Francisco Baza León Guerrero was a fighter.
He fought for American citizenship and for democracy for Guam's people, where the people would one day vote for a representative form of government and not be ruled by Naval Governors who were the entire government rolled into one man.
A little-known story shows how León Guerrero wasn't a doormat even in his younger days.
León Guerrero, who was a chicken farmer in his youth, helping to support his widowed mother, got a job working at the US Agricultural Experiment Station in Piti. As such, León Guerrero was an employee of the US Department of Agriculture, and not of the US Navy.
In 1926, while León Guerrero was working at the Piti Station as a specialist in poultry raising, the Naval Governor, Captain Henry B. Price, walked into the Station looking for long-time Station employee Peter Nelson. All but one of the employees stood up to greet the Governor. After Price had asked his questions and gotten answers, Price turned around as if to leave, so León Guerrero and his coworker Joaquín Guerrero sat back down again.
Then, Price turned back again and commanded León Guerrero to stand once more. This León Guerrero refused to do, taking Price's command as intending to humiliate León Guerrero, who said Price already had ill feelings for him, for reasons he did not state.
CHARGED!
León Guerrero was charged in court with "Wanton Disrespect to the Governor."
Price's version of the event was that he met León Guerrero at the Station and asked for Nelson. León Guerrero told the Governor where Nelson was, but made no attempt to inform Nelson that the Governor was at the Station looking for him. Instead, León Guerrero sat down, tilting the swivel chair as far back as it could go, raising his arms and clasping his hands behind his head, looking at the Governor in what Price interpreted as a disrespectful stance.
Price told León Guerrero, "You are disrespectful." León Guerrero retorted that he was not. Price then ordered León Guerrero to stand up. He remained seated and Price was done waiting for him to stand, so Price left.
Guam's court found León Guerrero guilty as charged.
ON APPEAL
In an appeal made to a trio of appellate judges made up of a Navy officer, a Marine officer and a Chamorro judge (José Roberto), León Guerrero argued that he could not be guilty of breaking what was not a law. There was no law obliging him to rise when ordered by the Governor to do so.
Furthermore, León Guerrero could not be accused of insubordination to his superior because León Guerrero did not work for Price. He worked for the US Department of Agriculture, and not for the US Navy whose highest officer on Guam was Price.
Unsurprisingly, this court denied León Guerrero's appeal.
Still, León Guerrero did not lose his job at the Agricultural Station.
Pale, you are a treasured historian for the island of Guam. On behalf of my family, we thank you for sharing this story about my uncle. He was a quiet man, but I always knew he had an unwavering resolve. I was grateful when you shared this story with me personally. You were right, he had no ill feelings towards America and only wanted to be treated as an American with the respect that comes with the nationality. I wish I was older then to better know my father and his older brother and truly understand how great they were. Again Pale, thank you.
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