(hosted by Dr. Vivian Dames with production assistance of Joy White) was recorded via Skype 11/17/12 and airs 5/31/13.

Since the 2006 announcement of the planned relocation of US marines from Okinawa to Guam, we have learned much about the commonalities between these two heavily militarized island communities with extended colonial histories.  Another commonality is the use in Guam and Okinawa of Agent Orange (AO) herbicides reported by US veterans and others which the US Department of Defense denies, despite mounting evidence. Since the release in 1994 of the first comprehensive report on Veterans and Agent Orange by the Institute of Medicine, an informal network has emerged seeking recognition and compensation for these veterans and their dependents.

Program guests are retired disabled US Air Force veterans MSgt. Leroy G. Foster (RetAirForceMan@aol.com) and Sgt. Ralph A. Stanton (rstanton@stjoelive.com) who are key figures in the struggle to uncover the extent of damage done to veterans, their dependents, and civil service employees stationed at Anderson Air Force Base-Guam during the Vietnam War period, as well local civilians affected by the legacy of this toxic contamination. [For more information about this network, go tohttp://www.guamagentorange.info]

For ten years, from 1969-78, Leroy Foster handled, mixed by hand, and sprayed Agent Orange herbicides on Guam. He sprayed often along the Air Force fuel pipelines and Marbo Barracks Complex and fuel tank farms at Tumon, Potts Junction, AAFB Andy I and II fuel tank farms and flight line areas, along with hydrant pump houses and perimeter/security fencing. He now lives in Westfield, New York and suffers a litany of AO related autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. He is convinced that the chronic health problems of his daughter and the multiple birth defects of his granddaughter are also related to his AO exposure.

Foster’s struggle with the Department of Veteran Affairs began in December 1987 and continues to this day. Although hundreds of veterans are claiming compensation for AO exposure on Guam, Foster is one of the few whose claim for direct exposure (but with no mention of Guam) has been approved. This weekend he is going to Washington DC to attend his Board of Veterans Affairs appeal hearing. He seeks to have Guam specifically indicated on his decision as the site of exposure to document the truth of what happened and to help other claimants and the people of Guam.  He anticipates this may be the last time he will be going to the nation’s capitol to challenge the “Delay and deny until they die” stance of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  He says, “The next time I go will be in a coffin to Arlington Cemetery.”

Ralph Stanton was stationed at AAFB in 1969-70. He performed maintenance and repairs daily on fuel storage and delivery systems which were sprayed often with herbicides. He now lives in Savannah, Missouri, and also suffers several debilitating AO related diseases but was denied his claim for direct exposure to Agent Orange. The official reasons for this denial are that “data from the Department of Defense does not show any use, testing or storage of tactical herbicides, including Agent Orange, at any location on Guam,” and that “The Joint Services Records Research Center does not document the spraying, testing or storage of Agent Orange Anderson Air Force Base, Guam”.  Stanton appealed this decision on 10/9/11. A hearing was held 15 months later on 3/5/13 which Sgt. Foster attended and provided testimony.  A decision on Sgt. Stanton’s appeal is still pending.

The testimonies of Leroy Foster and Ralph Stanton parallel what has happened in Okinawa where dozens of former service members and local civilians have spoken out about the use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War and its toxic legacy. While the U.S. government has approved several individual claims, it continues to deny that Agent Orange was ever kept, buried or used on Okinawa. As a result, hundreds of sick American veterans have been refused medical assistance and the Japanese government has been able to reject calls from citizen’s groups for health surveys and environmental testing and mitigation. [see the award winning film documentary entitled “Defoliated Island - Agent Orange, Okinawa and the Vietnam War” by Asia-Pacific Journal affiliate Jon Mitchell.]

Music selection: “Agent Orange Song’ by Country Joe McDonald

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During  the 3rd day of the Guam visit, the Japan Mothers’ Congress delegation of 37 representatives met with members of Fuetsan Famalao’an (Chamorro, for ‘the strength of women’) for a conversation. Fuetsan Famalao’anwas mobilized in 2006 to give voice to the concerns of women and girls regarding the announced relocation of US Marines from Okinawa to Guam and related military expansion.

See previous entry on Ep. 147 for show as it was broadcast in English.

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(hosted by Dr. Vivian Dames and Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero with production assistance of Joy White) was recorded 2/5/13, aired  5/10/13,  and re-broadcast  5/17/13.

