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SOME HISTORICAL FACTS…
 Because
of its size and its strategic geographic location unmatched
by the other islands of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo became a
major military base for the American Forces during the
Second World War. Literally an advanced post for access to
Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, Santo boasted several
airstrips, four hospitals, with significant port facilities
in Luganville, and row upon row of quonset huts! Some thirty
film theatres
were counted at one time!
There are still lots of reminders of the American presence
even today, both in Luganville itself and all over the
island:
aircraft wrecks in the bush, airstrips, antisubmarine cables,
warehouses, prisons, ovens for baking bread, etc.
Million Dollar Point
The most spectacular one has to be “Million Dollar Point”,
where the Americans simply dumped all their gear and
equipment into the sea at the end of the war – lorries,
bulldozers, jeeps and ammunition, all have come to rest at a
depth of a couple of metres just off the beach.
President Coolidge
For those who are keen scuba divers, there is even better on
offer : a visit down to the President Coolidge, once a super
luxury liner, requisitioned for the war effort by the
American Forces, which sank when it hit two Allied
mines. At the time of the drama, it was carrying 5000 men on
board, only two of whom lost their lives. This massive 200
metre long
vessel now rests at between 30 and 70 metres’ depth. The
holds are still full of war equipment and vehicles.
Ammunition, helmets and guns still haunt the passageways
while crockery and china chase around the kitchens…
 James
Albert Michener
You can also go and see the place where Lieutenant James
Albert Michener used to live. This American soldier, the
Army historian, drew insipiration from his surroundings to
write his famous book “Tales of the South Pacific”, which
earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1948. It is
about love stories in war-torn times, that of a young Marine
and a beautiful Tonkinese, of the nurse Nellie and a French
plantation-owner, Emile De Becque. All set against the
backdrop of a paradise inspired by Santo.
The story met with huge success in the anglo-saxon world and
was even turned into a film.
Vanafo and Jimmy Stevens
You can also visit the custom village of Vanafo, home to
Jimmy Stevens, the head of the rebels who refused to accept
the authority of Port Vila on the eve of Independence. He
was kept in prison until 1991. Jimmy Stevens then returned
to Vanafo where he died in 1994.
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