Today, on the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Guam from Imperial Japanese control, our Nation proudly honors the strength, courage, and unbreakable resilience of every hero of liberty who gallantly fought to free the people of Guam and establish a foothold from which we would win the Second World War.
On July 21, 1944, American forces stormed the beaches of Guam to conquer tyranny and restore the righteous promise of American sovereignty in the Pacific. As Imperial Japanese forces tried to hold their ground, they struggled to withstand the full might of the U.S. Armed Forces. After three weeks of gruesome and blood-soaked warfare in jungles, caves, and rugged hills, America triumphed—regaining control of Guam and putting U.S. forces within striking distance of ending the war in the Pacific.
As we commemorate America’s hard-earned victory in Guam, our Nation also solemnly pays tribute to the more than 1,200 Service members and more than 1,000 residents of Guam who made the ultimate sacrifice to liberate the American territory.
To this day, the liberation of Guam remains etched upon our Nation’s history 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—and we will never waver in defending our interests, our citizens, our territory, and our glorious way of life from all enemies, foreign and domestic.