Remembering “America” in Sapian: The American Memorial Park

This presentation discusses the significance of war memories/memorials in Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands by focusing on the American Memorial Park (AMP). Administered by the U.S. National Park Service, AMP is intended to “honor and mourn” the death of American soldiers who lost their lives in Saipan, Tinian, and the Philippine Sea during WWII. It has an elevated platform, called the “court of honor,” where the names of individual soldiers are inscribed as well as a museum that depicts the fierce battle between the Japanese and Americans. In addition, there is “Marianas Memorial,” where the “plight and sacrifices” of the Chamorros and Carolinians who lost their lives in the war are remembered.
    The “American” Memorial Park in Saipan is fraught with tensions and contradictions. For example, what is memorialized and how? The court of honor declares that the “supreme sacrifice in the bright morning of [the soldiers’] lives far from home contributed to the victory won.” But whose “victory” was this and why is the victory “far from home” commemorated here in this way? And what constitutes “American” here? The Chamorros and Carolinians, whose “plights and sacrifices” are remembered at the “Marianas Memorial,” were not U.S. citizens or had little or anything to do with America at the time. And, given that the overwhelming majority of the visitors to the island today are Japanese tourists, what function does the AMP play in the understanding of the war among the non-Americans?
    In short, by focusing on an “American” memorial in Saipan, this presentation explores multiple dimensions of war memories/memorials. The case of the AMP shows that war memories/memorials today are often situated at crossroads of different cultural and national contexts and it is necessary to develop a more international and intercultural framework to understand their significance.