Marine Corps activates Camp Blaz in Dededo, first new Marine Corps base since 1952

Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz was officially activated Thursday, according to an announcement from the military.

The activation is an administrative step that officially marks the initial operational capability of the base. This will be the first new Marine Corps base activated since March 1, 1952.

The Marine Corps plans to hold an activation ceremony for its newest base in the spring of 2021.

The base will be home to approximately 5,000 Marines from III Marine Expeditionary Force, who will begin relocating from Okinawa, Japan, in the first half of the 2020s, the military stated.

“As the Marine Corps presence on Guam grows, I am confident that we will live up to our motto of honor, courage, and commitment. We will honor the history of the island of Guam, we will have the courage to defend it, and we will remain committed to preserving its cultural and environmental resources,” said Col. Bradley M. Magrath, the first base commander of Camp Blaz.

CHamoru Marine

Camp Blaz is named in honor of the late Brig. Gen. Vicente “Ben” Tomas Garrido Blaz, the first CHamoru Marine to attain the rank of general.

Following his 29-year Marine Corps career, Blaz went on to serve as Guam’s delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives for four consecutive terms.

More:  $36M contract for Marine Corps Base gates awarded to Pacific Rim Constructors Inc.

Born on Guam on Feb. 14, 1928, Blaz was 13 years old when the island was attacked by Japanese forces on Dec. 8, 1941. He remained on Guam throughout the Japanese occupation until Liberation in July 1944.

In 1947, Blaz was awarded a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame and was commissioned in the Marine Corps in 1951. During his service including a combat tour in Vietnam, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with Combat “V” for valor, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

After his Marine Corps career, Blaz was elected to represent Guam in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1984 through 1992. Blaz died Jan. 8, 2014. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

This article originally appeared on Pacific Daily News: Marine Corps activates Camp Blaz in Dededo, first new Marine Corps base since 1952