180917-M-ON629-1062

U.S. Marines and sailors with Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12, pick up trash during Exercise Valiant Shield 18 at Agat beach, Guam, Sep. 17, 2018. Valiant Shield is a biennial, U.S. only, field training exercise (FTX) with a focus on integration of joint training among U.S. forces in relation to current operational plans. This training enables real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces through detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land, and in cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas.

Marine Aircraft Group 12 cleans Agat beach where Marines landed 74 years ago

Published Sept. 20, 2018
By Lance Cpl. Seth Rosenberg
1st Marine Aircraft Wing

-- U.S. Marines and Sailors with Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12 cleaned up Agat beach during exercise Valiant Shield 18 September 17.
Volunteers were informed of Marines with the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade landing at Agat beach on July 21, 1944 as part of the liberation of Guam during World War II. Local residents described the aftermath of the battle:
“So pretty a sight had Guam always been,” said Pascual Artero, a local businessman and resident of Guam. “Now it was all burned. It had neither a tree nor a coconut with leaves. All now was burned or destroyed by bullets and bombs.”
Mag-12 Marines cleaned the beach, picking up trash and debris from tropical storm Mangkhut, while learning of their brothers and sisters in arms who fought for that land all those years ago.
“We are just glad to be able to help the community,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Aaron Brown, a Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear defense specialist with MAG-12. “It was interesting to stand where Marines were fighting so many years ago and be able to help with the storm recovery.”

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180917-M-ON629-1062