LocalTuesday, May 26, 2009
By Haidee V. Eugenio, Reporter
He was only 14 or 15 years old when he first visited Saipan. His father, a veteran of the Battle of Saipan in 1944, wanted to show him the place where he spent time on during World War II.
That spot is on Mount Tapochao, the island's highest peak at 1,545 feet, offering an amazing 360-degree view of Saipan, as well as Tinian.
“I never had the chance to come back [to Saipan] until I was assigned to Guam [in 2007],” Rear Admiral William “Bill” D. French, the outgoing commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Marianas, told Saipan Tribune yesterday.
Photo: Rear Admiral William French, left, commander of the U.S. Navy Region Marianas, shakes hands with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial after the laying of a wreath during yesterday's Memorial Day ceremony at the CNMI Veterans Cemetery in Marpi.Now 51, French said Saipan will always have a special place in his heart, not only because of his father's memory but the warmth of the people he has met since coming back here for the first time in November 2007 for a Veterans' Day ceremony.
French will be leaving the Marianas in July, to serve as the new commander of the Navy Region Southwest in San Diego, California. He will be replaced by Rear Admiral Douglass Biesel.
“When I came back early on, I had a chance to show the governor some of the pictures that my father took back in 1944,” said French, a towering height among those who took part in yesterday's Memorial Day ceremony at the CNMI Veterans Cemetery in Marpi yesterday.
One of those precious photos was taken from a high spot to cover the Saipan airport and Tinian.
“The governor looked at it and says, 'Oh I know exactly where that picture was taken from. It's taken from Mount Tapochao.' So we went up there and I was able to go find the same spot that my father stood to take a very similar picture over 60 years later,” he said.
His father, the late Russell French, was with the U.S. Army Air Corps. The older French passed away in 1995.
Since coming back to the region in 2007 as an adult, French said he has brought his children here.
“What a unique place, great people, good culture. They make you feel part of their home, part of their community. Unfortunately, we are going to leave in July. We are going to miss the time we had in Micronesia, and the time here in the CNMI,” he said.
French was also here during last year's Fourth of July parade.
Yesterday, French was the keynote speaker at the Memorial Day ceremony in Marpi.
“In the Pacific theater, and especially here on Saipan, we are fortunate to live in a place where appreciation for military heritage and respect for our veterans is deeply ingrained throughout the community,” he said.
In an interview later on, French reiterated how special Saipan or the Marianas is not only for its military history but its present community.
He said Tinian still plays a key part in the U.S. military's training in this part of the region.
As he leaves his post in the Marianas, French said his tenure's achievement includes the relationship developed by the U.S. Navy with the leaders of the CNMI and Guam.
“Saipan and Guam are working toward some common objectives, whereby we can determine how to best leverage the buildup in support of Marine relocation from Okinawa to Guam in a way in which everyone can benefit.Job opportunities, revenue, both direct and indirect, a lot of good things that I think we set the groundwork for and now it's a matter of executing those,” he said.
A 2006 agreement between the United States and Japan calls for the relocation of 8,000 U.S. Marines from bases in Japan to Guam by 2014. Construction related to the buildup has begun.
When asked whether he's disappointed that he's leaving the Marianas right when the military buildup is underway, French said: “That's a great question. Many people have asked me that. You know, we all get a chance to make a contribution and I feel I was part of the team who made a contribution that kind of got things rolling. I think things are in a place now where another team can do the same but a couple new players to move things forward.”
French was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Program in May 1979.
In his 30 years in service, French received the Defense Superior Service Medal award, three awards of the Legion Merit, three Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.
Currently, he is also the commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Marianas and the U.S. Defense Representative to Guam, the CNMI, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia.
French said it's the people that he will miss most about Saipan.
Besides Mount Tapochao where he could look over Saipan, he also enjoys visiting the northern part of the island-from Banzai Cliff to Suicide Cliff.
“This island has done a good job in preserving it so it's really set aside for visitors and people to appreciate history,” he said.
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