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A Daughter’s WWII Pilgrimage to Saipan and Tinian

Between 1943 and 1945, Tracy Layton’s father landed on the beaches of Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa. Today, in 2025, she made an emotional pilgrimage to see what her father saw and to imagine how he must have felt.

Here’s Tracy’s review on Viator.com:

Apr 2, 2025
Tracy_L
The Tour of a Lifetime!
Viator review: Saipan & Tinian 2-DAY Tour
My two days with Walt were truly unforgettable. I wanted to re-trace the steps my dad had taken when he fought as a US Marine in WW2 on both Saipan and Tinian. I had high expectations and somehow, Walt exceeded on both days. He gave me the background of the island and the war, though I truly thought I was prepared. We went to every corner of the island and from the beaches to the top of Mt. Tapochau. Walt showed me the beauty of the islands, as well as the spots where the horrors of the battles took place 80 years ago occurred. It was moving and emotional for me. The opportunities Walt gave me to see local culture, climb to new heights, and drive places and fly new ways I never thought possible are so precious to me and I cannot possibly thank you enough Walt. The photos, videos and time log were just an unexpected bonus that I will always treasure. Walt’s knowledge of Saipan and Tinian is extensive and I feel like I have learned so much from him. I will always remember my two days touring with Walt. I wish I could give him a higher rating, but I encourage anyone considering a tour on Saipan or Tinian to book your time with Walt. You will be glad you did! Thank you again Walt. I am so grateful.

 

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Somewhere in Paradise…Episode 3!

 

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“Punch me in the stomach, now!!” Sid said. Tourist Stories From Saipan!

Here’s more from an airport interview with one of my tour clients who was in the entertainment industry for 40 years!

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Jay Leno Wanted What??? Celebrity Stories from a Saipan Tourist!

It’s always a treat meeting the folks who pass through Saipan as tourists! Meet Keith Schmitt! For 40 years, Keith was Facilities Manager of the Chautauqua Amphitheater in upstate New York–host to an annual series of concerts, lectures and performances by a wide range of artists. During that time he met, catered to, chatted with and got an insider’s peek into celebrity life behind the scenes…and he’s got stories! Enjoy this “premier” episode, and if this goes well (i.e., if we reach 1,500 subscribers), I’ll invite him back on this or my https://www.youtube.com/@waltfjgoodridge channel for more celebrity stories from Chautauqua!

 

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360° Fly-Around of Tinian’s North Field!

Join me and recent tour guests on a 360° Fly-Around of Tinian’s North Field which features historic WWII Runway Able from which the B-29 Bomber, Enola Gay, took off to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. See what it looks like 80 years later.

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Help! Do You Recognize the Statues from These 1944 Saipan Photos?

Are/were you ever living on Saipan? Do you recognize the two statues from these 1944 photos? Where are they now?
The Story: Eighty years ago, Manny Rosa–a member of the Construction Battalion (Seabees) who were stationed here after the Battle of Saipan–contributed his artistic and carpentry talents to restoring and repairing some of the religious statues here on island. Eighty years later, his grandson Jordan Rosa is making a pilgrimage and wishes to find these two statues his grandfather worked on. Are they in a family collection, buried/decomissioned by the church, off island in the mainland or other Pacific island, or are they in storage somewhere? If you have information on what happened to or the present location of either of these statues, please contact  walt@discoversaipan.com text (670) 484-2801 as soon as possible!
The artist
Manuel Francis Rosa. Often called ‘Manny’ or ‘Pete’. Chief Petty Officer 137th Battalion, 595th CBMUsmall statue:
The man on the left is Herb, who helped Manny restore this statue. Manny Rosa, on the right received national press for restoring religious statues while on Saipan during his spare time. This is the last statue prior to being restored.large statue:
CPO Rosa (left) and Herb restoring one of the statues.

 

A few bonus photos:

Garapan Pre-war
After the US Invasion
Seabees Camp on Saipan
Orphan Christmas dinner

Subscribe to be notified of the release of more amazing photos from Manny Rosa’s time on Saipan!

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Help me test the new Tinian Tour App!

