Memoirs of a U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer: VW-1 Living on Guam

Our NAS Agana, Guam base housing was a two story cement block unit. Two bedrooms, closets, and a bath upstairs. Living room, dining room, kitchen, and storage room downstairs. Nine hundred square feet. It was furnished with basic furniture including chairs, a couch, appliances, beds, dressers, tables and a slew of geckos to keep the insects at bay. The geckos are cute, harmless to us humans, and usually clinging high on the walls or up on the ceiling. The units aren't air conditioned because Guam temps rarely vary more than six degrees. Instead the front and side walls windows were screened and had wood louvers instead of glass. You regulated temperature and airflow by varying how much you had the louvers open or closed. Of course if the temp got below 80 degrees you fully closed the louvers and put a extra blanket on the bed! Our house is on Tamuning St. across the road from a cliff with a 1000 foot straight drop to the rocks below and providing us with a spectacular Pacific Ocean view. Built on top of the cliff is a very sturdy 16 foot high chain link fence to prevent falls from occurring, kids, pets, drunks driving over the edge etc.

Guam has one TV station and one radio station. Both make announcements when a ship is headed into Agana Bay with fresh fruits and vegetables on board. The lines start forming EARLY the next morning outside the markets. Fresh edibles are a big deal on Guam! Not so bad for us military people because the base commissaries, military grocery stores, have fresh food flown in on military aircraft. Many, maybe most, native Guamanian families have access to the military commissaries because a family member works on one of the bases. The Naval Station (ships) has a commissary, as does the Naval Air Station (airplanes), plus Andersen Air Force Base at the north end of the island has one. All three bases also have an Exchange, the military version of a department store. No shortage of places to spend your paycheck! Cookies, crackers, and many other items are sold in metal cans. Because once you open a bagged item, turn your back on it, the cockroaches are in tit. Revolting but true. And no they can't be eradicated. You save you cracker and cookie cans to store cereal and other foods that aren't sold in cans fresh.

Agana is Guam's capitol. It has a market and a large Department store. The Townhouse carries clothes, shoes, small appliances etc. It's the only big civilian store on the island. There's also a Radio Shack and several other name brand stores. Plus a multitude of Guamanian owned stores. Restaurants, bars, souvenirs, you name and they have it. And bowling alleys. Agana has two mega bowling alleys. Other smaller cities have one. Bowling and drinking are big on Guam. Knocking down pins and trying to stand up on your own two pins after bowling and drinking. Guam Fried Rice. The absolute best! Made with bacon or Spam. Or both. Spam is BIG on all the South Sea Islands! When you order fried rice it is served in a big upside down shaped mound on your plate. They use rice cooked the previous day because it becomes sticky overnight and will hold the bowl shape after being cooked with onions, bacon, and Spam.

The Townhouse Store

Tamuning St

Cheryl went to preschool on Guam. We sent her because she often seemed moody. Ed and Sally Metzger were friends of ours. Ed was also stationed at
VW-1. Sally said she was starting a preschool and she was certified to work with children who displayed minor issues. Cheryl blossomed being with Sally. When Christmas time arrived, Sally had a Christmas event featuring all the preschool kids. They were all dressed as presents. Except Cheryl. She's in the front row singing away with all the others. Turning to Diane Doris, I ask, "How come Cheryl's not dressed like a present?" Diane, "I don't know." A few minutes later she looks at me and says, "Boy are we dumb. She's the doll!" We both chuckle at ourselves. Sally laughed with us after the show. "Yes, she was certainly the doll."

There many things to do on Guam. There's 13 small towns scattered all along the coastline to explore. Over 150 miles of paved roads around and through the island to get where you want to go. Endless beaches. Wear shoes because there's a lot of rocks in the beach waters. Historical sights to see, festivals to attend, hiking, boating, waterfalls, nightclubs, take classes at the College of Guam. Bob Hope, Ann-Margret, and Joey Heather put on a show. You are always busy, busy, busy.