ila ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁ 1 9 2 9 , ▁though , ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁formally ▁rat ified ▁and ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁American ▁Sam oa ▁was ▁not ▁given ▁formally ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁T ut u ila ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁island ▁for ▁the ▁US ▁Mar ines ▁under ▁Colonel ▁L ester ▁A . ▁Des se z ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁and ▁they ▁ere cted ▁many ▁concrete ▁b unk ers ▁along ▁the ▁coast line . ▁The ▁island , ▁given ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁such ▁an ▁important ▁base ▁went ▁relatively ▁un sc athed ▁during ▁the ▁war , ▁except ▁for ▁an ▁attack ▁from ▁a ▁Japanese ▁sub marine ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁the ▁island ▁and ▁American ▁Sam oa ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁Inter ior . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁Peter ▁T ali ▁Cole man ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁Sam o an - born ▁governor ▁and ▁during ▁his ▁term ▁protection ▁for ▁the ▁island ers ▁against ▁the ▁al ien ation ▁of ▁their ▁lands ▁and ▁loss ▁of ▁culture ▁was ▁approved ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁and ▁subsequently ▁the ▁Flag ▁of ▁American ▁Sam oa ▁became ▁official . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁President ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁appointed ▁H . ▁R ex ▁Lee ▁and ▁generated ▁massive ▁funds ▁to ▁develop ▁T ut u ila , ▁finan cing ▁the