H.Res. 541

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 541 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 541

Supporting the designation of July 21, 2025, as ``Guam Liberation 
Day''.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 24, 2025

Mr. Moylan (for himself, Mrs. Radewagen, Ms. King-Hinds, Mrs. Kiggans 
of Virginia, Mr. McCormick, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, 
Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Case, and Mr. Vindman) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Supporting the designation of July 21, 2025, as ``Guam Liberation 
Day''.

Whereas Guam is an unincorporated territory of the United States in the Mariana 
Island Chain;
Whereas Guam was invaded by Imperial Japanese forces on December 8, 1941, hours 
after the attack on Pearl Harbor;
Whereas the CHamoru people of Guam endured almost 3 years of harsh occupation 
and atrocities by Imperial Japanese forces during World War II until it 
was liberated in 1944;
Whereas the CHamoru people were forced into labor camps to carry supplies, farm, 
and complete other duties for the Imperial Japanese soldiers;
Whereas family members would mysteriously go missing without any warning or 
explanation;
Whereas the people of Guam continued to display their courage and loyalty to the 
United States by risking their lives to hide and protect surviving 
United States soldiers from Imperial Japanese forces;
Whereas 1,000 civilians (nearly 10 percent of the population) were confirmed 
deceased from the camps alone;
Whereas, in July 1944, the Imperial Japanese forces forced nearly the entire 
civilian CHamoru population (approximately 18,000 people) to march to a 
concentration camp in Manenggon;
Whereas people of all ages, from infants to the elderly, were forced to march 
for several days from villages across Guam, covering long distances with 
little food or water and enduring senseless cruelty from the Imperial 
Japanese soldiers along the route;
Whereas many accounts describe innocent people dying during the strenuous march, 
babies being born and forcefully left behind, and families being torn 
apart when people fell behind or became ill;
Whereas, once at Manenggon, the CHamoru people of Guam had to build basic 
shelters and forage for food and water;
Whereas the full extent of deaths and suffering endured at Manenggon and the 
other smaller camps during the forced marches is unknown;
Whereas tens of thousands of brave Americans from throughout the nation, from 
Suffolk County, New York, to Sacramento County, California, to Hawai'i, 
fought against tyranny and oppression thousands of miles from their 
homes;
Whereas these brave servicemembers engaged the enemy in an area unknown to many 
for the cause of freedom, making the ultimate sacrifice to liberate Guam 
and its people from Imperial Japanese occupation;
Whereas, on July 21, 1944, the United States launched the Marianas Campaign to 
liberate Guam, with over 55,000 American troops carrying out an 
amphibious landing at Asan Bay;
Whereas Asan Bay was the site of intense fighting in the initial operations to 
secure a foothold and liberate the island from the Imperial Japanese 
forces;
Whereas nearly 1,200 young Marine and Army soldiers were killed in action on 
Asan Beach on the first day of fighting;
Whereas securing Asan Bay was pivotal for the American victory over Imperial 
Japan in the Pacific;
Whereas control of Asan Bay allowed American forces to establish airfields and 
naval facilities on Guam that proved instrumental in launching the 
eventual invasion of Imperial Japan;
Whereas, on July 30, 1944, American soldiers from the 77th Division reached 
Manenggon, liberating the camps by July 31, 1944.
Whereas the capture of Guam was completed on August 10, 1944, ending nearly 3 
years of Imperial Japanese occupation;
Whereas over 2,000 United States servicemembers were killed in action in the 
span of 100 days;
Whereas the Guam campaign was one of the deadliest campaigns in the Pacific 
theater;
Whereas Guam provided the United States a crucial base to neutralize other 
heavily fortified outposts controlled by Imperial Japan, accelerating 
and securing the recovery of the Pacific theater;
Whereas the recapture of Guam provided an integral foundation for transporting 
troops, equipment, and supplies toward Imperial Japan in preparation for 
a final battle;
Whereas Guam's geographic position made it an indispensable strategic asset for 
the United States future advances against Imperial Japan at Iwo Jima and 
Okinawa;
Whereas Imperial Japan surrendered to the United States of America only 13 
months after the liberation of Guam;
Whereas Liberation Day reinforces Guam's resilience, loyalty to the United 
States, and the cultural identity of the island; and
Whereas July 21, 2025, marks the 81st anniversary of Guam's Liberation Day, 
commemorating the freedom regained from occupation and honoring those 
who fought for Guam's liberation: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the designation of ``Guam Liberation Day'' to 
honor the significance of Guam's liberation by the United 
States, including the landmark battle launched from Asan Bay on 
July 21, 1944; and
(2) encourages the President to issue a proclamation 
calling upon the people of the United States to observe Guam 
Liberation Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities to 
salute the sacrifice and honor of those that fought for freedom 
in Guam.
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