American Memorial Park

History through the eyes of those who lived it

American Memorial Park honors the Americans and Mariana Islanders who lost their lives during the battle for Saipan in WWII. They wanted to create a respectful visitor center that would cater to a culturally diverse audience.

AldrichPears Associates developed a thematic approach for the visitor center that portrays the battle from various perspectives in both English and Japanese, and respects the individual stories of those involved.

Visitors are led through a series of vignettes by the voices of a variety of survivors – American forces, Japanese defenders, Okinawan and Korean farmers, and indigenous civilians – talking about pre-war life, the horror of the battle itself, and its aftermath.

Location: Saipan, CNMI