(Come, Let’s go to War!)
By 1916 the United States had entered World War II. According to Pedro Sanchez’s text Guahan/Guam, “The island did its share in the war effort.” 6The text describes how $70,000 was raised from islanders and Naval personnel. When Chamorros enthusiastically enlisted to fight internationally in the Navy or defend locally, in a local militia, Sanchez claims “The Chamorros longstanding love affair with military life blossomed.” 7
Here in very blatant form we find the first discursive strain, the patriotic virus which feverishly pushes Chamorros closer to the United States. The history is very clear and crisp; the US called on Americans to support the war effort, and Chamorros enlisted their lives and donated their money to show their loyalty.
There is little doubt that some Chamorros may have been so inspired by the idea of serving faithfully their mother country, but what this clear, unified and romanticized picture obscures is the idea of the marinon mantikiya, or “butter sailors.” Then as it is now, the military exchanges and commissaries offer groceries and goods at reduced prices than civilian stores. “Butter sailors” as they were called by non-military Chamorros, were teased with that moniker because most joined up just to get butter from the Naval stores. They enlisted in the local militia or in the Navy in order to obtain commissary privileges as well as the reduced wages the Navy provided. They seized this opportunity of war in order to join up, improve their finances, and thereby improving the economic condition of their families.8
This is a vital distinction as one paints Chamorros as the pinnacle of patriots, wishing to defend a country that never gave two cents for them. The other points to Chamorros using the regime to their advantage, and creating beneficial inroads, for improved status.