Guam, in the Pacific, is the largest of the Mariana Islands. It was ceded to the United States as a result of the Spanish-American War in 1898 and was put under the administration of the U.S. Navy. At the outbreak of the war in the Pacific, Guam was unfortified and was defended by no more than 430 U.S. Marines and 180 native Chamorro guards, all under the command of Captain George McMillan, U.S. Navy, the military governor of the island. The Japanese landed 5,400 troops on Guam on December 10, 1941, and engaged McMillan's vastly outnumbered command for three hours before the captain surrendered the island. The only reason that the small band of defenders held out even for three hours was the difficult terrain of the island, which greatly favored defenders over attackers. A total of 17 marines and Chamorros were killed in the battle. Only one of the Japanese invaders died.

The loss of Guam was a serious blow to the American presence in the Pacific. In 1941, Guam possessed the only adequate freshwater supply in all the Marianas, and it provided the best harbor. It would serve as an important advance base for whoever held it, and the Japanese, recognizing its value, garrisoned it with some 19,000 troops. . .

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