1 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, welcome to the show, friends and neighbors, thanks for 2 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: dropping by. Join us on a journey. We are based 3 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, Georgia, here in the United States, but today 4 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: our adventures take us to the northwestern Pacific Ocean, to 5 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: a place that was formerly known as the territory of Guam. Hi. 6 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 1: I'm Ben, Hi, my name is not. So we're going 7 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 1: on a bit of a tropical vacae today. We are. 8 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: We are and I have wanted to travel to this 9 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: area of the Pacific Ocean for such a very very 10 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: long time. Our longtime friend of the show and co worker, 11 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 1: Scott Benjamin is actually a very well traveled man. He's 12 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: get this noal. He's been to Bora, Bora, I know, man, 13 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: I I didn't even think. I thought that was like 14 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: an imaginary land. And and and then then you can come 15 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: to find out. Scott Benjamin or is I like to 16 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,039 Speaker 1: call him f Scott Benjamin has been there. Yes, yes, 17 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: Scott Benjamin. So today we're going a true tale that 18 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: still feels as surreal as a story by Kurt Vonnegut 19 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: or something he does. That's a really good connection, Ben, 20 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: because it's got all of the pathos and set up 21 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: for a grand you know, battle of epic proportions, a 22 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: naval battle, you know, at sea with cannons and all 23 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: that good stuff that goes along with it. But there's 24 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: a twist and and and then the twist is sort 25 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: of a very Vonneguchian Vonna Good esque. Yeah, and that 26 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: you know, not much happens. I don't think that's fair. 27 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: And I don't mean to pin like to say nothing 28 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: happens in Vonnegut books. I justan it subverts your expectations 29 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: a little bit. Let's say that. Yeah, it feels in 30 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: a very relieving way, somewhat anti climactic. And we're of 31 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: course not going on this journey alone, folks. We're bringing along, 32 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: in our opinion, one of the best parts of this show, 33 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: Super producer Casey Pegram. May he be our spirit guide 34 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: on this journey today, Yes, and hopefully our navigator as well, 35 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: because I don't remember if we packed the GPS, I 36 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: am garbage with directions. As you know, well, we we 37 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: already know where we're going and let's travel there through 38 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 1: the magic of podcasting. But first we have to get 39 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: to Guam by way of Cuba, because to paint the scene, 40 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: we need to talk about something called the Spanish American War. 41 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: The Spanish American War declared on April twenty five of eighteen. 42 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: You see, the US was doing a lot of business 43 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: with Cuba, and Cuba wanted to become independent from Spain, 44 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: which was controlling it at the time. It's very true, 45 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: and there were rebels, there was an uprising in Cuba 46 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: um and they wanted to separate themselves from Spanish rule. 47 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: And the US had some pretty significant interests in helping 48 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: them accomplish this because they were doing trade upwards of 49 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: a hundred million dollars a year with Cuba. One of 50 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 1: those goods, the primary good in this equation being sugar, 51 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: and that's in terms, so it's a huge amount of money. 52 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: Shall we inflation calculator and my friend, yes, this is 53 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: an appropriate enough amount of money that we may want 54 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: a drum roll casey one million dollars in eighteen nine 55 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 1: five is equivalent to two point seven five billion dollars 56 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: in as it's like an economy of scale, it's massive. 57 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: There's really no there's really no way someone in the 58 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: US could argue against protecting this valuable trade. And the 59 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 1: US public was behind this as well. They were supporting 60 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: American intervention because people were checking out the newspapers of 61 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: note at the time, the yellow papers, right of the 62 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: like the William Randolph Hurst era of the Yellow journalism, 63 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: where it was kind of this, uh alarmist or let 64 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: maybe not alarmist, but more um sensationalized coverage, right, yeah, 65 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 1: absolutely sensationalized by muck rakers, by people with a strategic 66 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: acts to grind. Spain was taking incredibly brutal measures to 67 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: repress the rebellion, and the U. S public learned about 68 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:56,279 Speaker 1: this through graphic depictions in these newspapers, and this caused 69 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: American sympathy for the Cuban rebels to rise. As we know, 70 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: the best way to get a war going is not 71 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: to say it's in our economic interest. It's to say 72 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: we are doing a noble thing, humanitarian reasons. Have you 73 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: heard of this guy, General Wiler the butcher. Lay it 74 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: on me, this is nuts. I did not know this 75 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: was a thing. But this gentleman was sent to deal 76 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: with by by Spain, to deal with the Cuban rebels, 77 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: and he actually rounded them up and put them in 78 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: concentration camps. Um. They weren't, you know, gassed like the 79 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: Jews were during the Nazi regime, but they were left 80 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 1: in horribly unsanitary conditions to starve and just wither away. 81 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 1: And so you know that was happening, and this was 82 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,040 Speaker 1: being reported, and so there was strong sentiment for the 83 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 1: humanitarian aid angle there. And tensions are rising, intentions are escalating. 