LAST Saturday, July 14, the World War II deaths at Tinta and Faha in Merizo were remembered and honored.
The small congregation traveled first to the massacre site at Tinta, then hiked up to the Faha site. A rosary was said at each site in honor of the victims.
In attendance was Ignacio “Buck” S. Cruz, whose father was a victim of the Faha massacre. Cruz’s brother and brother-in-law were victims of the Tinta massacre.
Cruz was a young man at the time and remembers what happened that day on July 16, 1944 at Faha. He recalls that Japanese soldiers gathered 30 Chamorro men and forced them to dig a hole into the hillside. The men were then forced into the pit and shot to death.
A plaque engraved with his recollection immortalizes his memories of the massacre. Part of the inscription reads: “They were put in a trench and were unmercifully grenade and machined (gunned) to death. There were no survivors. The Japanese must have feared that these big men with their awesome strength might rebel.”
To this day, Cruz wonders why exactly 30 men were chosen. After 30 men were selected, Chamorro men were volunteering to be taken. They were ignored.
With the help of his companions, Cruz lit a candle in solemn commemoration.
