Who’s Who in Newspapers? George Ray Tweed edition (1944)…

August 10, 2026 by  
Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

If you’re a World War II history enthusiast, you might recognize the name George Ray Tweed — a U.S. Navy radioman known to the world as the “Ghost of Guam.” Yet few realize the sheer grit, luck, and quiet resistance required to pull off one of the most remarkable survival stories in American military history.

When Japanese forces invaded Guam in December 1941, Tweed refused to surrender alongside his comrades. Instead, he slipped into the island’s rugged jungle with little more than a rifle, a radio, and an unwavering determination to stay free. For over two and a half years, Tweed evaded intense enemy patrols, relying on the immense courage of local Chamorro families who risked torture and execution to keep him hidden, fed, and supplied. Using his background as a technician, he even built a crude radio receiver to gather Allied news, transforming himself into a symbol of hope for the occupied islanders.

If you are fascinated by human resilience—and the incredible bravery of civilians who risked everything in wartime—spending a little time researching Tweed’s survival on Guam is deeply inspiring. It serves as a powerful reminder of how ingenuity, faith, and the loyalty of brave allies can overcome seemingly impossible odds.

We discovered him quite by accident  as we were searching for a client’s request for a “birthday newspaper“ from the same week. Thankfully, while extracting the date he wanted, we noticed this headline and corresponding photo (in the Minneapolis Morning Tribune, Aug. 11, 1944) which motivated us to see what we could learn about him.

Below is a photo featuring the bold front-page headline: “Dodges Japs 2 1/2 Years on Guam”.

 

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy...

Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The 20th & 21st Centuries, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
Tagged: , ,

Comments

Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!