SEVEN books about the famous aviator who disappeared in 1937 were donated by the Amelia Earhart Memorial Monument Inc. to the Historic Preservation Office last week.
“These books are of interest to HPO,” Historic Preservation Officer Rita Chong said, noting that two of the volumes were written or co-written by local writer Marie Castro.
These are the titles of the donated books:
• “The Truth at Last” by Mike Campbell
• “The Search for Amelia Earhart” by Fred Goerner
• “Amelia Earhart: The Final Story” by Vincent Loomis with Jeffrey Ethell
• “Eyewitness: The Amelia Earhart Incident” by Thomas E. Divine with Richard M. Daley
• “Daughter of the Sky: The Story of Amelia Earhart” by Paul L. Briand Jr.
• “Without a Penny in My Pocket: My Bittersweet Memories Before and After WWII” by Marie S. Castro
• “My Life and Amelia Earhart’s Saipan Legacy” by Marie S. Castro with Mike Campbell
Local author Marie Castro, who is also the president of the Amelia Earhart Memorial Monument Inc., said, “Some of these books could be out of print already, but they are valuable works of history that HPO can use as reference materials.”
She added, “Some of these books, are documentations of oral history as told by our local people. These documented oral histories from our own people are now available at HPO for the generations to come.”
Castro believes that there is “undeniable evidence that Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan were on Saipan. Earhart’s plane was seen in a Japanese hangar at the As Lito airfield on Saipan and a Marine, Robert E. Wallack, discovered Earhart’s briefcase in a blown safe on Saipan shortly after the island was declared secure on July 9, 1944.”
Castro pointed out, “Three high-ranking military officials — Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift, Gen. Graves B. Erskine and Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, the Pacific commander-in-chief during WWII and the last of the Navy’s 5-star admirals — came to the same conclusion that Amelia Earhart had been on Saipan.”
“So we have the responsibility to keep and honor this part of our history, as recorded in these books,” Castro said.
Local author Marie Castro, 2nd left, with Sen. Edith Deleon Guerrero, Rep. Leila Staffler, Historic Preservation Officer Rita Chong and Rep. Denita Yangetmai.
Contributed photo
Local author Marie Castro, right foreground, and other members of the Amelia Earhart Memorial Monument Inc. at the Historic Preservation Office.
Contributed photo
