Saipan

As part of my very tedious and boring job, I was sent on a trip to our sister park, American Memorial Park (www.nps.gov/amme) on the island of Saipan to help celebrate their 30th Anniversary. Those crazy people PAID me to go to Saipan! MUHA-HA-HA-HA!

Being a park ranger is a tough job, but somebody has to do it...

Seriously though, Saipan was a very bloody battle that was much more difficult than the Americans anticipated. After almost a month of fierce fighting, nearly 3,500 Americans and over 28,000 Japanese were dead. Afterward, Saipan, along with Tinian and Guam became a major American airbase for the strategic bombing of Japan.

Saipan is amazingly beautiful. In many ways it is more stunning and remarkable than Guam. The only downside is that due to a totally dysfunctional government, there is no power about half the time. I mean seriously, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) government is so corrupt and dysfunctional it made Gov Guam look like a model of efficient bureaucracy in comparison. That's saying something.

Here are some photographs:

Me in my living history costume... Once a fake Marine, always a fake Marine!

The crew

An American Sherman tank the floundered on the reef flat on its way to shore June 15, 1944.

Marpi Point - over 8,000 Japanese civilians jumped to their deaths from this cliff

Japanese monuments at Marpi Point also known as "Bonsai Cliff"

Looking north from Marpi Point towards "Suicide Cliff"

NPS produced wayside interpretive marker at Marpi Point. One of the original titles was - I kid you not - "Don't Jump!" I'm glad they went with "Death and Duty""

An interesting rock formation at Latter Beach

Huge Japanese munitions bunker at the Aslito Airfield, renamed Isley Field by the Americans, now known as the Saipan International Airport.

Japanese air raid bunker - there are at least a dozen of these all over the place.

Japanese Type 97 Medium Tank with 75mm gun near the airport

Looking south at Tinian, then Aguijan (uninhabited) then in the distance, Rota

Bird Island - Saipan actually has birds... for now.

Looking south at Marpi Point from the heights of "Suicide Cliff" where thousands of Japanese soldiers jumped to their deaths.

The "Last Command Post" Japanese bunker

Various Japanese guns, most are 120mm. They were moved from their original emplacements.

A Japanese 6 inch gun (1900 British Witworth-Armstrong model) in its original casemated emplacement at Naftan Point. One of four in a battery (the other 3 guns were removed by scrap dealers in the 1950s).

Me with the gun

Also on Naftan Point deep in the jungle were 3 Japanese concrete gun revetments that were never completed

Japanese "German Style" bunker

Inside the bunker

According to local legend and much speculation, Amelia Earhart was executed in this Japanese built prison after crashing on a Japanese held island during her tragic trans-Pacific flight in 1937.

Japanese Prison Cell Block

On Mount Topachau, at 1,500 feet, the highest point in Saipan.

From the plane ride back to Guam - Saipan is on the right, Tinian on the left.

I don't mean to rub it in your face but that was a business trip.