Maternalist politics have played an important role in peace and environmental movements around the world.  In recognition of Mothers Day (May 12), we are pleased to offer partial coverage of the first Guam visit of the Tokyo Liaison Council of the Japan Mothers’ Congress, February 3-6, 2013.  The purpose of this historic visit was to promote analysis of the impacts of the Japan - U.S Security Treaty on the quality of life in Japan, Okinawa and Guam and to forge solidarity among these island communities, especially among women.

Protests against the U.S. hydrogen bomb test explosion at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands in 1954 developed into a Japanese mother’s movement calling for the protection of all children from the dangers of nuclear war.  In June 1955, the first Japan Mothers’ Congress was held and has since been held annually under the slogan, “Mothers as mothers want to cultivate and protect life.”  This mothers’ movement gained impetus after President Barack Obama’s speech in April 2010 declaring that  a world without nuclear weapons is a national goal of the United States. The 58th Japan Mothers’ Congress held August 25-26, 2012 in Nigata City involved more than 13,000 participants.

On the 3rd day of the Guam visit, the Japan Mothers’ Congress delegation of 37 representatives met with members of Fuetsan Famalao’an (Chamorro, for ‘the strength of women’) for a conversation.  Fuetsan Famalao’anwas mobilized in 2006 to give voice to the concerns of women and girls regarding the announced relocation of US Marines from Okinawa to Guam and related military expansion.

In the first segment of this episode, we present the comments (interpreted to English) of three representatives of the Japan delegation: Yamaki Akemi, President, Tokyo Liaison Council of the Japan Mothers’ Congress; Yashuko Kura, Tokyo Mothers Congress, and Yoko Anomoto, Secretary General, Japan Federation of Women’s Organizations.

In the second segment, the representatives of Fuetsan Famalao’an present their comments. Lou Leon Guerrero discusses the sacred role of mothers as ‘protectors of our children” and the purpose of their organization; Hope Cristobal places this organization within the broader struggle for decolonization of Guahan and the importance of Chamorro language and connection to the land as wellsprings for national identity and resistance; Fanai Castro discusses the sacredness of land as vital to indigenous identity; and Selina Onedera-Salas shares four observations about what helps Guahan women to persevere in organizing and advocacy for peace.

The third segment provides coverage of a farewell dinner hosted by Guahan mothers at the home of Gwendolyn and Ray Nelson Taimanglo in the northern village of Yigo, adjacent to Anderson Air Force Base.  This event was recorded by Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero who also provides commentary.  It features comments from Akiko Sekigushi (President, Tokyo Mothers’ Congress), reflections on ‘the fence’ and the legacy of war by retired Colonel Ray Taimanglo, the reading of a poem “Para I Lahi-hu” (For My Son) composed and read by Moñeka De Oro, closing remarks by Yamaki Akemi, a song by the Japan delegation, the reading by Selina Onedera-Salas of a poem entitled  “Famalao’an Micronesia” (Women Micronesia), composed by Desiree Taimanglo Ventura who also provides commentary.  This event concluded with a rendition by all participants of the song “We Shall Overcome.”

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Ep. 16 "Environmental Justice and Radiation Exposure in Guam" (hosted  by Dr.  Lisa Linda Natividad with production assistance of Lydia Taleu and Joy White) first aired 5/7/10

From 1946 to 1962 the US conducted 67 nuclear tests on Enewetak, Rongelap and Bikini atolls in the Marshall Islands resulting in radiation fallout across a large swath of the Pacific, including Guam.  Evidence for high levels of radiation exposure on Guam and its coverup by military authorities was provided in a sworn affidavit by US Navy Lt. Bert Schreiber, an atomic, biological and chemical defense officer stationed on Guam in the 1950s. Up to 20 years later, from 1968 to 1974, Guam had higher yearly rainfall measures of strontiun 90 compared to Majuro (Marshall islands). Lt. Schreiner did not make any public disclosure of his detection for radioactive material until he blew the whistle during the Blue Ribbon Panel on Radioactive Contamination on Guam held in Washington, DC on July 30, 2001. In November 2005, he returned to the island to make a public apology for remaining silent for over 50 years while the people of Guam were exposed to radiation, ate contaminated food and drank contaminated water.

In 2009, Guam Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo introduced a bill (HR 1630) to amend the 1990 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to include Guam in the list of affected ‘downwinder’ areas with respect to atmospheric nuclear testing in Micronesia. In April 2010,  Senator Tom Udall introduced an amendment to RECA with the inclusion of Guam for downwinders compensation. To date, the people of Guam have yet to receive compensation. The territory currently qualifies for RECA compensation in the ‘on-site participants” category but  not for downwind  exposure.

