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Guam Legislature presents certificate honoring Melanie R. Tainatongo for Honor Flight volunteer work
Summary
The Guam Legislature presented Certificate No. 347-38 on March 27, 2026, recognizing Melanie R. Tainatongo for her work with Honor Flight San Diego. Tainatongo, a long-time volunteer, said the program charters flights twice a year to bring about 90 veterans to Washington, D.C., free of charge.
The Guam Legislature presented Certificate No. 347-38 on March 27, 2026, recognizing Melanie R. Tainatongo for her volunteer leadership with Honor Flight San Diego.
Speaker Frank F. Blas Jr., who introduced the certificate alongside Senator Tydingco and "all members of the 38 Guam Legislature," told attendees the award honors Tainatongo’s work arranging visits for veterans. "The work that you do out there represents us more than you will ever know," he said during the presentation.
The certificate—recorded on the legislative record as Certificate No. 347-38 LS—commends Tainatongo "for your contribution and service to the San Diego County veterans on their journey to Washington D.C. to visit and reflect at the memorials honoring their service and sacrifice." The document was certified and signed in Hagåtña and lists Frank F. Blas Jr. (Speaker), B. Anthony Ada (Chairperson, Committee on Rules), and Sabrina Salas Matanane (Legislative Secretary) on the certification.
Accepting the certificate, Melanie R. Tainatongo—identified in the record as a board member secretary and detachment Orange County team leader for Honor Flight San Diego—said she has volunteered with the group since 2013. "We charter a flight twice a year; we bring about 90 veterans to Washington, D.C. free of charge as a thank you for their service and their sacrifice," she said, adding she accepted the recognition "in honor of all of us who do what we can to honor our heroes every single day."
Tainatongo shared an anecdote about World War II veteran Joe Ethridge, telling the audience she had been sitting next to him during the visit when he said, "I'm so glad to be back home." She and legislators emphasized the emotional significance of those trips and the role volunteers play in preserving veterans’ stories.
The short ceremony concluded with applause and an invitation for Tainatongo’s family to join her at the front so the viewing public could see those who support her work. No formal roll-call vote was recorded for the recognition during the proceedings on the legislative record.
The certificate was introduced and presented during the legislative session on March 27, 2026; presenters and attendees thanked Tainatongo for her service and for helping bring veterans back to Guam and to national memorials.
