U.S. Department of the Interior lists two new landmarks in Micronesia
As the Biden Administration comes to an end, its various government departments are taking their last actions.
The islands of the Micronesian region are included in some of these.
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Dec. 17, CHamoru Standard Time a list of 19 new National Historic Landmarks. These include the site of the Manenggon Concentration Camp in Yona and the Latte Quarry at As Nieves in Rota.
Rota Quarry Latte. Courtesy of Wikipedia.
One of the worst atrocities that took place at the end of the Japanese occupation of Guam during World War II was the Manenggon concentration camp. In July 1944, as American forces prepared to invade Guam, Japanese forces ordered nearly the entire civilian population of Guam to move to Manenggon as well as other smaller concentration camps.
Manenggon. Courtesy of the Guam Museum.
The Manenggon Memorial Foundation honors the history of the march and site, and survivors.
A latte stone pillar (also called a taga stone) is a two-piece structure consisting of a base (haligi) and hemispherical cap (tasa), with the flat side turned upwards. It is believed that the prehistoric latte stone pillars were used as housing foundations for the indigenous culture of the Mariana Islands chain.
As of 2024, there are more than 2,600 National Historic Landmarks in the United States. mbj
