Making Local Sense of a Global Disease: The 1918 Influenza Pandemic in Guam

Abstract

ABSTRACT At the end of October 1918, influenza arrived on Guam aboard a US Navy vessel. It struck quickly and dramatically, killing 5 per cent of the Island’s population in a six-week span. Indeed, more Chamorros died in those six weeks than in the entire previous year. Despite its severity, the 1918 Influenza Pandemic has been largely overlooked in Guam’s histories, as it has also been forgotten in much of the world. This essay provides a historical and historiographical look into the 1918 Influenza Pandemic on Guam, using the deaths of close family members and the transformation of the survivors’ lives as stories meriting greater reflection and remembrance.