84 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: At this point, let's say around the early part of 85 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: the year. Right, the American public is largely behind or 86 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 1: supportive of an intervention, but there are people still on 87 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: the fence, and that all changes in less than a 88 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: few days. Yeah. In fact, with the permission of the 89 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:14,479 Speaker 1: Spanish government, UM President McKinley ordered a battleship, the U. S. 90 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 1: S Main, to hang out in the Havana Harbor to 91 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: kind of safeguard American interest during this time of upheaval 92 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 1: in Cuba. And on February in the evening, an explosion 93 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 1: sank that ship, killing two sailors and two officers. And 94 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: this was a problem. This was bad what they call 95 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: bad optics, ben right, So the means destruction did not 96 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: immediately launch a war with Spain, but it uh pretty 97 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 1: much guaranteed that there would not be an easy, peaceful 98 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: resolution to this conflict. It's like a Pearl Harbor kind 99 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: of moment, you know. I mean, it's not it's not 100 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: quite as extreme, obviously because there was no direct proof, 101 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 1: but it is that powder keg moment where the public 102 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: really sees, oh, there's a threat here. They got our 103 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 1: guys right, and that those yellow journalists we talked about 104 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: really pushed that line, didn't They like saying, oh, they 105 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: blamed Spain, even though there wasn't any proof that was 106 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: actually what happened. But it seems likely that that's what happened. 107 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: It was one of the biggest political, if not the 108 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 1: biggest political issues of that year. Let's fast forward a 109 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: couple of months. Spain realizes that the water is slowly boiling, 110 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: the flames arising, and they attempt to quell things. They 111 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: announced an armistice on April nine of that year, and 112 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: they speed up a program to grant Cuba limited autonomy, 113 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: limited powers of government. So this would mean that Cuba 114 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: is still a part of the larger Spanish Empire, but 115 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: they have some latitude agency with local decisions. And I'd 116 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: read in a few places that there was a sentiment 117 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: that they weren't really that serious about doing those things 118 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: that they said. It was all sort of for show. 119 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: It's either dis genuine or it's too little, too late, 120 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 1: because very shortly afterwards, the US Congress issued resolutions declaring 121 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: Cuba's right to full independence, demanding the withdrawal of all 122 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 1: of Spain's armed forces, and authorizing then President William McKinley 123 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 1: to use force to secure the withdrawal of the Spanish 124 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: forces and at the same time to make sure that 125 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 1: everyone knows they're the good guys. I guess in this situation, 126 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 1: the US also says, we're not going to an x Cuba. 127 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 1: We want it to be its own thing. We're sticking 128 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: up for you. And you know they gave the British 129 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: two finger salute to Spain. This is Congress doing this right, Yeah, 130 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: and I think the President had requested sort of a 131 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: lighter version of that, and then Congress sort of doubled 132 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: down and said, nah, we're gonna really go you know, 133 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 1: ham on this. Yeah, they went hard on the paint 134 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: for sure, and Spain, in a game of geopolitical double dare, 135 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 1: said oh, you know what, you're gonna dare us to 136 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 1: get out? Well, double dare, We're declaring war on the 137 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: US on April and on the next day the US said, 138 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: oh yeah, well you too, buddy. You can't declare war 139 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: on us. We're declaring war on you. It's super confusing 140 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:18,560 Speaker 1: because the way it's written, um, the way I've seen 141 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: the chronology of this is that they had to retroactively 142 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: backdated to April one, which I believe was when the 143 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: US established a military blockade of Cuba to protect their 144 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: interests more or less again, and that's not like the 145 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:38,079 Speaker 1: official reason. Again, They're going with this humanitarian thing. Oh 146 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 1: the poor Cuban people, you know, the Spanish or just 147 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: mistreating them so badly, you know, because America, you know, 148 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: we're all about taking care of people, right, and that's 149 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: what we do. And maybe we, uh, maybe we, or 150 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: at least the the American leaders at the time, maybe 151 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: they really did believe that they were doing a noble, 152 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: altruistic thing. I know, I'm I'm being flipped, but it's 153 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: just it's hard to it's hard, man, it's hard to 154 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,680 Speaker 1: have that kind of faith in the goodness of our leaders. 155 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 1: It would be somewhat anomalous and it was not going 156 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 1: to be a fair fight because Spain was not prepared 157 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: in naval or military terms to have a war in 158 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 1: a foreign part of the planet with the US who 159 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: is not you know, uh, nothing to sneeze at militarily, 160 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 1: even back then. And I mean we're talking Spain in general, 161 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: not to mention our little whipper snapper buddies they're in Guam. Yes, 162 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: So we've set this stage and the Spanish American War 163 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 1: quickly expands beyond the bounds of Cuba and the surrounding waters. 