Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Sabånan Fadang Memorial

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Stephen E. Liszewski, Commanding General for Marine Corps Installations Pacific, gives remarks at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Sabånan Fadang Memorial on Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, Guam, Jan. 25, 2023. During the ceremony Maj. Gen. Stephen E. Liszewski, presented the memorial to Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, Guam Governor, to symbolize the transfer of the memorial to the people of Guam. While Camp Blaz will continue to care of the site, the memorial will be available for future, public access. The Sabånan Fadang Burial Site was constructed as part of the base’s commitment to preserving the rich cultural heritage of Guam. The monument has a dedicative plaque featuring a large engraving of a “trongkon nunu,” a banyan tree said to serve as a home for “taotaomo-na,” ancestral CHamoru spirits. The plaque is nestled between two ancient CHamoru lusongs, mortars used for pounding seeds or roots into processed food.