#FlashbackFriday: 1993—Guam BX Boosts Morale After 8.1-Magnitude Quake
On Aug. 8, 1993—31 years ago this week—an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale struck Guam. It was the strongest quake to hit the island in 84 years, and the strongest to be recorded anywhere in the world in four years.
The 60-second earthquake caused dozens of injuries, millions of dollars in property damage and island-wide power failures. The aftermath left many residents with contaminated water.
“Those of us who went through the worst 60 seconds of our lives wondered if our little island could withstand such violent shaking,” said Polly Gabbert, an Exchange associate who wrote about the quake for the September 1993 edition of the Exchange Post.
The quake occurred on a Sunday. When Guam Exchange General Manager Dalton Still arrived at work at 5 a.m. Monday, he found associates already working on cleanup, even though power was out. Merchandise shaken off shelves littered the floor of the main store and Shoppettes.
No photos of Exchange damage are available, but the above photo of a Seaman at Trader Andy’s Hut, a pierside bar and grill, shows some of the damage caused by the quake.
With the help of generators, most branches were operating by noon. Of the 465 Guam associates, 197 were able to make it in to work. A week and a half later, associates who made it to work the day after the quake were honored with a breakfast and Special Recognition Awards presented on behalf of PACRIM Region commander Col. John Murphy, Region Vice President Jerry Robinson and Dalton Still.
Also in attendance at the breakfast were 633rd Air Base Wing Commander Col. Dennis Larsen and Senior Enlisted Advisor Chief Master Sgt. Raymond Young. Larsen said he got a firsthand lesson in appreciating how the Exchange serves those who serve.
“After the earthquake, everyone was concerned with how fast the recovery was going to be,” Larsen said. “When it was announced that the Latte Stone Food Court was open, and that we were able to get things from AAFES Exchanges, it boosted morale 100%. It let people know we were on the road to recovery.”
Sources: Exchange Post archives; Los Angeles Times. Photo: PH2(Sw) John Gay, USN, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