GooglePlay requires that new apps be tested by real people (20 or more) before the apps can be approved for public release. So, I need your help! Once the test version of the app is released, I’ll ask you to
• Go to GooglePlay (I’ll provide a link)
• Download and install the Test Version of the app
• Keep it on your phone for at least 14 days

In return, you’ll receive
• Permanent access and unlimited upgrades to the free version
• The Premium Version (reg. $9.95) absolutely free!
• Any other freebie I can think of!

Sign up below:

Help Me Test the DiscoverTinian Tour App Before It's Released!

GooglePlay requires new apps to be tested by real people before it's approved for release. So, I need your help! Once the app is released, I'll ask you to Go to GooglePlay Download and install the Test Version of the app Keep it on your phone for at least 14 days and use it occasionally

THEN…in return, WHEN THE APP IS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED,
you will be able to: Upgrade to the final version and keep it forever; unlimited upgrades! Get the Premium Edition (reg. $9.95) FREE when it's released

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

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Two Historic Tinian Runways Opened After Decades!

While driving the historic runway “Delta” (as one does), formerly known as “Runway Dog,” we ran into Operations Superintendent Master Sergeant Branson (originally from Texas), who was gracious enough to answer a few impromptu questions about the Tinian Runway revitalization posed by my guests from New Zealand–while the Wall Street Journal reporters were doing their own interview. Check it out: “US Military Clears Historic Tinian Runways”

 

Also:
“Driving on Runway Charlie”

 

“Tinian Runway Update; Sept 6, 2024:

 

INFO ABOUT THE CONTRACTS RECENTLY AWARDED:

AIRFIELD PROJECT
Award: Pavement and Transportation Support North Field, Tinian
Value: $409 million
Location: Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Client: U.S. Air Force Installation Contracting Agency

https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2024/04/10/us-air-force-issues-409-million-award-for-long-sought-pacific-airfield/
https://newsroom.fluor.com/news-releases/news-details/2024/Fluor-Awarded-U.S.-Air-Force-Contract-Augmentation-Program-V-Task-Order-for-Tinian/default.aspx

ADDITIONAL AIRPORT PROJECT
Award: Tinian International Airport project
Value: $222 million
Location: Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Client: Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific
https://www.constructiondive.com/news/tutor-perini-subsidiary-wins-222m-airport-project/648982/

 

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In His Father’s Footsteps

Alan Sonntag’s father participated in the Battle of Saipan. His wife Peggy’s father stormed Utah Beach (Normandy, France) on D-Day. The couple recently visited Saipan on a pilgrimage to have a virtual “Then & Now Father & Child Reunion” with Alan’s father. I had the honor and pleasure of making that wish come true. Read the interview here:

(14 photos are in the slide; click the arrows to view)
https://www.mvariety.com/news/local/in-his-fathers-footsteps-a-battle-of-saipan-veterans-son-pilgrimage/article_332556f0-e1ca-11ee-891c-03f2940e3c00.html

Watch it here:

 

 

As promised in the video, here are the photos Alan Sonntag brought with him to Saipan (Leave a comment telling Alan where a given photograph was taken):

1 below(this looks to be the Grotto) 2 below 3 below 4 below 5 below 6 below 7 below 8 below 9 below 10 below 11 below 12 below 13 below 14 below 15 below 16 below 17 below 18 below 19 below 20 below 21 below 22 below 23 below 24 below 25 below 26 below 27 below 28 below 29 below 30 below 31 below 32 below 33 below 34 below 35 below 36 below 37 below 38 below 39 below 40 below 41 below 42 below 43 below

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Wunderschön! Germany Discovers Saipan…Again!

In case you didn’t know, the empire of Germany actually had possession of these islands for 15 years from 1899 to 1914, and there is still some of that influence (names, language, etc.) within the local community. Well, “the Germans” have returned! A fun-loving, cool group of folks visiting on the cruise ship MS Artania from out of Hamburg! Join me on a wunderschön (beautiful) day on Saipan:

And, they made it into one of the local papers the next day!

Check out the color photos on the Marianas Variety website!