164 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: One of the huge theaters for the Spanish American War 165 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: was going to be the Pacific Ocean, specifically the Philippines. 166 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 1: The Philippines at the time were under Spanish control and 167 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: habit for hundreds of years. The US again was going 168 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 1: to clean up this this massive injustice for everyone who 169 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: can't see you can't see us in the studios. I 170 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 1: just did a heart arm shake kind of awe shucks, 171 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 1: you know, hey, like you might have done an opery 172 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: land when you were a boy. Oh man, you're never 173 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: gonna let me live that. But uh, speaking of delights, 174 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:26,440 Speaker 1: when we consider the Pacific theater at the time, or 175 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,400 Speaker 1: just when considered the geography of the Pacific, we have 176 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:33,040 Speaker 1: to realize these folks did not have very fast means 177 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: of communication and a lot of these islands and archipelagos 178 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: were so isolated that they could learn about events in 179 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:45,559 Speaker 1: the rest of the world months after, maybe even more 180 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: than a year. And so this is when, uh, we 181 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:55,200 Speaker 1: this is when we come to a captain, captain named Glass, 182 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: Captain Glass, which is a cool name, very cool name. 183 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: And uh and no, what is what is Captain Glass 184 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:05,199 Speaker 1: doing on his way to the Philippines. Well, Captain Glass 185 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:10,439 Speaker 1: actually received sealed orders, um and and they went a 186 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: little bit like this, in fact, exactly like this, dear sir. 187 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: Actually they didn't say dear. They wouldn't have been that 188 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: polite in the military, just says sir, changes the whole tone. Didn't. 189 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 1: Upon receipt of this order, which is forwarded by the 190 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 1: steamship City of Peking, which was the name of the ship, 191 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: to you at Honolulu a place, you will proceed with 192 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: the Charleston and the City of Peking in company to Manila, 193 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 1: Philippine Islands on your way. And here's the important part. 194 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: You are hereby directed to stop at the Spanish island 195 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,439 Speaker 1: of Guam. You will use such force as may be 196 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: necessary to capture the port of Guam, making prisoners of 197 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: the governor and other officials and any armed force that 198 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 1: maybe there. You will destroy any fortification onset island and 199 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 1: any Spanish naval vessels that may be there or in 200 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 1: the immediate vicinity um And then it goes on to say, 201 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 1: this will probably only take you two days because they 202 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 1: definitely didn't know where we're coming. Yes, yeah, that's we 203 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: cannot emphasize that enough, but we will attempt to through repetition. 204 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: They were definitely not prepared on the island i Guam 205 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: the Spanish governing structure. So Guam had their first contact 206 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: with the Spanish Empire when a fellow named Ferdinand Magellan, 207 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:25,440 Speaker 1: the famous Portuguese explorer, landed uh there on March sixth 208 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:32,559 Speaker 1: fifty one. And in the intervening centuries, Spain also controlled 209 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,559 Speaker 1: Guam as well as you know, as well as the Philippines. 210 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 1: But Guam was on the edge of the Empire. For 211 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:42,560 Speaker 1: lack of a better phrase, it wasn't and it still 212 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: is not a very large place geographically speaking, and it 213 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: also wasn't at the heart of a lot of conflict 214 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: or a ton of trade exactly. In fact of the time, 215 00:13:55,200 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 1: the Guam infantry consisted of only fifty five soldiers and 216 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 1: two that's two lieutenants. So Glass has these orders to 217 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: capture Guam. He is assured that it is going to 218 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,680 Speaker 1: be super easy because they're so unprepared. Oh yeah, I 219 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,960 Speaker 1: mean they the way, the matter of fact nature of 220 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: that order, the way it's written, it's just like this 221 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 1: is gonna be cake. It's it's on the same level 222 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 1: totally as hey, will you pick up some milk on 223 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: your way? And so the Charleston enters a Gana Bay 224 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: on the twentie of June, and they were prepared for 225 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: a cannonade from Fort Santiago, the Spanish fourth there. And 226 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: so Captain Glass got further into the harbor and he 227 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: began bombarding Fort Santa Cruz, but received no response because 228 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: you see, folks, the fort had long been abandoned. No 229 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:00,160 Speaker 1: one cared, no one, no one knew, no one was 230 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: looking except people were looking. And this is where I 231 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 1: kind of want to shift the perspective here too. I 232 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 1: think our mutual favorite character in this story a guy 233 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: by the name of Francisco Porta sash or you could, 234 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: you could call him Frank if you want to be 235 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: familiar exactly. He has uh we have an original source 236 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 1: from a letter that he writes, recounting his experience. He 237 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 1: was a naturalist citizen in the US and on the 238 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 1: morning of the twenty two of June in his brother 239 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: Don Jose woke him up and said, you gotta come 240 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 1: see this. You gotta come check this out. And just 241 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: a little backstory, I'm like, why was this guy on Guam? 242 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: What was he doing? It looks like he had had 243 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: a career as kind of like as a whaler. He 244 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: seemed like a real man about town, had done some 245 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 1: interesting stuff and like I just wanted to see the world. 