Sumay was once a prosperous port and thriving seaside community frequented by Spanish, French, German, Japanese, English, Russian and American ships. When Japanese warplanes bombarded Guam in December 1941, Sumay was the first village attacked. The villagers fled into the nearby jungles and were never allowed to return. The village was virtually destroyed. The American military seized Sumay as part of the Naval Station which it remains today. All that remains of the original village is the Spanish occupation era cemetery. Headstones contain epitaphs in both Chamorro and Spanish. The oldest marker claims the year if birth at 1812 and year of death in the 1890's.