Guam - Bud's Big Blue

Guam Guard Mail Stamp

Bud's Big Blue
Bud's Observations

When I look at Guam stamps I get an earworm; sticky music, some people call it, or Involuntary Musical Imagery (INMI). I always hear Tevye’s Yiddish lament “If I were a rich man” from Fiddler on the Roof (in Zero Mostel’s voice). Can’t help it. Can’t get rid of it.

Worse, since I, too, am not a rich man, I never buy the Guam stamps I’d like to have. What might those be?

·        All 14 of the Guam overprints issued by the US Navy (1899), complete with the ultra-rare #9 (a type II) and the elusive #13 (also type II).

·        A cover with #e1, preferably a Guam-local special delivery.

·        Original and authentic Guam Guard Mail stamps, like the one shown above which is currently on eBay offer, with date and place visible cancels.

·        All of the Philippine stamps overprinted “Guam Guard Mail,” not just the low CV examples shown on my scan.

·        Several pre-1898 Guam covers franked with Philippine stamps: King Alfonso XII (1876-1882), the Spanish coat of arms (1881–1889) and the brattish Alfonso XIII (post 1890).

·        Airmail covers with Guam transit markings from the 1930s, Pan-American first flights, etc.

·        Lots of town and village cancels from places like Piti and Marizo. Inarajan, too. The scan shows three cancels but, sadly, I can’t decipher any of them.

·        Freaks and errors for the 2007 Hagåtña Bay USA airmail stamp. (There must be some).

If I were a rich man,

Daidle daidle deedle daidle duam

On eBay I'd biddy-biddy-Guam.

If I were a wealthy man… .

Lord who made the lion and the lamb,

You decreed I should be what I am,

Would it spoil some vast, eternal plan

If I had a few more Guam?

Census: five in BB spaces, three tip-ins.

Jim's Observations
The 1898 Spanish-American War resulted when the United States, after the unexplained sinking of the American battleship "Maine" in Havana Harbor, demanded that Spain immediately surrender control of Cuba, and Spain refused.

The result of the war was that Spain lost sovereignty over Cuba, and ceded the Philippine islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam to the United States for $20 million dollars.

The capture of Guam during the war is almost comical.

On June 20, 1898, Captain Henry Glass, with the armored cruiser USS Charleston, entered Apra Harbor. The Cruiser then fired a few cannon rounds at Fort Santa Cruz but nothing happened.

Two local officials, believing the cannon fire was a salute, and unaware that war had been declared, came out to the Charleston to apologize for not being able to return the salute.

Captain Glass informed them that Spain and the U.S. were at war.

The next day, the surrender of the island was arranged with the Spanish Governor, and the 54 Spanish infantrymen were sent to the Philippines as prisoners of war.

No U.S. military were left on the island. The only U.S. citizen on the island promised to keep an eye on things until the U.S. forces returned.

Guam Post and BB Checklist

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Comments appreciated!