[Split Thread] American Nationals vs Citizens: US Control over Guam and its role in WWII

This thread has been split as discussion about the Pacific theatre in WWII was off-topic.

Posted By:Loss Leader

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doubt (Post 12923988) Rather odd that they would have this problem. The average American may not ever meet somebody from Samoa. But if you serve in the military you probably will meet half a dozen or so with in a year. Seems that just about every adult male Samoan fit enough to serve in the military does. In one sense they join up because there is not much happening economically in Samoa. But when asked they will point to WW II where the US promised that if there was a base there the Japanese would never be able to take the islands. They all know about it and it plays a role in their local culture.

And then of course there are the Northren Marianas which we pretty much acquired as booty in World war 2.
The Southern Marianas...Guam for all practical purposes..has the same status as Puerto Rico ;it was acquired from Spain at the same time as we got Puerto Rico.
Odd thing is Spain then put the Northren Marianas on the market after the Spanish American War and it decided to liquitdate it's overseas remnants and offered them to the US;US refused and Germany bought them. and then Germany lost then to Japan in World War One which lead to Guam being basically indefensible and it, and the Northerm Marianas,had to be taken at great cost in World War 2;Saipan was one of the most brutal of the Island campaings in World War 2. It might have been different if we had bought the Nortren Marianias when we got the chance.

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