collections room, Safe and Shelf SLF D-01
Public Can View
Organization: American Memorial Park
Role: Chief Interpretation
Address: Micro Beach Road, Garapan, Mp 96950
Email: wapa_interpretation@nps.gov
Role: Chief Interpretation
Address: Micro Beach Road, Garapan, Mp 96950
Email: wapa_interpretation@nps.gov
Saturday, April 5, 2025 2:50:13 PM
Saturday, April 5, 2025 2:50:13 PM
Lizama, Hipolito_WAPA-246_WAPA 4170_OralHist_Video.mp4
mp4
585.1 MB
Historic