Gordon Marciano
THIRTY-SEVEN Okinawans, including a member of the Prefecture Okinawa Assembly, Teruya Moriyuki, and his secretary, Shirado Reiko, will hold a memorial service for those who lost their lives during World War II on Tinian and Saipan.
On June 1, the group will hold a memorial ceremony at the Okinawa Tower shrine on Tinian.
On June 2, the group will be in Marpi, Saipan to conduct a memorial service at the Okinawa tower shrine.
Pacific Development Inc. Managing Director Gordon Marciano said the group arrived early Thursday morning and will return to Okinawa on the morning of June 3.
On Friday, he said PDI and CNMI government officials will host a dinner for the group at the Carolinian Affairs Office pavilion in Garapan.
Marciano expressed his appreciation to Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang for supporting PDI’s endeavors.
Last year, Marciano said Okinawa International Travel Agency and PDI paved the way for offering tours to Okinawans interested in traveling to the CNMI.
“After Covid, we understood that most members of the Micronesian Repatriation Association of Okinawa would not be able to travel due to their health and age, which led to an exchange of ideas of how other Okinawans could continue to visit the CNMI,” Marciano said.
He noted that this year also marks the 80th anniversary of the battles of Saipan and Tinian.
