FDMS and Cold War happenings in Tai, Guam

Becomings of being conditioned to the most unusual

Hafa Adai,

As memories of the Cold War era return, driven by the passing of Jimmy Carter, memories of Father Duenas Memorial High School also return.

Father Duenas, also known simply as ‘Duenas’ or ‘FD’ was the best place on earth to attend high school, at least for most of the time, until Mr. Forbes would walk in the classroom proclaiming to all that they must ‘shut up and sit down’.

It was the Cold War and Guam was a key military location during this era.

We had to wear uniforms to school at FD that quickly became infused with sweat, Marlboro Red after smells, or material evidence of how speeding to class through Chalan Pago, enabled one to improperly consume empanada or a can of Pepsi all before first period class.

The crew, especially 2A, was motley.

Classmates were village boyz, sons of Air Force officers, recent arrivals from the Carolines, friends from the NMI, or offspring of Japanese or Taiwanese or Philippine nationals.

Teachers were priests and lay people who used all kinds of classroom materials including taping together paper bags that were used to write math equations.

The classes were truly diverse, in both serious and lighthearted ways.

The academics were rigorous, the school principal was someone who enjoyed imparting after school jug, and basketball was a favorite past time always enjoyed during lunch break.

The usual fistfights took place, PE was undertaken in the not so flat field area between Tai Road and the cafeteria, and Pascual Artero our PE teacher, perfected his technique of messing with our minds on simple tasks such as running around campus or doing jumping jacks. It was good preparation for Marine Corps boot camp.

It was the Cold War era and it was most memorable.

During this time, FD was home to the nuclear looking chicken curry served at lunch (I initially thought it was something else).

If the bright yellowish green oily sauce got on your white uniform shirt that may have already been stained from spilling Pepsi on the way to class earlier in the morning, you could smell lunch for the rest of the school day.

During the Cold War era, we would be in chemistry class looking out the window instead of paying attention to Ms. Howe, noticing Marines locked and loaded, helicopters circling close in, and military transport vehicles slowly transiting northbound through Tai up to Andersen. Ordnance of all sorts were being taken from Naval Mag up to Andersen for operational purposes.

These regular events were in retrospect, most unusual.

Ronald Reagan was president the U.S. at the time, Carter was out, and America was on its last decade of the Cold War with the USSR.

I always wondered if there were nukes packed on board these trucks, to be loaded onto some B-52 for delivery to the USSR.

The classrooms had no air conditioners, so sweating was part of the daily routine. On rare occassion the wind and rain would be so heavy that we had to close the luvers or risk getting wet.

The only room that had air conditioning during the Cold War era was the school’s chapel, which was located right in the quad.

Seems that many times after lunch, students suddenly got religious and prayerful because after lunch the air conditioned chapel became crowded with students who appeared to be in post lunch trance like states. This state of being was regularly interrupted by visits from Brother Gregory, the king of jug issuanances and the school’s principal.

The most memorable aspect of FD during the Cold War had nothing to do with the military because it had everything to do with a fellow classmate and his brother.

We were playing basketball, the usual cast of characters roughing each other up on the court, and talking smack.

One sunny day on the court, a crackling sound was heard close by. Maynard Sablan fell. Someone shot Maynard. Maynard was Vince’s younger brother. Maynard died from the gunshot. No one ever found out who did it. We were all devastated. Vince was an exceptionally bright classmate who just lost his younger brother. He was able to overcome this terrible event and was accepted into Notre Dame’s engineering school. I never forgot this time because who would?

FD was a most memorable experience for many young islanders. It had great academic opportunities, and was even more interesting during the Cold War era as Guam was a key forward operating location for American logistics, storage and the projection of strategic air and sea power.

Watching the military drive through Tai while studying chemistry is etched in my memory.

Rick