246 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 1: But he was from Chicago. Yeah, he uh, he was 247 00:15:55,840 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 1: a US citizen. He did have whaling background and Guam 248 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: he was pretty influential because he ran a general store, 249 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: a general store, and he was apparently the only American 250 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: on the island, which probably earned him some some street cred. 251 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: I guess. He seems like he was beloved and had 252 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:18,359 Speaker 1: support from the community. He wasn't like some kind of outcasts. 253 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: So in his letter, the way he recounts it, he 254 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 1: had maybe heard of something about a conflict between Spain 255 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 1: and the US. In fact is his brother is the 256 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: one who hipped him to it. But his brother was 257 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: a little wishy washy about it too. His brother also, 258 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 1: by the way, it was just visiting from Europe. He 259 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: had come there by way of the Philippines and was 260 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: just hanging out. So I think it's probably pretty accurate 261 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: when you see um, this guy Francisco being described as 262 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: the only American naturalized American citizen on the island who 263 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: lived there. So his brother says, come to the beach 264 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: and see the ships there and where they come from. 265 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: And Frank, as I'm gonna call him, started with him. 266 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: Around daylight. They went to uh they went to the 267 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: shore close enough to look through a pair of glasses 268 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:17,680 Speaker 1: which probably binoculars, and he recognized two of the steamships, 269 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:22,120 Speaker 1: China and Australia, and he wasn't sure what the other 270 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:25,400 Speaker 1: one was. But at this point his brother said, he said, 271 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 1: do not say anything, as I think war is declared 272 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 1: between the United States and Spain. If so, I will 273 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:33,360 Speaker 1: go on board and take with me the Spanish officers 274 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:35,199 Speaker 1: and one of your boats, and you can go on 275 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: your whale boat afterwards. That's another thing that's important about 276 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 1: the story. Frank. You see had like a like a 277 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 1: many fleet of ships, and they call them lighters, which 278 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 1: were these specialized boats that you would use to transport 279 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: goods um to bigger ships, right that couldn't get close 280 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:52,640 Speaker 1: enough to shore, maybe didn't have a port they could 281 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 1: pull in. Yes, So how do you think the brother 282 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: knew the war? Thing? Though? It seems like they were 283 00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:58,119 Speaker 1: not hip to this on that was he just kind 284 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:01,440 Speaker 1: of conjecturing because he had traveled from he didn't think 285 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 1: to mention this earlier. You know, it's a laid back, 286 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: laid back guy they're painting here. But as they arrive, 287 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: they see the Charleston begin to shell this fort, as 288 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:18,200 Speaker 1: we had mentioned, and there's no response because as Frank 289 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:20,919 Speaker 1: and everybody else on the island knows, that Ford has 290 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 1: been abandoned for years, and they believe the ship the 291 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: Man of War is saluting the fort of Santa Cruz, 292 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:35,439 Speaker 1: and so on the island side they say, okay, well, 293 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 1: let's get somebody together, let's get the artillery together, and 294 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: we'll send a salute too. And this this sounds weird 295 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: for a lot of people. The idea of a salute, 296 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:46,680 Speaker 1: What is that? Why are you are you just firing 297 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 1: a gun to say hello to people? I mean, there's 298 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: the whole twenty one gun so it always strikes me 299 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,679 Speaker 1: as queer. I mean, anytime people shoot guns in a 300 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 1: celebratory manner, that always is a little strange to me. Right, 301 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 1: So we can give you a little bit of background 302 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 1: on what a salute actually is and why it exists. 303 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: This comes to us through the official blog of the U. S. 304 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 1: Navy named Navy Live, and Tim Comerford is writing about 305 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 1: the history of the salute in salutations with a Bang, 306 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:24,359 Speaker 1: the military Salute. The idea here, according to him, is 307 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: that the the origins of this practice run clear, but 308 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 1: we have some good estimates about this, and they date 309 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 1: back to some ancient warfare. It's intended to show deference 310 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 1: on the part of the person saluting to the person 311 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:43,199 Speaker 1: being saluted. And it's also supposed to indicate that the 312 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 1: person or the people who are saluting are unarmed or 313 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: somehow defenseless, because in the old days of raising your 314 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 1: hands to salute, you were showing that you didn't have 315 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:59,399 Speaker 1: a sword, didn't have like a they're saluting with live ammunition, 316 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: they hand. Yeah, how does this? How does this work? 317 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:05,119 Speaker 1: Great question? The cannons, once you fire them in a salute, 318 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:07,920 Speaker 1: they take a while to reload, and so the idea 319 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:11,680 Speaker 1: is in a salute, the idea is they're shooting not 320 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:15,479 Speaker 1: to not to hit anyone, but to say like okay, boom, 321 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 1: there you go. Now you know we're not carrying loaded cannons. 