George McMillin
Encyclopedia
George Johnson McMillin was a United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 Rear Admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...

 who served as the 38th and final Naval Governor of Guam. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

 in 1911 and served as an officer during four separate conflicts: World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the occupation of the Dominican Republic, the United States occupation of Veracruz, and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. He served on the staff of both the Naval Academy and the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...

 as well. He is most remembered as the commander who surrendered Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

anian forces to a much larger Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese force during the First Battle of Guam, only the second battle of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 involving the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. He had previously evacuated all but one civilian American citizen from the island and attempted to rebuild defenses after a strong typhoon devastated the island the year before. On December 8, 1941, Japanese forces invaded Guam and McMillin surrendered two days later. He spent the rest of the war at various Japanese prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

 camps.

Life

McMillin was born in Ohio on November 25, 1889 to Chas and Addie McMillin. He lived in Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

 and had two brothers. He was left-handed. His wife Annabel sponsored and christened the USS Guam
USS Guam (CB-2)
USS Guam was an Alaska class large cruiser which served with the United States Navy during the end of World War II. She was the second and last ship of her class to be completed....

 in 1944.

Naval service

He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

 in 1907, graduating in 1911. He transferred to the USS Delaware
USS Delaware (BB-28)
USS Delaware of the United States Navy was a battleship launched in 1909 and scrapped in 1924, the lead ship of the Delaware class. She was part of the U.S...

 as an ensign the year of his graduation. From March 1919 to October of the same year, he served aboard the USS New Mexico
USS New Mexico (BB-40)
USS New Mexico was a battleship in service with the United States Navy from 1918 to 1946. She was the lead ship of a class of three battleships. New Mexico was extensively modernized between 1931 and 1933 and saw service during World War II both in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. After her...

 as an assistant engineer officer. Following this assignment, he headed the Electrical School at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...

. From August 1924 to September 1926 he served within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...

. Afterward, he became first lieutenant of the USS Saratoga
USS Saratoga (CV-3)
USS Saratoga was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the fifth ship to bear her name. She was commissioned one month earlier than her sister and class leader, , which is the third actually commissioned after and Saratoga...

 for three years.

In the May 1930 to May 1933, he served as assistant to the Commandant of Midshipmen
Commandant of Midshipmen
The Commandant of Midshipmen is the second-in-command at the United States Naval Academy. According to the Naval Academy, the Commandant of Midshipmen is "responsible for the professional development and day-to-day activities of all 4,000 Midshipmen in the Brigade" and equates to a dean of students...

 at the Naval Academy while a commander. In 1933, he was attached to the United States Asiatic Fleet
United States Asiatic Fleet
The United States Asiatic Fleet was part of the U.S. Navy. Preceding the World War II era, until 1942, the fleet protected the Philippines.Originally the Asiatic Squadron, it was upgraded to fleet status in 1902. In 1907, the fleet became the First Squadron of the Pacific Fleet. However, on 28...

. He attended the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...

 in 1936 and served on staff there for two years following his graduation. From May 1938 to April 1939, he was executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...

 aboard the USS Idaho
USS Idaho (BB-42)
USS Idaho , a , was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 43rd state. Her keel was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey...

. Immediately prior to his appointment as governor, McMillin commanded the USS Medusa
USS Medusa (AR-1)
USS Medusa was the United States Navy's first purpose-built repair ship. She served in the U.S. Navy from 1924 to 1946.-Technical characteristics:...

. He retired from the Navy as a rear admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...

 in June 1949. He served afloat during four conflicts: World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the occupation of the Dominican Republic, the United States occupation of Veracruz, and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Battle of Guam

While commandant of Naval Station Guam and governor of the island, McMillin surrendered to the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese in the First Battle of Guam
Battle of Guam (1941)
The First Battle of Guam, was an engagement during the Pacific War in World War II, and took place on 8 December 1941 on Guam in the Mariana Islands between the Empire of Japan and the United States...

