Blaz, Ben, 1928-2014

BLAZ, Ben Garrido, a Delegate from Guam; born in Agana, Guam, February 14, 1928; lived on the island during the 3 years of Japanese occupation during World War II; graduated from the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind., 1951; M.A., George Washington University, Washington, D.C., 1963; graduated from the Naval War College, Newport, R.I., 1971; commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 1951, awarded the Legion of Merit, Bronze Medal with Combat "V'', Navy Commendation Medal, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and retired with the rank of brigadier general in 1980; professor, University of Guam 1983-1984; elected as a Republican to the Ninety-ninth and to the three succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1985-January 3, 1993); unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the One Hundred Third Congress in 1992; died on January 8, 2014, in Fairfax, Va.; interment at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.

<p>Vicente Tomás Garrido Blaz (February 14, 1928 – January 8, 2014), also known as Ben Blaz, was a Chamorro United States Marine Corps Brigadier General from the United States territory of Guam. Blaz served in the Marine Corps from 1951 until July 1, 1980. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Reserve Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C..</p>

<p>Blaz was elected the delegate to Congress from Guam in 1984 as a Republican. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1985 until 1993.</p>

<p>Vicente Tomás Garrido Blaz was born on February 14, 1928 in Agana, Guam with his father Vicente "Dero" Cruz Blaz and his mother Rita Pangelinan Garrido. Some sources state that he "is from" Sumay. His siblings are Rosario Blaz Cruz, Maria Blaz, Emilia Blaz Rios, Alfred Gregorio G. Blaz, Joaquin G. Blaz, Patricia Blaz Borja and Frank G. Blaz. He was living on the island during the three years of Japanese occupation during World War II. During the occupation he was forced to work in labor battalions building aviation fields and planting rice.</p>

<p>In 1985 Ben Garrido Blaz became just the second Delegate to represent the western Pacific island of Guam in Congress. A decorated military veteran who became a politician later in life, Blaz focused on issues of local importance to the island territory. Acutely affected by the Japanese invasion of Guam during World War II, Blaz used his national position to bring attention to the sacrifices and hardships of the era, including his own imprisonment. During his four terms in the House, Blaz led the charge for commonwealth status for his native land. “We in Guam have embarked on a voyage of political self-determination—a desire on our part for greater local autonomy and an equal place in the American political family.”</p>

<p>Vicente Tomas (Ben) Garrido Blaz was born February 14, 1928, in Agana, the capital of Guam. Thirteen years old when the Japanese invaded Guam during World War II, Blaz worked in labor camps, building aviation fields, planting rice, and digging trenches until American forces retook the island in 1944. After the war ended in 1945, Blaz returned to school. In 1947 he left Guam after earning an academic scholarship to the University of Notre Dame, where he majored in physics and chemistry and earned a BS in 1951. While in school, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve at the onset of the Korean War. After graduating from Notre Dame, he was commissioned a second lieutenant. Blaz served two overseas tours in Japan and one in Vietnam. In 1963 he earned an MA in management from The George Washington University, and in 1971 he graduated from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Blaz rose to the rank of brigadier general in 1977, becoming the highest-ranking Guamanian to serve in the U.S. military. That same year, he headed the Marine information division that was tasked with improving public relations in the post–Vietnam War era. Blaz’s military honors included the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Medal with Combat “V,” the Navy Commendation Medal, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry. Blaz married Ann Evers, a teacher, and the couple had two sons, Mike and Tom. After retiring from the military in 1981, Blaz returned to his native island, where he taught at the University of Guam. He received an honorary LLD from the University of Guam in 1974.</p>

<p>On August 1, 1950, President Harry S. Truman signed the Organic Act of Guam, granting U.S. citizenship and limited self-government to the inhabitants of Guam. In 1972 the House of Representatives granted congressional representation to Guam and the Virgin Islands. Territorial Delegates were permitted to serve on and vote in committee, but they could not vote on the House Floor. In the 93rd Congress (1973–1975), Democrat Antonio Borja Won Pat became the first Delegate to represent Guam in the U.S. House of Representatives. Despite Won Pat’s popularity and his impressive political résumé, which included service as speaker of the Guam assembly, Blaz challenged the longtime Delegate in 1982. “One reason I decided to run,” Blaz revealed, “is that I did not get the sense that bureaucrats understand and appreciate Guam’s uniqueness.… We’re 100,000 American citizens who deserve a rightful spot in the American family.” Blaz attempted to offset his opponent’s experience by emphasizing the need for a new, more aggressive strategy to represent Guam—especially with regard to the island’s political status. Although his first run for Congress was not successful, Blaz earned an impressive 48 percent of the vote against Won Pat.</p>