322 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:23,679 Speaker 1: But this was clearly a mistake on the Islanders side 323 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 1: because they were trying to shell the fort I mean 324 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 1: that would have interpreted it as a piss poor salute. 325 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:31,959 Speaker 1: I'm like, come on, you're supposed to like aim away 326 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:33,919 Speaker 1: from us or up in the air something, But no, 327 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: they were definitely trying to shell that fort Um. But 328 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 1: that misunderstanding did happen, and so uh, a sort of 329 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 1: onovoy was gathered to row out to the ship the 330 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 1: man O War yeah, this floating murder machine and say hello. Yeah, 331 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: I almost I kept picturing, you know, the scenes where 332 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,199 Speaker 1: they send a landing party and star Trek or something. 333 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: So Frank arrives, he gets on the ship, and uh 334 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:11,959 Speaker 1: they find out that he is an American citizen and 335 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: how's he ended up going along? Like he he's already 336 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: there watching and he has like because I know there 337 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,719 Speaker 1: was some actual officials that went as well, because there 338 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 1: was the commander of the Guam Navy, who is a 339 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: guy named Don Pedro Duerte, and he is the one 340 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:30,200 Speaker 1: who said, oh, they're saluting us, we should go to 341 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:32,880 Speaker 1: dang it, we don't have we're all we're fresh out 342 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:36,640 Speaker 1: of gunpowder, so we better go. You know, be polite. Everybody, 343 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:38,800 Speaker 1: get your own guns if you have them, and we'll 344 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:42,200 Speaker 1: try to organize this. Yeah, they were. They were trying 345 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 1: to be cool. They thought they were showing customary um 346 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: deference or the rules of engagement. And to paint the 347 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:54,919 Speaker 1: picture here, imagine a really small town where not a 348 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 1: lot of big stuff happens. Everybody in town is who 349 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,040 Speaker 1: has heard about this is coming out to check out 350 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 1: the scene. They want to see what happens. So this 351 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: is not like a situation where there would be a 352 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 1: group of battle hardened veterans preparing to die. This is 353 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: someone saying like, ah, hey, Tim, did you hear there's 354 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:17,440 Speaker 1: a big ships out there, and the other guy going 355 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:20,359 Speaker 1: oh no way, Like yeah, they said we gotta um 356 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 1: bring our guns to salute him, and he's like, oh yeah, alright. 357 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:27,920 Speaker 1: I gotta say, though, this brother, this Don Jose, seems 358 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 1: like a real piece of work. I mean, he is, 359 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 1: you know, hasn't included anyone into the fact that there 360 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:36,120 Speaker 1: maybe war going on. I think he's trying to play 361 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 1: it like he's trying to, you know, save his own butt, 362 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: because he is the one who assembles this group of officials, 363 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,680 Speaker 1: military officials, which so the party that went out there 364 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 1: to meet the boat were Frank, his brother, Lieutenant commander 365 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:55,119 Speaker 1: of the Navy and captain of the port, Don Francisco Guccierrez, 366 00:22:55,200 --> 00:23:00,040 Speaker 1: a naval surgeon, Don Jose Romero, Captain Pedro du To 367 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 1: day uh and Ukar who was part of the Marine Corps, 368 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 1: and also Don Jose six To, who was the civil paymaster. Um. 369 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: And they all are kind of roped into doing this 370 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: by the brother who still doesn't clue them into the 371 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: fact that this could be a problem. Well, he told 372 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 1: his brother. He was like, Frank, be cool, but I 373 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: think there's a war going on. So what does strike 374 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 1: me as he's looking out for him and his brother's 375 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:28,840 Speaker 1: best interests and not the native people, true of the land, 376 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:31,400 Speaker 1: true important point. Here's where it becomes, for a moment 377 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:35,440 Speaker 1: as casual as a sitcom. So Frank and the rest 378 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:38,879 Speaker 1: of the party are there and then they get on 379 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:41,679 Speaker 1: board to Charleston and he's sell you know, across the 380 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: bow in his own boat, and then he hears someone 381 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:50,800 Speaker 1: yell at him, Frank, come on board, hey buddy. Yeah, 382 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: And he looks up and it's a guy named Captain 383 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: Hellett who he knew a number of years before as 384 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 1: a whaling captain whaling days. And he's actually on whaling 385 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:01,920 Speaker 1: ship that was the one that he was flying the 386 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:06,439 Speaker 1: flag with. Yeah, and so he gets on board and 387 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:10,640 Speaker 1: he recognizes somebody else. He sees a guy who used 388 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: to be a reporter for the Chronicle in San Francisco. 