Exposure to high levels of radiation have been linked to poor health outcomes, particularly in cancer related cases and diabetes . The technology to clean the environment of radiation does not  currently exist. As a result, people in the Pacific continue to suffer the long-term effects of radiation exposure from US nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands and French nuclear testing in Polynesia.  The Pacific Association of Radiation Survivors, or PARS, is a nonprofit organization established to bring justice to those whose health has been negatively affected by exposure to radiation.

Program guests are Mr. Robert Celestial, PARS president  and Dr. Chris Perez, PARS medical advisor.  Mr. Celestial is an atomic Army veteran who was deployed to Enewetak in the Marshall Islands to attempt post nuclear testing cleanup.  Dr. Perez is a medical physician and member of the Army National Guard whose mother, now deceased, was diagnosed with a condition which would qualify her for compensation if Guam is included in the RECA downwinder  provisions. They discuss what brought them into this struggle for environmental and reparative justice, the intent of RECA, the role of PARS,  and the symbolic and material significance of federal compensation for radiation exposure for the people of Guam.  For more information, they can be contacted at 671-727-PARS.

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Ep. 146 “We’re Still Here-What’s Next?” (hosted by Dr. Vivian Dames with production assistance of Joy White) was recorded 4/11/13 and airs 4/19/13.

On April 17, 2013 the Governor of Guam declared the island back in alert condition Green (indicating low risk of a foreign military attack and the return to normal operations ) while residents await further information about the arrival and deployment of the Army’s Task Force Talon --- the unit from Fort Bliss being deployed to Guam to support the Terminal  High Altitude Defense missile system.  Just how serious is the North Korea threat of a missile attack on Guam?

This episode features a special panel presentation on North Korea held at the  University of Guam on April 11, 2013 sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts  & Social Sciences.  This presentation was entitled “We’re Still Here- What’s Next?” and featured an overview of Korean history by Professor Mark Ombrello (ombrello@hawaii.edu; see also HI408-01 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/111895715651101/)

The episode includes brief comments made at during the panel  from the following:  Dr. Michael Stoil Imstoil@uguam.uog.edu), associate professor of Political Science; Dr. Robert Underwood (raunderwood@uguam.uog.edu), UOG President and former Guam Congressman; Dr. Hyun-Jong Hahm (hahm0929@gmail.com), assistant professor of Linguistics; and Dr. Michael Bevacqua (mlbasquiat@hotmail.com), assistant professor of Chamorro Studies.  This panel presentation was edited to fit the format of this program.

Music selection”  “We Have Nothing to Envy in the World”  from a collection of North Korean government VCDs.   http://nothingtoenvy.com/videos/

Please forward this announcement to your respective networks and encourage listeners to submit their comments on line. Suggestions for future topics and guests or requests to be added  or deleted from this list may be sent directly btf.kprg@gmail.com

Thank you for listening to and supporting public radio for the Marianas --- and for promoting Beyond the Fence, locally and abroad.

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Ep. 144 “The ‘State of War’ through the Lens of Modern Korean History, Part 1” (hosted by Dr. Vivian Dames with production assistance of Marlon Molinos and Joy White) was recorded 4/3/13 and airs 4/5/13.

North Korea has issued a series of war threats and ominous announcements since March 7, 2013 when the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions against it for conducting a nuclear test in February.  On March 30 North Korea warned that inter-Korean relations have entered a ‘state of war’ and that it would retaliate against any U.S. and South Korean provocations without notice.  This third threat in less than one week makes specific mention of Guam as a possible target for a missile attack. As Guam officials reassure island residents, the Pentagon has announced plans to deploy a new missile defense system to Guam, one of several escalating moves from the Pentagon in response to what the Secretary of Defense calls “a real and clear danger.”

How does the study of modern history help us to understand this latest crisis in the Korean peninsula and the extraordinary ongoing tensions generated by colonialism, national division, and foreign intervention?

Our main program guest is Mark Ombrello (ombrello@hawaii.edu) an instructor of history at the University of Guam who is currently teaching a senior seminar on the History of Modern Korea. Professor Ombrello holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Anthropology from Emory University and a M.A. in Micronesian Studies from the University of Guam and is a doctoral candidate in history at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. Prior to coming to Guam, he lived in Japan for ten years where he studied the Japanese language and taught English.

We conclude with comment from UOG sophomore and East Asian Studies major, Eric Rabago (ericysrabago@gmail.com) who is enrolled in the History of Modern Korea course.

