Where Are They Now? Fred Black

Fred Black, Emerald Bay Waterfront Staff 1965 to 1967

Hearty Congratulations on the 100th Anniversary of Emerald Bay Camp!

My memories of Emerald Bay are a joyous series of adventures and life learning experiences. In 1965 fellow staffer, Peter White, and I used a rowboat and the helmet dive pump to get air into a trash can secured on the ocean floor forty feet down. There, we then were able to breath in the trash can as we collected large abalone. The entire camp enjoyed an abalone feast. Ignorantly, we risked severe injury via air embolism as neither of us had taken a basic scuba course. Fortunately, we exhaled on the way up.

In 1967, a few experienced staffers and I attended an Emerald Bay survival camp training hosted by the Air Force. Most of the campers followed the Air Force Instructors, armed with their cross-bow, looking for a wild pig or a goat. They came back with nothing and stomachs growling, were looking at a prickly pear dinner. The staffers and I knew better where to find the wild animals and came back with a big Billy goat, much to the delight of the camp.

Others of my brothers, John, David, Jim, Tito also worked on camp staff, and more importantly, my beautiful sister Kathy was the doctor’s doctor.

Teaching waterfront merit badges and taking campers on war canoe trips prepared me to collaborate with people, an important leadership skill.

After law school, I moved to Guam and worked as a public defender. I later switched to become a federal prosecutor, and prosecuted major heroin, methamphetamine, firearm, and corruption cases. I was the United States Attorney for Guam and the Northern Marianas for 12 years. Skills developed in scouting allowed me to work well with all the federal and local agents, police officers, witnesses, jurors, and Judges, which was critical to our success.

I never gave up on the outdoor adventures and represented Guam in the South Pacific games in spearfishing. I am still playing water polo and will compete in February of 2024 in the World Aquatics tournament in Doha on a 75+ team. I have a lovely and intelligent wife and three bright, successful, adventurous children, and nine darling grandkids.

We are looking forward to the hundred-year anniversary and seeing the old crew.

Fred and others from the 1960s Staffs will be at the 100 year Reunion, Aug 31- Sept 2, 2024.  Mark your calendar, and we’ll have more details coming soon. We hope you can join us!