The territory you are referring to is the Mariana Islands, specifically Saipan. During World War I, the islands were taken from Germany by Japan. After World War II, they came under the control of the United States as a United Nations Trust Territory. The Northern Mariana Islands, which include Saipan, became a commonwealth in political union with the United States in 1978, and it achieved a more formal status of commonwealth in 1986.
Let me know if you need information on anything else!