Felixberto “Burt” Sardoma Sr.
My name is Burt Sardoma. I first came to Guam by ship in 1949. The name of the ship was General Sultan. I was hired by MASDELCO as a clerk typist from Iloilo. To come to Guam, I had to take a competition test in Iloilo. I passed, one time only. Plenty other people sign up with me to come to Guam. Vidal Estoy from Iloilo. Maybe, Tanalgo. I don’t remember the rest of them.
It took around five days to come to Guam. We all feel dizzy at that time when the ship arrived because there was a heavy typhoon. We were around 400 people on the ship. When we arrive, there were already Filipinos here. We all worked for the U.S. Navy.
We were assigned in Naval Supply Depot as clerk typists and we lived in the Quonset hut barracks in the MASDELCO area of Camp Roxas. Each Quonset hut housed around 25 people but there were plenty Quonset huts. There were around 500 Quonset huts in the camp and maybe around 8,000 to 10,000 people in the whole camp.
We lived like soldiers. We tried to manage by ourselves because nobody was around there. We did everything for ourselves in our household. For recreation, we play ping pong or bowling. We used to have a recreation hall inside the camp area. Later on, about two years after the camp was set up, they built the Recreation Center for basketball across the street.
The camp was very nice because it was always clean and we also clean the area ourselves. We watched movies every night. Every Sunday, we attend the mass at the chapel. I am a member of the choir of the chapel. They had mass every day and every Sunday.
There were maybe 10 nurses for 8,000 to 10,000 men. Pilar Malilay, one of the nurses, came to Camp Roxas in maybe 1952. I was at Camp Roxas maybe 10 years. I renewed my contract and came back every time. We like it over here and there was nothing to do in Iloilo. That’s why we decided to come back.
We never get homesick. We have lots of fun because we always organize something like dancers and entertainers. Christmas time, the camp is very good, because we have nice foods, entertainment, singers and we have singing contest.
We were paid by the hour by Camp Roxas personnel every month. But, just imagine, we are paid only $1 an hour. I sent a little money home but the pay is very low. The pay is based on Philippine peso, you know. Under our contract, they pay me $1 an hour or whatever and I get paid once a month. We cannot save any money. We used our money for a little entertainment. Later on, we bought a car. I did not go clubbing very often because a lot of the places are restricted on Guam. We go around, but before, no place to go.
I went back to the Philippines about every four years. I met Mom in 1950. In 1952, I went home and got married. I met Mom in the plane because we live in different town but her father is from our place, too. Mom was going to school yet. So, maybe every year, I used to go back to the Philippines and come back again. I was able to bring her and the family here in 1966. In 1965, I became a U.S. citizen.
Excerpted from November 2008 interview by Burt Sardoma Jr.,
GovGuam Department of Public Works cafeteria, Upper Tumon, Guam,
Transcribed Jan. 28, 2009 by Josephine M. Garrido
