The Agana Race Riots

The island of Guam, in the Mariana Islands, was recaptured from the Japanese on the 10^th August 1944. The Japanese had occupied the U.S. territory of Guam since 1941.

The Agana Race Riots occurred on the island of Guam on the 24^th-26^th December 1944.

After the recapture five large groups of white marines of the 3^rd Marine Division were stationed at Guam. African-American Marine 25^th Depot Company began arriving on Guam and stationed at airfields being built by Navy Seabees (Construction Battalions).  With the arrival of Boeing B-29 bombers, Guam was developed into a base of operations in readiness for the attack on mainland Japan. In late August 1944 some new white recruits tried to prevent the African-American (Afro/Am) marines from visiting the town of Agana and its access to women, thus creating racial tension.

Over the next three months two incidents occurred which amplified the racial tension. The first incident involved a white sailor who shot and killed an Afro/Am marine in an argument over a woman. The second incident occurred when an Afro/Am marine depot guard retaliated to the constant harassment of a white marine. The white marine was fatally wounded. In the two incidents the white sailor and the Afro/Am guard were courts-martialled for voluntary manslaughter. There does not appear to any records as to the outcome of the courts-martial.

The first major confrontation occurred on the 24^th December 1944 (Christmas Eve). Nine Afro/Am marines were given 24 hour passes to go into Agana. Whilst talking to some local women a number of white marines shot at the Afro/Am marines and all nine manged to escape. Eight returned safely to their depot but one was missing. Driving back to Agana in two army trucks was the Afro/Am marine response where 40 Afro/Am marineswere determinedto find the missing marine. Military Police (MP) had been informed by an Afro/Am marine that the trucks were heading for Agana. The marine was stationed at the base and not one of the nine. The MPs immediately proceeded to erect barricades across the road leading to Agana. Upon arriving at the barricades, the Afro/Am marines were informed their missing comrade was found safe and tensions eased. The trucks returned to their base. Two separate incidents occurred on the 25^th December 1944 (Christmas Day). The first was when an Afro/Am marine was shot dead whilst  walking back to his base from Agana, by two drunken white marines. The second incident was when a drunken white marine killed an Afro/Am marine.  On the 26^th December 1944 (Boxing Day), just after midnight, a jeep driven by white marines opened fire on the Afro/Am depot. Returning fire the camp guards injured a white MP. Chased by a group of Afro/Am marines the jeep fled towards Agana. White MPs, at a roadblock outside Agana, stopped the Afro/Am marines and they were arrested. They were charged with various offences including attempted murder. At their courts-martial forty-three Afro/Am marines were convicted and received prison sentences. Several white marines were also convicted for their part in the disturbances.

The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) successfully campaigned to have the forty-three verdicts overturned. The Afro/Am marines were released from prison in 1946. Apparently there are no records of the white marine convictions.