Yap’s World War II historical sites get a facelift

(Photo courtesy of Yap Visitors Bureau)

(December 3, 2024—Yap Visitors Bureau, Yap, FSM): As part of its commitment to historical preservation and cultural exchange, the Yap Visitors Bureau (YVB) recently collaborated with the Japanese Navy and US Navy SeaBees on a significant cleanup and restoration initiative at key World War II heritage sites. This initiative started back in July when the Seabees based in Yap gave the sites around Colonia and at the old airstrip a major facelift.

In mid-October efforts continued with the Japanese Navy team focusing on maintenance work at two Japanese soldier gravesites and an anti-aircraft gun site. Along with volunteers from YVB the Japanese Navy personnel cleared debris, managed overgrown vegetation, and carefully restored the areas to maintain their solemn dignity, and enhancing the sites’ accessibility.

(Photo courtesy of Yap Visitors Bureau)

On October 14 in a joint effort between the US Seabees, Japanese Navy and YVB, attention shifted to the WWII-era Dalaap lighthouse ruin, a site of significant historical importance. The crew cleared dense trees and brush surrounding the site and improved the access trail, ensuring a safer and more inviting visitor experience.

Strategically located between the Philippines and Guam, Japanese-occupied Yap was targeted almost daily by American aircraft from June of 1944 to August of 1945. This has resulted in several historical sites and wreckages on land and in the water that offer visitors a profound glimpse into the island’s wartime past. Numerous historical marker signs dot the island where you can see plane wreckages, gun batteries, bunkers, tunnels and memorials to fallen soldiers. Today you can visit a number of American memorial sites and Japanese wreckage sites, which all have historical markers and interpretative signage.

More information on these sites including a map of their locations and photos can be found on the WWII Sites page of visityap.com.

ABOUT YAP: Yap is an island in the Federated States of Micronesia in the Pacific Ocean that is ringed by spectacular coral reefs and famous for its scuba diving with giant manta rays, sharks and mandarin fish. Other key activities on the island include kayaking, hiking, deep-sea fishing and exploring the many World War II historical sites. Yap is also uniquely famous for its stone money (huge disks of stone, which are still used today in major transactions), strong traditional culture and way of life, and welcoming residents. A short flight away from Guam or Palau, this Pacific gem is one of the tourism industry’s best kept secrets. For more information: www.visityap.com