The Guam Legislature on Dec. 5 presented certificates to family members of service members from the Insular Force Guard and the Guam Combat Patrol as part of a recognition tied to Public Law 38-73, which designates Dec. 10 as Insular Force Guard and Guam Combat Patrol Memorial Day.

The certificates, described in the chamber as Certificate No. 255-38LSK and introduced "by Senator Chris Barnett and myself," were read aloud by Speaker Frank Blas, who said the documents honor the "courage, perseverance, and devotion to duty" of the units and their families. The ceremony honored several posthumous recipients and asked family members to accept the awards on behalf of loved ones.

Public Law 38-73, the legislation cited during the presentation and signed into law in late November, directs the governor to form a commission to carry out annual observances on Dec. 10. Speaker Frank Blas and other speakers told those present the governor was still appointing members to that commission and that a more formal observance is expected for Dec. 10, 2026. The certificate text read in the chamber included: "Their legacy continues to inspire future generations, reminding us of the strength and honor found in unity and sacrifice." (Certificate text read by Speaker Frank Blas.)

Speakers provided brief historical background about the two organizations: the Insular Force Guard was described as comprised of Chamorro men who resisted the 1941 invasion, and the Guam Combat Patrol as a post-invasion unit formed in the waning days of the war, composed largely of Guam police officers assigned to patrol jungles and search for remaining enemy forces. During the remarks, a speaker stated the Combat Patrol "were successful in apprehending and killing 170 Japanese soldiers after the war." That statement was made in the presentation; no additional documentary evidence or challenge to that figure was offered during the ceremony.

Families named during the ceremony included relatives of Hipolito Pablo Lizama; Salvatore Giovanni Cis Scabaluri; Wenceslao Mariano Santos; Jose Arceo Cruz; George G. Flores; Jose D. Cruz; Juan Camacho Wustic; Pedro A. Perez; Henry F. Titano; Juan P. Titano; David L. Luhan; and Jose S. Buquicosa. Officials on the dais included Speaker Frank Blas and references were made to Senator Chris Barnett, Vice Speaker Anthony Atta, and legislative secretary Sabrina Sazmatanani during the certificate reading.

The event was framed as a pre-Christmas recognition with speakers thanking attending family members and noting the law's requirement that the executive branch set up the commission to coordinate future observances. No formal vote or legislative action occurred during the presentation; the law that authorizes the observance was enacted previously.

The next procedural step noted during the ceremony is formation of the commission by the governor, which speakers said will contact families and help organize the Dec. 10 observance next year.