CRUISE VIGNETTES 19 , Enna G

THE ISLAND OF SAIPAN
The Island of Saipan, in the Marianas Islands was the next stop. We were supposed to be here for overnight and part of two days, but when we arrived, there was another ship in the only place we could dock, so we spent the rest of the day, and the first night a few hundred yards from shore.

Again we rented a car so we could see the Island in just the few hours we were to stay here, but when we returned to the ship they said there was a problem with the electrical system, and it would take a day or so to fix. So now we continued to sightsee each day, driving all around the island. And what an island. Saipan is not at all like the others we had visited in the past week or so. Well, maybe the part of the island outside the towns and villages looked like a South Seas Island, but there were 4 or 5 story buildings, stores, churches, hotels and other rather substantial buildings. Like Truk and Ponape, Saipan has a local government of some kind.

We remember hearing that “most” people are on welfare of some kind. Again, no farming to amount to anything, no factories that we saw, so tourism must be the main business. Thousands of Japanese come here for vacation. There was a barber-shop in town, and I did get a haircut.

JAPANESE SUICIDE CLIFF
At one place, at the edge of a high cliff, there are a lot of little signs and memorials put here by Japanese civilians in memorial to people who jumped to their death, rather than be captured by the Americans. We were told that families would line up here, and push each other off the cliff. My Brother Jesse, who was here as a Naval Officer on a destroyer during the invasion in WWII, said that US Navy ships would circle the island with loud speakers, telling the civilians that we would not harm them, but many jumped anyway.

At one place on the coast, called Bonzai Cliff, there is a high cliff where the waves really crashed against the stones. The sign says this is where thousands of Japanese military jumped to their death, rather than be captured. Well, enough of that!