389 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 1: And the guy walks up and he shakes his hands 390 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: and he's like, man, I'm glad to see you here 391 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:20,640 Speaker 1: in Guam. And then someone comes up and says, why 392 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:24,240 Speaker 1: are you flying that American flag? Dude? Frank clearly got around. Man, 393 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:27,480 Speaker 1: what are the chances? This is very strange? Yeah, this 394 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 1: is really weird. Yeah. So this this tough customer walks 395 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:35,040 Speaker 1: up in his officer's dress, military dress and says, what 396 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:40,679 Speaker 1: right have you to fly this American flag from thou ship? 397 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:45,000 Speaker 1: Thy ship? So that's how they spoke. Any like grins 398 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 1: Frank grins and you know, shrugs a little and yeah, 399 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: and says, well, I guess I have the right to 400 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,199 Speaker 1: have that flag up for if I did not have 401 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 1: the right, I would not have it there. Oh snack, whoa, Okay, 402 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 1: you be in smart with me boy, right, it's pretty 403 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: much he say, I do what I want. And the 404 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: guy says, can you prove your right? Yeah, he sounds 405 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:09,440 Speaker 1: like a character from like Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, right, 406 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: And he says, yes, sir, and he pulls out his 407 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:16,000 Speaker 1: naturalization papers as a citizen of the US, and the 408 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 1: guy looks him over and his tone completely changes. Yeah. 409 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:23,880 Speaker 1: At that point, they're they're just buzzom buddies. He says, Okay, Chicago, 410 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 1: you're from Chicago, Illinois. Um, United States, twenty two of October. 411 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: This is birthday, Cook County, State of Illinois, is what 412 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:36,400 Speaker 1: he says. Um. And at that point he says, follow me, chum. Yeah, 413 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,679 Speaker 1: let's go meet the captain. And so they go to 414 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:43,600 Speaker 1: meet the captain, who is thrilled to meet Franks Captain 415 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 1: Glass and the officer hands Glass Frank's papers and then 416 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,400 Speaker 1: Glass looks him over and says, I'm glad to meet you. 417 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:55,680 Speaker 1: And then he says, look, your brother Joe told me 418 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 1: that you had some lighters and some boats and could 419 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:02,360 Speaker 1: you let me have some of those just to get 420 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:05,120 Speaker 1: some coal on the steamer. I'll pay you, and I'll 421 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: pay you. I'll pay you. And this guy Frank says, 422 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 1: you know what, you don't have to pay me. I'm 423 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: the only US citizen on the island and it's my 424 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:21,680 Speaker 1: duty to give all aid i can, because apparently we're 425 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 1: at a war. It's true, it's true, and you know, 426 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,119 Speaker 1: so that happens. He gives him. He says he can 427 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 1: use his boats. Frank goes back to his family. They 428 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,440 Speaker 1: have a nice meal. Um and at that point the 429 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,800 Speaker 1: letter is delivered to Frank's home from the governor, a 430 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 1: man by the name of Juan marina Um signed L 431 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:45,080 Speaker 1: Gobnador this letter and it says, translation is, if you 432 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:48,480 Speaker 1: offer any assistance to the American men of war, you 433 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 1: will be executed tomorrow morning at the beach. And you know, 434 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:59,000 Speaker 1: Frank's like, yeah, right, big words. So he reads the 435 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:02,240 Speaker 1: note and he's pretty much giggling at it. It's like, 436 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 1: but his wife, you know, she she she thinks it's 437 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:08,280 Speaker 1: a serious business. But Frank knows something that she does 438 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:12,800 Speaker 1: not know. Right, So he he said to his wife, 439 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 1: who is beside herself with fear and sorrow. He says, 440 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: don't worry, cheer up. If anything comes the worst, I'll 441 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 1: have ships to take care of you and the kids. 442 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:26,720 Speaker 1: And he shows the note to his brother and he said, look, 443 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:29,920 Speaker 1: I already promised Captain Glass the lighters. I'm gonna send 444 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: him anyway, and uh Jose said, hey, watch out man. 445 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:39,679 Speaker 1: Uh So, then he went to the Charleston again after lunch, 446 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:44,440 Speaker 1: he showed the letter to Captain Glass, and Captain Glass said, 447 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 1: I got you, I got you. Yeah, he said, look, 448 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:49,399 Speaker 1: I'm going to have the island delivered before daylight. What 449 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:51,920 Speaker 1: they mean when they say island delivered is it's going 450 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 1: to officially become something under the control of the United States. 451 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,560 Speaker 1: And the way that all went down, um, let's give 452 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:02,960 Speaker 1: you the quick and dirty. Um. He sent an envoy 453 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: up to meet with the governor, the man who very 454 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:09,960 Speaker 1: sinisterly threatened the life of our of our buddy Frank. 455 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: So as promised, Glass decides that he's he's ready to 456 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:15,919 Speaker 1: set this in motion. Um. So the next day, June one, 457 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: he sends an envoy a guy by the name of 458 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 1: Lieutenant William brown Strewn Brown Browner, Browner's writer. He also 459 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: says that he's not sure if he's spelling the name 460 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:28,400 Speaker 1: in the letter. That's right, Yeah, very true, And I'm 461 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:30,440 Speaker 1: not sure I'm I'm saying it right. But that's I'm gonna. 