Sumay was once a prosperous
port and thriving seaside community frequented by Spanish, French,
German, Japanese, English, Russian and American ships. When Japanese
warplanes bombarded Guam in December 1941, Sumay was the first village
attacked. The villagers fled into the nearby jungles and were never
allowed to return. The village was virtually destroyed. The American
military seized Sumay as part of the Naval Station which it remains
today. All that remains of the original village is the Spanish
occupation era cemetery. Headstones contain epitaphs in both Chamorro
and Spanish. The oldest marker claims the year if birth at 1812 and
year of death in the 1890's. |