Blaz earned a master’s degree in public administration at GW in 1963, the Washington Post reported, while he was serving in the Marines. He died from acute respiratory failure.
Blaz was born in Guam three decades after the island became a U.S. territory. Japanese forces invaded Guam during World War II and captured Blaz, then 13, and held him in a prison camp for three years.
He eventually traveled to the U.S., graduating from the University of Notre Dame before entering the Marines. Blaz served in the Korean War and received the Bronze Star Medal for his service in the Vietnam War.
After retiring from the military in 1980, he returned to Guam, the Post reported. Four years later, he was elected to represent Guam as a non-voting member of Congress. Blaz, a Republican, was the only former general in Congress at the time and went on to serve four terms.
He had a home in Fairfax, Va. and is survived by two sons, two brothers, a sister and five grandchildren.
His wife, Ann Evers Blaz, died seven months ago. They had been married for 58 years.
This post was updated on Jan. 25 at 11:32 p.m. to reflect the following:
Correction appended
In the headline, The Hatchet incorrectly reported that Blaz died at 58. As stated in the story, he was 85.
