The wreath has a short biography of Villagomez and his picture.
The park honors war veterans, Park Ranger Susan Fishman-Tudor said yesterday.
The wreath will remain in the lobby until the day of Villagomez’s interment, she said.
Fishman-Tudor said Villagomez was one of the over 50 Marine Scouts drafted by the U.S. Marines in 1945.
Most of these Chamorros and Carolinians worked with the Japanese in building tunnels and they were drafted by the U.S. because they were familiar with Japanese locations on island, she said.
Their stories are recounted in the 2001 book, “Now For Then: The Marianas Marine Scouts.”
It was former Gov. Juan Babauta, then the CNMI’s representative to the Washington, who published the book.
A pioneering entrepreneur of the local community, Villagomez, 87, passed away early Friday morning at his residence in Fina Sisu.
