Jesus Baza Duenas

March 19, 1911 (age 33)

Hagåtña, Guam, United States of America

He was tortured and beheaded by Japanese forces for refusing to disclose the location of a United States. service member hiding in Guam. In December, 1941, Japan invaded and occupied Guam. He sometimes told local people not to cooperate with the Japanese, and his independence and status on Guam worried them. The Japanese kept a close watch on Dueñas and wanted to exile him, but worried that relations with local people would worsen if they did southern Friends and associates operated secret radio receivers, and kept Dueñas well informed on the progress of war. Father Dueñas knew much about the movements of the six American servicemen who had escaped capture during the December 10, 1941 Japanese ground invasion, and about those who helped and harbored them. He is also said to have known about the plans of Japanese search teams searching for the fugitives and their helpers. The Japanese had long suspected that Dueñas knew a great deal about the only American to escape capture, George Tweed. In July, 1944, Dueñas was informed about Japanese plans to arrest him, but refused to escape. He told the men who hoped to assist him that the Japanese would retaliate against their families, reportedly saying, "Go look after your families. God will look after medical In early 1945, the body of French Dueñas was exhumed from a crude grave. When his body was buried at Saint Joseph"s Church in Inarajan, hundreds of people and the island"s highest officials attended the ceremony. The Father Dueñas Memorial School (FDMS) was established in 1948 in his memory. In 1970, Guam officially designated July 12 as "Father Dueñas Day.".

Jesus Baza Duenas

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priest

Background

Dueñas was born on March 19, 1911, to his parents of Luis Paulino Dueñas and Josefa Martínez Baza in Hagåtña, Guam.

Education

Dueñas studied for the priesthood in Manila, and became the second Chamorro Catholic priest when he was ordained in 1938. During the World World War II of Guam, Japanese forces who suspected Dueñas of knowing the whereabouts of a fugitive American serviceman tortured and, on July 12, 1944, killed him.

Career

He was tortured and beheaded by Japanese forces for refusing to disclose the location of a United States. service member hiding in Guam. In December, 1941, Japan invaded and occupied Guam. He sometimes told local people not to cooperate with the Japanese, and his independence and status on Guam worried them.

The Japanese kept a close watch on Dueñas and wanted to exile him, but worried that relations with local people would worsen if they did southern

Friends and associates operated secret radio receivers, and kept Dueñas well informed on the progress of war. Father Dueñas knew much about the movements of the six American servicemen who had escaped capture during the December 10, 1941 Japanese ground invasion, and about those who helped and harbored them.

He is also said to have known about the plans of Japanese search teams searching for the fugitives and their helpers. The Japanese had long suspected that Dueñas knew a great deal about the only American to escape capture, George Tweed.

In July, 1944, Dueñas was informed about Japanese plans to arrest him, but refused to escape.

He told the men who hoped to assist him that the Japanese would retaliate against their families, reportedly saying, "Go look after your families. God will look after medical In early 1945, the body of French

Dueñas was exhumed from a crude grave.

When his body was buried at Saint Joseph"s Church in Inarajan, hundreds of people and the island"s highest officials attended the ceremony. The Father Dueñas Memorial School (FDMS) was established in 1948 in his memory.

In 1970, Guam officially designated July 12 as "Father Dueñas Day.".

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Jesus Baza Duenas

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