462 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna commit to that. And they send a letter 463 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 1: by way of the Governor's people to deliver to him saying, 464 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 1: come come on the ship, Come hang with us, let's 465 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,480 Speaker 1: chat on our turf on the ship, to which the 466 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,680 Speaker 1: governor very civilly, at least the language in his response 467 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 1: declines because he says it is against Spanish law to 468 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 1: board a foreign vessel. And at the at the same time, uh, 469 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 1: this is still the twenty three of June. At the 470 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: same time, Uh, Frank has probably my favorite conversation in 471 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,479 Speaker 1: this store. He goes back on board the Charleston and 472 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: he's talking to Captain Glass, and Glass says, hey, Frank, 473 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 1: you're the only US citizen on the island. We gotta go, 474 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:14,720 Speaker 1: so could you take care of the island. Yeah, because 475 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:18,200 Speaker 1: we're gonna have this stitched up real quick like, because 476 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 1: after the governor refused, he said, come hang with me 477 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: on the shore. Right. That's that's that's that's the best 478 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do. So, um, Brown's right there. No, it's Browner. 479 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 1: Browner's right there. I'm gonna say it like that. He 480 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: goes with it with a few buddies, and he meets 481 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 1: up with the governor and he lets him know that, hey, 482 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:40,840 Speaker 1: we've got a pretty formidable gun ship, you know, trained 483 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: on your island, and we're gonna give you thirty minutes 484 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:47,239 Speaker 1: to deliberate with your people, and if you, uh, you know, 485 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: do not surrender, we're going to shell you and take 486 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:57,239 Speaker 1: all you prisoner anyway, to which the governor replies, all right, 487 00:29:57,320 --> 00:29:59,040 Speaker 1: give me a minute, Give me a minute. He goes 488 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 1: and confers, returns with a sealed envelope. And what's in 489 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:05,480 Speaker 1: the sealed envelope. Well, the thing that's funny is he 490 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: hands it to Brown's right. Browner's right. I'm never gonna 491 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: get it right. It's fine, um, and it's addressed to glass. 492 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 1: But our boy Mr B opens it himself, to which 493 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 1: the Governor responds, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That's not for you, man, 494 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 1: that's not diplomacy. Slow your role, to which Mr B responds, 495 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 1: I represent him here. Back off. Yeah, And so long 496 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:37,719 Speaker 1: story short, maybe a little too late, but this far 497 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 1: story short the Spanish officials are taken into custody and 498 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 1: they go aboard the boat and they're bound for the Philippines. Yeah, 499 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:51,800 Speaker 1: it's all very civil too, because they're like, whoa man, 500 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:54,479 Speaker 1: I don't have him a toothbrush. I all got out 501 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: of the clothes on my back. And the Americans are like, yo, 502 00:30:57,800 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 1: it's cool. We'll let you write to your family, will 503 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 1: let them bring you a knapsack, you know, an overnight bag, 504 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: and you'll you'll be comfortable, You'll be taken care of 505 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 1: and uh, and all we need you to do is 506 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:11,160 Speaker 1: get all of your troops to line up and come 507 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:13,720 Speaker 1: aboard our ship to be our prisoners. And you know what, 508 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 1: That's exactly how it went down. Yeah. Not a not 509 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: a violent death at all, nary a drop of blood 510 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 1: was spilt, right, just an awkward uh salute that left 511 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 1: both both sides of the conflict feeling as lame as 512 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 1: you know, someone who had a high five that wasn't returned, 513 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 1: if that's ever happened to you, and you just hold 514 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 1: your hand up. But the story isn't over. It does 515 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 1: get a little bit fuzzy here because the Charleston and 516 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: cost set off for the Philippines, and General Glass says, hey, Frank, 517 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 1: you're in charge because you're literally the only U. S. 518 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 1: Citizen here, to which Frank says, tight, yeah, I'll make 519 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 1: it happen. And the problem is that he has not 520 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 1: given any written appointment from Commander Glass, and they're just 521 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 1: meant to be temporary, right, Like it's just sort of 522 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: like in the interim, it's like hold the spot. So 523 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:12,080 Speaker 1: this makes him the first American governor of the island. 524 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 1: But there's another character here, and it's not a it's 525 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 1: not in a cut and dried story. The man we 526 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, Jose six Though, the paymaster, the paymaster, it's 527 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: always I knew there was a twist. Yeah, the Paymaster 528 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: still has a lot of control, and he is with 529 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:35,120 Speaker 1: the former Spanish government. And now these two men are 530 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 1: in kind of an informal fight for power, and I 531 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 1: missed this part entirely. Go on. Well, So after Glass 532 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:49,120 Speaker 1: leaves and after Frank becomes the governor, six Though refuses 533 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 1: to surrender the island's treasury to Frank, and there are 534 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 1: no American sailors or marines. There's nothing supporting his claim 535 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 1: to power. Why wasn't he arrested along with all the 536 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 1: other officials. I guess he's just a just a nimble 537 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:06,880 Speaker 1: guy easily. But he he just said, I'm going to 538 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:10,200 Speaker 1: keep paying any Spanish bureaucrats, I'm gonna pay members of 539 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: the militia. And this consolidates his influence over the island. 