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The United States territory of Guam is an island realm with history dating back millennia, to the establishment of the indigenous CHamoru people circa 2,000 BCE. Europeans arrived in the 16th century, with Spain colonizing the island in 1668. The United States took control of Guam in 1898 but later saw occupation by Japan during World War II for a period of 31 months. Guam was finally freed by the United States on July 21, 1944, a day that has lived as a festive holiday known as Guam Liberation Day. Even as Guam, a United States territory since 1950, continues evolving as a top tourist destination, it remains a major military hub for the U.S. as a strategic location in the Pacific.
Guam Liberation Day is a major event – one of the largest on the island’s calendar. Japanese occupation was painful for Guam's indigenous CHamoru population, which was subjected to forced labor, internment camps, and other forms of brutality. The United States Army and Marines retook Guam and freed the island from occupation forces, inspiring the annual holiday that summons the entire island to unify in joy. Big parades are accompanied by other celebrations involving island cuisine to arts, crafts, music, and much more.
One way that numismatists can celebrate Guam Liberation Day is by collecting the 2019 War in the Pacific Quarter. This 48th entry in the America the Beautiful Quarters program honors Guam’s War in the Pacific National Historical Park, which remembers the bravery and courage of those who fought in World War II and helped liberate the island from its occupying Japanese forces. Incidentally, this picturesque Pacific park boasts the greatest amount of biological diversity in the nation’s entire National Park System. The 2019 War in the Pacific Quarter makes a wonderful addition to any coin collection and has a place in a variety of PCGS Registry Sets.