Guam’s 2026 annual Veterans Day observance honored generations of military service while highlighting the ongoing need for accessible health care and support for the island’s veterans.
The ceremony was held Wednesday at Gov. Joseph Flores Memorial Park at Ypao Beach. The observance brought together government officials, military leaders, veterans, and community members to recognize those who served in the U.S. armed forces and the families who supported them.
Keynote speaker Major General Esther J.C. Aguigui (Ret.), Guam’s Homeland Security Advisor, connected the island’s military contributions to its history, particularly the experiences of CHamoru families during the Japanese occupation in World War II.
Aguigui said Guam has more than 20,000 veterans, many of whom continue to face challenges accessing health care and Department of Veterans Affairs services. She noted that some veterans must wait for speciality care or travel to Hawaii for treatment unavailable on Guam.
“An island that gives the most has too often received the least,” Aguigui said.
She also called attention to women veterans who may not identify themselves as veterans or claim the benefits they earned through their service. Aguigui encouraged women who served in the military to recognize themselves as veterans and seek the care and services available to them.
“Since 1948, when women were first allowed to serve as permanent members of our armed forces, the daughters of Guam have answered the same call as our sons,” Aguigui said.
Aguigui outlines several efforts by the Leon Guerrero-Tenorio administration to improve veterans’ services, including advocating for a VA regional office on Guam, incorporating a veterans clinic into the planned Guam Medical Complex, and relocating the Office of Veterans Affairs to a new facility in Hagåtña.
She also highlighted efforts to digitize veterans’ records, train volunteer veterans services officers, and improve the Guam Veterans Cemetery in Piti. Those improvements include repairs to existing crypts and plans to add approximately 1,480 graves through a grant from the National Cemetery Administration.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero also addressed the gathering, recognizing the sacrifices made by veterans and their families. She connected Guam’s history of protecting its homeland to generations of residents who have served in the military and emphasized that honoring veterans should extend beyond the annual observance.
With approximately seven and a half weeks remaining in her administration, Leon Guerrero said her administration had worked to provide veterans with services they deserve and acknowledged the incoming administration for the Office of the Governor of Guam.
“I would like to recognize the Governor-elect Tony Ada and Lieutenant Governor-elect EJ Calvo, and I am very confident that I am leaving them in their hands a good administration that serves the people of Guam and our veterans,” Leon Guerrero said. “I am very confident that their leadership and their administration will continue that service moving forward.”
The ceremony also included a moment of silence for service members who died in service and veterans who have since passed away, as well as recognition of the 2026 Veterans of the Year for their accomplishments and leadership within their respective military organizations.
