HUH? WHAT WAR?….From The Savage Wars of Peace, which I’m reading right now. Lieutenant Jack Myers, in command of the USS Charleston, is on his way to the Philippines in 1898:
Along the way the cruiser stopped at Guam, a Spanish possession. The ship fired a dozen shots at the ancient Spanish fort guarding the capital. There was no return fire. Instead a Spanish officer came out to the cruiser to apologize for not having any powder; otherwise, he declared politely, the fort would respond to the Charleston’s “salute.” When the poor fellow heard that Spain and America were at war, he promptly surrendered. Myers led a landing party that disarmed the Spanish garrison and secured Guam for the United States.
Ah, the good old days of empire building….
