Marine's gift to little girl in Guam still resonates after 65 years
By Ross Farrow
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

It was 1944, and Richard Washburn was serving in Guam with the U.S. Marines. He helped liberate Guam from the invading Japanese, and during that time he gave a 4-year-old girl a rag doll.

It meant a lot to Washburn and to the girl, Natty Calvo — so much that they reunited in 2000 and have been close friends ever since. This week, Washburn, his wife and Calvo will head to the Marine museum in Quantico, Va., for a celebration that will include the story of Washburn's gift to Calvo way back in 1944.

The story began when Washburn, missing his girlfriend, Dorothy, whom he would later marry, told his mother he hadn't seen a blonde in three years.

As a joke, Washburn's mother sent him a rag doll with blonde hair. But Washburn didn't know what to do with it. He was embarrassed to let his fellow Marines see him with a doll, so he gave it to Calvo.

Fast-forward 56 years. While Richard and Dorothy Washburn were taking a military tour of Guam, he wanted to see if he could locate Calvo, now 69. It took some work. He told his story on a TV show in March 2000, and he was the subject of a front-page newspaper story in Guam, saying he was looking for Calvo.

Calvo's son-in-law, Mark Cruz, happened to see the news article, but she thought he was kidding.

"My son-in-law tends to joke around with me," she explained.

Nevertheless, Calvo tried to find Washburn. She contacted his hotel, which was mentioned in the article, but the Washburns had just checked out that morning and hotel staff didn't know where to find them. Then she called the newspaper, telling an editor, "I am the rag doll girl." The editor then provided Calvo with Washburn's e-mail address. She e-mailed Washburn, and two weeks later he phoned her, regretting that they missed each other.

But seven months later, the Washburns had just returned from a 3rd Marine Division reunion in Dallas. They flew to Sacramento and drove home to Lockeford. There was a phone message from Calvo at their house, saying that she was at her sister's home in San Jose. The Washburns, tired from their flight and drive from Sacramento, hopped into the car and headed to San Jose.

They have visited each other several times, both in Guam and the United States.

Meanwhile, the rag doll didn't last very long. It fell apart, but Calvo and the Washburns managed to acquire replacement rag dolls. One is on the Washburns' kitchen table.

"If I was older and knew how to wash, I would have washed it," Calvo said, lamenting the loss of her original doll.

Richard Washburn is proud of the life Calvo made of herself.

"My memory was she was this little waif," he said. "She lived in the worst conditions. She attended the University of Guam, and her six children graduated from the University of Guam. Pretty nice woman."

Calvo was a stay-at-home mom until her husband died 25 years ago. She enjoyed politics, and wanted to finally get a job in the field. She asked her mother if it would be a good idea, since mom was a Republican and Calvo is a Democrat. She got her mother's blessing.

Calvo worked for the governor from 1986 to 1989, helping constituents with any problems they had. She left her position when the governor was defeated in a re-election attempt. She then taught a theology class at a Catholic school and taught nutrition for nine years at the University of Guam.

The Washburns grew up in small Colorado towns 20 miles apart. They fell in love during World War II, but they went their separate ways and married other people. After both of them became widowed, they married each other 15 years ago at Lockeford's Harmony Grove Church on Locke Road.

Dorothy Washburn, 84, had moved to Redwood City in her later years, but relocated to Lockeford after her daughter moved to a ranch in Clements. So Richard Washburn, 86, moved to Lockeford after marrying Dorothy. They both had three children from their first marriages.

Calvo said she's grateful to Washburn and the other Marines for defeating the Japanese on Guam.

"We would have all been killed by the Japanese if the Marine liberators had come one day later," she said.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.

Ellie