ANTONIO Pangelinan still vividly remembers how four members of Boy Scout Troop 902 drowned after they were hit by a big wave on Forbidden Island half a century ago.
He was one of the survivors of the tragic accident that happened on Feb. 18, 1973.
On Wednesday, May 3, 2023, the Saipan Mayor’s Office unveiled the newly renovated Boy Scout Troop Memorial in San Antonio to honor Francisco Santos, 17; Antonio Villanueva, 14; Norbert Pangelinan, 13; and Joakin Cabrera, 15.
“I remember all the details of the accident like it just happened yesterday,” Antonio Pangelinan said in an interview. “I can still see how the waves engulfed my cousin and friends. They were very young.”
Traumatized by the incident, he moved to the U.S. mainland.
It was Saipan Mayor Ramon “RB” Camacho who initiated the renovation of the memorial last month with the assistance of Hawaiian Rock and Unity Trade which provided the materials needed for the project.
“I am grateful [to] the mayor for renovating this memorial,” Antonio Pangelinan said. “It reminds us of what happened to the boys and it serves as an eye opener to other families.”
He noted that the community is currently grieving the loss of Bradley Jay Delos Santos, 14, who was swept out of the open water after he was hit by a big wave at Marine Beach in Kagman on Saturday.
“I’m sure that the [boy’s] family is also devastated,” Antonio Pangelinan said.
Ruth Pangelinan said she and her family will always remember her brother, Norbert Pangelinan.
“We haven’t,” she said when asked if they have “moved on.”
She said they still become emotional whenever they talk about Norbert.
She is grateful to Mayor RB, Hawaiian Rock and Unity Trade for renovating the memorial.
“Our grandchildren can visit this place and remember my brother,” she said.
Maria Ana Santos Oliver, the sister of Francisco Santos, is also grateful for the renovation of the memorial.
“I would like to extend my deepest thanks to the mayor and all the businesses who helped. I am thankful to everything that has been done,” she said in an interview.
In his remarks, Mayor RB thanked Hawaiian Rock and Unity Trade for their support.
He said weeks ago, he went to San Antonio Church to attend Mass but arrived early so he decided to remain outside. That’s when he saw the memorial.
“I asked my staff, what is this? They told me it’s a memorial,” he said.
Saddened by the condition of the dilapidated memorial, he decided to “fix it.”
After reaching out to businesses on island, he received responses from Hawaiian Rock and Unity Trade.
At the newly renovated memorial in San Antonio on May 3, Saipan Mayor Ramon “RB” Camacho, his staff, lawmakers and community members pose for a photo with the family members of the four boy scouts who died on Forbidden Island in Feb. 1973.
