Adios Sgamby

In February, Adolf Sgambelluri or "Sgamby" as many knew him, passed away. He leaves behind a long legacy of accomplishments. To name a few, he was a war survivor, a decorated Vietnam Vet, a GCC Vice President and a Guam Police Chief.  

When I was a graduate student in Micronesian Studies at UOG, close to 20 years ago, and I was asking my grandparents who would be great to interview for oral history, about prewar life, war experiences, anything, we made long lists of people we could visit. Sgamby was on that list. 

 

When we visited him however, he wasn’t the focus, but rather his father. Adolfo Camacho Sgambelluri had played a sort of double agent role, while working for the Japanese as a police officer, trying to minimize where he could their violent impact on the lives of Chamorus. I also learned from that visit that we were related with his mother being a close relative to my great-grandfather. Sgamby was eager to tell his father’s story since some up til this day don’t believe he was a double agent and instead feel he betrayed Chamorus to the Japanese during the war. 

 

More than a decade later I saw him sitting and waiting outside of the DNA building in Hagåtña. I hadn't really interacted much with him directly in the years since, save for a fannginge' here or there at a funeral. But Sgamby had, on occasion had alot to say about me. I was once included in an email chain once where he had angrily condemned a letter to the editor I had written. Whether on the radio, in the newspaper or over email, he would frequently condemn radical and anti-American activists on island, sometimes singling me out along with others. 

 

That day we spent quite a while talking. I asked him about going to college in the states in the 1950s, his time in Vietnam, his work in the federal government. I spent this past weekend unsuccessful trying to find my handwritten notes from that conversation. He had lots to say and had seen alot. He was very conservative in his politics and against many things I am in favor of. This came up regularly that day, as he would laugh at what radicals like me wanted for the island. 

 

When we ended our conversation, I told him that I appreciated him sharing his story with me. Since I knew some of the things he had said about me and my politics, I felt compelled to respond, even if indirectly and of course, respectfully. I told him what I often tell people who feel that talking about decolonization is Anti-American. I said something along the lines of, I'm not anti-American, but I am pro-Chamoru. Because frankly, we aren't many and so we need to be as pro-ourselves as possible, supporting each other and making sure our voices and needs are heard. And if the US and its policies interferes with our ability to be pro-Chamoru, then I will definitely protest and say something about it.

 

We were on other ends of the political spectrum for sure, but especially after that conversation, I felt over time we gained respect for each other over things we shared concern about. In times of great polarization, it is important to remember that.