Camp Life During Operation New Life

For many of us, home can be described as the warmth of our rooms, our family’s houses, or the comfort of knowing we may have access to a place that is secure and safe. Under the guidance of Operation New Life, home for Vietnamese refugees became an entirely new notion—through U.S. militarized camps like “Tent City” at Orote Point, Camp Asan at Asan Beach, and “Tin City” at Andersen Air Force Base. Despite this monumental shift, these camps in Guam developed into a space that became a safe haven for Vietnamese refugees. Vietnamese refugees made the most of their difficult situation in these temporary homes, rebuilding their lives in the wake of war and forced displacement.
Map by Kate Solanzo. Source: Operation New Life After Action Report.
President Ford assigned Admiral George Steve Morrison, the Commander-in-Chief Pacific Representative of Guam and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and Commander of US Naval Forces Marianas (COMNAVMAR), to serve as the Commander of Operation New Life.   Under his direction, the US military set up three main camps to host the refugees: “Tent City” at Orote Point (an overgrown World War II airstrip, which at its peak housed 39,331 refugees), Camp Asan at Asan Beach (former hospital barracks used during the Vietnam War and the site of Filipino insurrectionists’ incarceration during the Philippine-American War), and “Tin City” at Andersen Air Force Base (a group of corrugated metal buildings).   Six smaller camps were established at the Naval Air Station, the Naval Communications Station in Barrigada, the Bachelors’ Civilian Quarters in Apra Heights, the Naval Station gym, the Seabee Masdelco Sports Arena, and MINRON near Polaris Point.  Private companies such as J & G Enterprises, Black Construction Co., Hawaiian Dredging Co., and the (recently closed) Tokyu Hotel also housed hundreds of refugees during the operation’s height.   During the peak months of May and June, when more space was needed, over 15,0000 refugees were diverted to Wake Island, another unincorporated US territory in the Pacific.  
“Tent City” at Orote Point, Guam, 1975​ 
Aerial view of “Tent City” at Orote Point, Guam, 1975​ 
During Operation New Life, the US military utilized Guam’s public school buses to transport Vietnamese refugees between the different camps.  These letters document Admiral Morrison’s request for buses and Governor Bordallo’s directive to fulfill the request.  
Documents from the collection of the Richard F. Taitano Micronesian Area Research Center.​
Guam school bus used during Operation New Life.   
Black and white photograph of three men loading Operation New Life boxes into a Guam school bus
Photo from the collection of the Richard F. Taitano Micronesian Area Research Center.​
George Washington High School’s Banana Leaf publication documented local students’ interactions with the Vietnamese refugees during Operation New Life.  These pages feature a story by Edith Iriate detailing her experiences while attending a concert for refugees at Orote Point’s Tent City.
Picture
Newspaper pages courtesy of George Washington High School.