540 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,480 Speaker 1: Sounds sticky, and he was bad with money. Because he 541 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 1: bankrupts the treasury, law and order starts to break down. 542 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:26,120 Speaker 1: The native residents of Guam and Filipinos that are living 543 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: on the island begin fighting their riots. And for his part, 544 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:32,960 Speaker 1: Frank is doing his best because he says, look, we 545 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 1: need to make some improvements on the island, specifically this 546 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 1: road that was just in piss poor shape. And six 547 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 1: though was like, wait, I control the money and do 548 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 1: shan't have a penny? Was he like the troll and 549 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:51,520 Speaker 1: guarded the bridge a little less? Yeah? Yeah, um, yes, 550 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:53,840 Speaker 1: this does. This sounds like a real a real ship show. 551 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 1: There we go. Hey, that's that's son of a Fish 552 00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:00,400 Speaker 1: and the ship show. We are building this vocabulary pretty 553 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,280 Speaker 1: well and the mythology. Um, but so like you know, 554 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 1: things happen, it gets it's it's obviously any time you 555 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:09,759 Speaker 1: occupy a territory, it's gonna be a little rough for 556 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:14,360 Speaker 1: a little while. But ultimately after UM the war ended 557 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:19,319 Speaker 1: with the Treaty of Paris that was signed UM. Guam 558 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: and the Philippines were purchased from Spain for a relatively 559 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:30,680 Speaker 1: paltry twenty million dollars UM, and these lands were finalized 560 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: as US territories when the U. S. Senate ratified the 561 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:38,880 Speaker 1: treaty in UM eighteen ninety nine February six to be precise. 562 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:43,520 Speaker 1: So this goes, This goes pretty quickly, right. It seems 563 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:49,960 Speaker 1: like from eighteen the Guam landing to the Treaty of Paris, 564 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:54,640 Speaker 1: we're only looking at a few years. But this had 565 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:58,360 Speaker 1: a massive effect on the US is Geoe political position 566 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:03,800 Speaker 1: and a pretty nasty effect on Spain because Spain began 567 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:07,080 Speaker 1: to focus inward and the US emerged from this war 568 00:35:07,719 --> 00:35:11,600 Speaker 1: as a maybe not a superpower, but a legitimate world 569 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: power with possessions half a world away and a new 570 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:20,720 Speaker 1: steak in international politics, like kind of like an empire 571 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 1: or something, yes, exactly, kind of like an empire. But 572 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:31,000 Speaker 1: luckily no one in Guam was injured in that takeover. 573 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:33,840 Speaker 1: That is cool because there is actually a conspiracy theory. 574 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:36,759 Speaker 1: Let's just drop this here at the end, that in fact, 575 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:39,440 Speaker 1: the US did not get involved in the Spanish American 576 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:43,560 Speaker 1: War for these humanitarian reasons we discussed earlier. Um, yeah, 577 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:47,439 Speaker 1: it was reasons of pure greed and to extend their 578 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 1: world domination outward. And you know they ultimately succeeded in that, 579 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:55,279 Speaker 1: at least in in a couple of small ways. Say 580 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,560 Speaker 1: it ain't so you know it's a theory. Yes, that 581 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 1: is one of several ariies. But you know what's not 582 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:04,960 Speaker 1: a theory, the idea that we hope you enjoyed this show. 583 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 1: That's a that's a clunky segue. No, no, man, you 584 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:10,840 Speaker 1: got from A to B and then's all a segue 585 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: needs to accomplish. And here we are at B being 586 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 1: the end of the show. Yeah, but I feel like 587 00:36:15,719 --> 00:36:21,880 Speaker 1: we would circuitously through G for guam. You are that's fire, 588 00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:25,959 Speaker 1: my friend. So thank you, as always so much for 589 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 1: checking out today's episode. We want to think, of course, 590 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:32,360 Speaker 1: super producer Casey Pegram, who is not to our knowledge, 591 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 1: ever invaded a Pacific nation. It's true now Casey is 592 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:40,719 Speaker 1: is a is a peaceful man and uh he's got 593 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 1: a peaceful plan. Yes, uh. And we'd also like to think, 594 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:49,000 Speaker 1: of course, Christopher Haciotis, Alex Williams, the Ridiculous History crew 595 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:54,920 Speaker 1: and you everybody, friends, neighbors, all of you countrymen. Let 596 00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:57,400 Speaker 1: me you've already lent them to us, and we for 597 00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:00,440 Speaker 1: that we will be forever grateful. Yes, And if you 598 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:04,160 Speaker 1: would like to continue adventuring with us throughout some of 599 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 1: the strangest silius and most ridiculous stories in human history, 600 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:12,279 Speaker 1: then join us on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. You can 601 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:17,600 Speaker 1: also find our community page, Ridiculous Historians if you if 602 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:22,040 Speaker 1: you're wondering why sometimes Nolan I have mentioned karaoke r 603 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:25,200 Speaker 1: opru lands. The answers you seek can be found there. 604 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:27,920 Speaker 1: And guess what, we finally made that Pinterest page we've 605 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:32,000 Speaker 1: been talking about all these years. That's not true, kidding, Okay, 606 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:34,200 Speaker 1: We're never never gonna do That's not gonna happen. I'm 607 00:37:34,239 --> 00:37:37,399 Speaker 1: not gonna never gonna do that ever. Um, But man, 608 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:39,879 Speaker 1: you guys, thanks for joining us, and we hope you'll 609 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:43,360 Speaker 1: join us for the next episode, wherein we talk about 610 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 1: how Vermont it was in fact a pretty radical place 611 00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:49,840 Speaker 1: back in the day. I don't mean radical like in 612 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 1: the skater parlance. I mean radicalism. They had some pretty 613 00:37:53,239 --> 00:37:57,160 Speaker 1: big ideas about liberty and uh, they in fact were 614 00:37:57,160 --> 00:38:02,720 Speaker 1: their own independent republic, knew and the story doesn't end there. 615 00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:04,880 Speaker 1: What the heck are we talking about? Tune in and 616 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:05,839 Speaker 1: find out See him