, only the second battle involving the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Upon receiving word of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

 and the beginning of United States involvement in World War II
Military history of the United States during World War II
The military history of the United States during World War II covers the involvement of the United States during World War II. The Empire of Japan declared war on the United States of America on 7 December 1941, immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor on the same day. On 11 December 1941,...

, McMillin ordered the evacuation of various civilian populations, the jailing of all Japanese nationals on the island, and churches, banks, and schools closed.

At 8:27 p.m. on December 8, the battle began. Japanese planes first began bombing the Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

 barracks and then other key targets. The USS Penguin
USS Penguin (AM-33)
USS Penguin was a acquired by the United States Navy, named after the bird.Penguin was laid down on 17 November 1917 at the New Jersey Dry Dock and Transportation Co., Elizabethport, New Jersey; launched on 12 June 1918; and commissioned on 21 November 1918, Lt. Edgar T...

 also sank in the initial attack. The USS Robert L. Barnes was set ablaze and captured by Japanese forces. On December 10, over 5000 Japanese troops landed on the island in numerous locations, compared to American troops numbering less than 1000. A group of Marines, sailors, and members of the Insular Force Guard defended the Plaza de España
Plaza de España (Hagåtña)
The Plaza de España, located in central Hagåtña, was the location of the Governors Palace during the Spanish occupation. Most of the palace was destroyed during the shelling of Hagåtña during the retaking of Guam in World War II...

 but met a much larger Japanese force. McMillin soon ordered all documents of military value be destroyed as a Japanese victory became more apparent.

By 5:45 a.m., it became apparent that further resistance by American Marines would do no good, and McMillin ordered the sounding of a car horn three times, which both sides recognized as a sign to cease fire. McMillin surrendered the island at 6 a.m. on December 10 when Japanese troops captured him in the reception room of his living quarters, though some small fighting continued until 7:00 a.m. Twenty-one American military personnels and civilians died during the attack. He was one of the first American prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

 held by the Japanese and was held until August 20, 1945 when Soviet forces freed him.

Prisoner of war

After his capture on Guam, McMillin spent the rest of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

 at various Japanese POW camps. He was initially brought to a prison camp on Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. There he was allowed to write to his wife on a few occasions. Soon after his interment began, Dōmei Tsushin
Domei Tsushin
was the official news agency of the Empire of Japan.-History and development:Dōmei was the end result of years of efforts by Japanese journalists and business leaders to create a national news agency in Japan that could compete with Reuters and other internationally-recognized news agencies on a...

 interviewed McMillin in a camp located on Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...

. They reported that he supposedly seemed "chipper" and expressed his wish that President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 Franklin Roosevelt know that Guam had been "valiantly" defended. Eventually the Japanese transferred him to the Zentsūji
Zentsuji, Kagawa
is a city in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.As of June 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 34,114 with 13,079 householdd and a population density of 855.42 persons per km². The total area is 39.88 km²....

 camp, where he was the oldest prisoner at fifty-four.

Governorship

McMillin served as the Naval Governor of Guam from April 20, 1940 to December 10, 1941. On November 3, 1940, the worst typhoon since 1918 hit Guam. The storm destroyed a majority of the island's crops, caused extensive damage to many military structures, and destroyed thousands of residential homes. McMillin requested $50,000 in aid from the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...

.

He oversaw a major evacuation of all United States citizens on the island during his term as the political situation with Japan grew more tense. In the summer of 1941, the evacuation began and was completed on October 17, 1941 with only one, the pregnant wife of the chief commissary steward, remaining. When the Japanese attacked the island, the civilian population of Hagåtña, Guam
Hagåtña, Guam
Hagåtña , formerly English Agana and in Spanish Agaña, is the capital of the United States island territory of Guam. It is the island's second smallest village in both area and population. From the 18th through mid 20th century, it was Guam's population center...

 and around military complexes were also evacuated. The Department of the Navy informed McMillin of the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

on December 8; a few hours later, the Japanese attacked Guam. McMillion surrendered on December 10, 1941.
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