(Tumon, Guam) The Department of Parks and Recreation, Historic Preservation, is making its final preparations for the commemoration ceremonies and exhibits for the 90th anniversary of the SMS Cormoran, which was scuttled in Guam�s Apra Harbor on April 7, 1917, at the start of World War I. The commemoration, sponsored in part by the Guam Visitors Bureau, takes place throughout the first two weeks of April and includes two wreath laying ceremonies, one at sea above the SMS Cormoran and the other at the U.S. Naval Cemetery in Hagat�a where the bodies of six sailors who died when the Cormoran sank are interred.

The public is invited to participate in both wreath laying ceremonies, which take place on Saturday, April 7, 2007. The first ceremony, �Koronan Tasi,� takes place at 7:30 am in Apra Harbor, directly above the spot where the SMS Cormoran now lies at 120 feet below the surface. Micronesian Divers Association (MDA) is offering a special rate of $7.00 per person for the boat ride to the ceremony site. Interested parties may contact MDA at (671) 472-6321.

The second wreath laying ceremony, �Koronon Tanu,� takes place that afternoon at 3:30 pm at the U.S. Naval Cemetery, which is located on Marine Corps Drive in the island�s capitol of Hagat�a. When the Cormoran was scuttled, seven sailors lost their lives and six were buried with full military honors in the local cemetery. The body of the seventh sailor was never recovered.

A series of Commemoration Dives will take place on April 7-8. Interested divers will be escorted to the SMS Cormoran, which lies right beside the Tokai Maru, which was sunk in World War II. These two ships mark the only spot in the world where shipwrecks from two different world wars lay side by side in a position that allows divers to simultaneously touch both ships. The schedule is as follows:

Dive Time Dive Company Contact Info. Website Sat., 9:00 am Guam Tropical Dive Station (671) 477-2774 www.gtds.com Sat., 9:30 am Micronesian Divers Association (671) 472-6321 www. mdaguam.com Sat., 1:30 pm Guam Tropical Dive Station (671) 477-2774 Sat., 3:00 pm Guam Tropical Dive Station (671) 477-2774 Sun., 1:30 pm Micronesian Divers Association (671) 472-6321

For more information or to book a dive tour to the SMS Cormoran on April 7th, kindly contact the appropriate dive operator or visit their respective websites.

Beginning April 1st and lasting through the Saturday, April 14th, a series of exhibits, tours, and lectures will be held at the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center, War in the Pacific National Historical Park, located at the Main Entrance of Naval Station in Piti. The Photographic Exhibit has five major themes:

Guam at the Time of the SMS Cormoran, 1914 � 1917 The History of the SMS Cormoran Germany in Micronesia, 1900 � 1914 The Story of Josef Martinez Ada The Costenoble Family, Gertrude Costenoble

Also on display during the two-week commemoration period will be the Guam Museum Collection of artifacts from the Cormoran and a photo exhibit of the following Co-Incidentals: The Guam Flag and the SMS Cormoran The Guam Pre-War Congress and the SMS Cormoran

Lectures and guided tours may be arranged at the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center and are conducted in both English and Guam�s native language, Chamorro. Special Man�amko Tours, or Senior Citizens Tours, will be conducted on April 6th, 9th, and the 11th at 11: 00 am. For more information about booking a tour, please contact Toni Ramirez at (671) 475-6296 or by fax at (671) 477-0996.

(A reminder to all that Guam is a US Territory and international callers must dial 1 for the US Country Code before dialing the remaining ten digits of the aforementioned phone numbers.)

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Media Contact: Cindy Hanson chanson@visitguam.org 671-646-5278