Music selections: Arirang, a popular Korean folk song in both the South and North which is also considered an unofficial national anthem, sung by Ri Kyong Suk and Peace, the theme song of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, sung by Park Jun Hyun.

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(hosted by Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero and Dr. Michael Bevacqua with production assistance of Marlon Molinos and Joy White) airs 3/22/13.

In recognition of Chamorro Month 2013, this episode examines comparative strategies for decolonization through the cultural fine arts and indigenous language revitalization.

Southern High School is on its way to becoming Guam's first Cultural Fine Arts Academy. In the first half of this episode, Victoria Lola Leon Guerrero interviews Department of Education Superintendent Jon Fernandez (jonfernandez@gdoe.net) and Vince Reyes (malesso@guam.net). As part of efforts to renovate the school's inoperable auditorium, Superintendent Fernandez envisions a new direction for the facility and the school: to become a place for students to learn about their culture and express it through the arts. He shares his vision for Southern High and describes the efforts made to develop the school's Cultural Fine Arts Program. (Date of interview?)

In October, Vince Reyes, who founded the internationally acclaimed CHamoru dance group Inetnon Gef Pa'go, was reassigned from Inarajan Middle School to Southern High School to help develop a fine arts program. Since then, Mr. Reyes has been working with students at the school to create a performing group of dancers. He is also teaching Cultural and Traditional Dance to freshmen. He discusses his work at Southern and the possibilities that will come from this new Cultural Fine Arts Program. (date of interview?)

Song selection: Ginen Hågu sung by Inetnon Gef Pågo Tuninos, Southern High School's Cultural Dance Group.

In the second half of this episode, Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua interviews Shinako Oyakawa Akamine (insert email address), an Okinawan decolonization and language revitalization activist. Shinako is currently a graduate student at Ryukyu University where she studies uchinaguchi, or the indigenous language of Central and Southern Okinawa. Guam and Okinawa's history have many parallels, including periods where the language and culture of the native people were prohibited and denigrated by colonizers. Both also feature community efforts to revitalize their languages and bring them back to a healthy state. Shinako-san is the coordinator for Islander Language School in Ginowan City, where Okinawan elders teach parents and their young children to speak uchinoguchi. This interview was recorded while Dr. Bevacqua was attending the Island Language Revitalization Symposium at Ryukyu University in March 2013.

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(hosted by Dr. Vivian Dames with production assistance of Marlon Molinos and Joy White) was recorded 3/1/13 and airs 3/8/13.

In recognition of Women’s History Month, this episode features excerpts of two presentations from the 7th Annual Women Veterans Conference held March 1, 2013 at the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort and an interview with a conference participant and scholar who is conducting research on Chamorro women in the military. This conference was sponsored by the Guam Vet Center, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, West Care Pacific Islands, and the Bureau of Women’s Affairs-Guam Department of Labor, Agency for Human Resources Development.

We begin with Catherine N. Illarmo (illarmo@teleguam.net), overall conference chair and recently retired Guam Vet Center leader, who briefly discusses the history of the conference, which she initiated, and the significance of the 2013 conference theme, “She Served, She Deserves - Enhancing Accessibility to Services.”

The invocation and keynote speech were given by Lt. Col. Donnette A. Boyd (email unavailable) who reflects on her experience in the military, from beginning as a member of a fighter squadron to becoming Wing Chaplain, 36th Wing, at Anderson Air Force Base-Guam. She places her personal story within the social history of women in the military, highlights some challenges of being in a male dominated profession, and shares three lessons for success that she learned from her mother, a Jamaican immigrant.

This past week Guam and the Northern Marianas bid farewell to nearly 600 soldiers who left for training at Camp Shelby in Mississippi before being deployed in April to Kabul and various forward operating bases in Afghanistan. According to the Guam Army National Guard, 50+ or 8 percent of this deployment are women. In another conference presentation, Angelina Quinene (aaquinene@teleguam.net), Chamorro wife, mother of four/grandmother of eight, and Guam Army National Guard veteran who was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007-2008 shares her experience “Moving Forward Into Recovery” from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and military sexual trauma with help provided by a Women’s Combat Trauma Center in Palo Alto, California.

We conclude with an interview with Ms. Ruth Craft (rcraft@hawaii.edu) a PhD candidate in American Studies, University of Hawaii-Manoa, who is recruiting participants for ethnographic research on Chamorro women in the military. She lived on Guam twice previously, first as the child of a US Navy service member in the 60‘s then as a US Navy wife in the 90’s.

Music selection: “Sister Soldier” by Randy Crenshaw and Buckskin (1990)

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