Memorial Park

The American flag flies 24 hours a day at Memorial Park. It is surrounded by the flags of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard. Around the flag circle is the Court of Honor which contains 5,000 names of the American and Mariana people who died during the Battle of Saipan. Nearby is a bell tower which plays a selection of patriotic tunes. There is also an open 1,200-seat Amphitheater and a wetland where the endangered Nightingale Reed-Warbler lives.

Flag Circle.


Garapan hotels in the distance.


Amphitheater.

A surprising discovery was made when constructing the American Memorial Park visitor center's parking lot. A "Hot Spot" of Japanese WWII ordnance was exposed. The ordnance was in a trench 4 feet deep and at least 100 feet long, possibly extending much further than the parking lot. It was stacked on wood, soaked in diesel fuel, covered with sand, and lit on fire in a poor attempt to dispose of the ordnance. The result was that the Japanese ordnance was near perfectly preserved by the diesel fuel until rediscovered 60 years later. Even the markings on the bombs were legible.
That peak in the background is Mount Tapochao.

Wetland Area.

Japanese WWII Bunker pointing toward the Harbor.

Bell Tower.





Court of Honor.

Northern Mariana Islands Quarter Ceremony.


Look close and you will find a lot of this unusual sleeping grass at American Memorial Park.

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Harbor

The Harbor is next to American Memorial Park and is home to many beautiful boats.

Picture from the Memorial Park side. Notice the Old Japanese Lighthouse directly above the mast in the center.

Flame Tree next to the Harbor.

Managaha Island in the distance.





Under full sail on the "Jade Lady III".



Remains of the WWII dock that was called Tanapag Harbor.



Abandoned ship called, "Charter Saipan".




WWII fuel storage tank.

Another abandoned WWII dock. This is a tough one. "You agree to be responsible for any ... death you may suffer".

Naval ship clearing large underwater boulders from the channel.

WWII Japanese bunker in the middle of the parking lot.



The below bunker and well is in the jungle just North West of the harbor.


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