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July 3, 2024
Honouring the Crew of the USS Strong
On 10 March 2021, Tammi Johnson from Project USS Strong DD467 contacted the South Pacific WWII Museum.
Tammi, a long-time supporter, had a personal connection to the USS Strong – her great-uncle, Ensign Billy Clay Hendrick Jr., was lost when the ship sank in the Solomon Sea on 5 July 1943.
After learning about her plan to place a memorial plaque on the wreck of the *Strong*, Covid restrictions complicated matters, forcing Tammi to find an alternative way to honour the crew.
Tammi worked with Museum Project Manager Jimmy Carter to find the right location for the plaque, eventually deciding that the museum would be the ideal home. The *Strong* had made its final stop at Base Button, Santo, before its fateful mission. The plaque would be well-protected here, preserving the memory of the 46 crew members who lost their lives.
In May, Jimmy and Museum Chairman Bradley Wood worked on finding materials for the memorial. After scavenging at a shipyard, they found an old ship door and frame, which would serve as the perfect mounting base. Thanks to Andrew Hibgame from RecycleCorp, the door was cut and transported to the museum for assembly.
At the 81st anniversary of the *Strong*’s sinking, the plaque and memorial were ready for the commemoration. The simple yet moving ceremony was led by Father Kami Huri and attended by locals, expats, and museum representatives. Tammi spoke on behalf of the Strong families, and the museum proudly became part of the USS *Strong*’s legacy by hosting this important memorial.
The memorial is situated in our new exhibit space where a short video built into the ship’s door will tell you more about the USS Strong.
A more detailed account of the story of the memorial can be found in the July 2024 issue of our newsletter, that you can find on our website here.
January 12, 2024
Museum doubles its size with new exhibit space
Following weeks of exceptional dedication from a committed team of tradesmen and our museum staff, the Museum’s latest gallery was unveiled on Friday, 12 January.
We were thrilled to have the British High Commissioner, Nicolette Brent, in attendance, along with her husband Karl – a former Royal Marine – and Nicolette’s mother, who is currently on holiday in Vanuatu.
Additionally, we were honoured to welcome Luganville Lord Mayor Hilton Toares, Betty Williams, and Glenda Massing from the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu to this special event.
Also there for the opening, was Vanuatu Tourism Office CEO Adela Issachar and Santo Travel Manager Serah Ety.
Museum Chairman Bradley Wood opens the new Museum display space.
Looking through the opening into the new display area of the South Pacific WWII Museum reveals one of our Willy's Jeeps as the showpiece.
VSA volunteer Miranda (left) and British High Commissioner to Vanuatu Nicolette Brent with her husband Karl at the Museum for the opening.
Featuring two entrances through to the new area, the Master of Ceremonies, Museum Chairman Bradley Wood, invited Mayor Toares to cut one ribbon and VSA volunteer Miranda Williamson to cut the other. Miranda played a key role in securing grants for the renovations from The New Zealand High Commission and the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu.
A heartfelt thanks goes out to our sponsors, Museum staff Marina, Lyn, and Miranda, as well as our skilled tradespeople, including Leighton Shearer from Santo Hardware and Steve Remy from Santo Earth Works. Our sincere gratitude goes out to everyone who contributed to reaching this remarkable milestone in the Museum’s ongoing progress.
November 28, 2023
New Zealand High Commission assists with Museum development
Following the significant financial support, facilitated by New Zealand High Commissioner Nicola Simmonds, our upcoming renovations are set to transform and expand the museum.
The grant will be instrumental in doubling the size of the museum, allowing for the re-establishment of a dedicated section for more general World War II exhibits. This will allow us to maintain the immensely popular SS President Coolidge exhibit in its current location within the present display area.
The upcoming renovations, scheduled over the next month, aim to enhance the museum’s capacity to educate and engage visitors with a broader range of historical content from the World War II era. This development marks a crucial milestone in the museum’s mission to preserve and share the rich history of the South Pacific during this period.
The South Pacific World War II Museum extends its deepest gratitude to New Zealand High Commissioner Nicola Simmonds for her instrumental role in securing this grant and for her ongoing support of the museum project. Her commitment to fostering cultural and historical awareness in the region has had a profound impact on the museum’s ability to expand its offerings.
Construction begins and the main wall between the two spaces is knocked through.
VSA volunteer Miranda (left) and Museum staff member Lyn (Right) stand with New Zealand High Commissioner Nicci Simmonds at the Museum.
Special appreciation is also extended to Miranda Williamson, our dedicated VSA (Volunteer Service Abroad) volunteer, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to obtain this grant for the museum. Her dedication and efforts have been invaluable in realizing this exciting phase of development for the South Pacific World War II Museum.
The New Zealand grant, along with an earlier grant from the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu for 500,000 VT in July, provides the Museum with a much appreciated 1,300,000 VT. And a new chapter in its development.
November 23, 2023
Museum's ship comes in
In yet another major donation to the South Pacific WWII Museum, Asia-Pacific shipping giant Swire Shipping has provided the Museum with a shipping container.
You may be wondering what we will do with it?
The plan is to join it onto the back of the Museum building during our renovations and provide a doorway between it and the new museum area. It will provide vital storage space for many of our exhibits we have at other locations.
It will also free up some of the rooms in our current museum, one of which is to become our small research library.
VSA volunteer Miranda Williamson and part time museum staff member Lyn have recently completed the cataloguing of our current book collection into a new mini library database developed by Museum Project Manager James Carter.
We would like to sincerely thank Swire Shipping, in particular Pranay Srivastava, Commercial Manager – Pacific Islands and Tilly Morgan, Assistant Commercial Manager – Pacific Islands for their hard work and assistance in arranging the donation to the museum.
The container is now in Luganville and will be moved into its final resting place over the coming weeks.
July 14, 2023
Museum receives wonderful funding
The South Pacific WWII Museum has much pleasure in announcing that the museum has been presented with a grant from the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu.
A cheque for 500,000vt (Approx AUD$6380) was handed to museum Chairman Bradley Wood by Reserve Bank Governor Simeon Athy.
The funds will be used to assist in the expansion of the museum in the coming months.
The Museum will be announcing a significant new expansion to its current museum very soon.
We’d like to thank Governor Athy and the Reserve Bank for their very generous support.
Reserve Bank of Vanuatu Governor Simeon Athy presents Museum Chairman Bradley Wood with the cheque for 500,000vt.
July 10, 2023
Dauntless finds a new home
A huge thrill for the South Pacific WWII Museum this week following the discovery of aircraft wreckage in Port Vila. During a recent visit to the Vanuatu capital, museum chairman Bradley Wood spotted the tail and engine of what appeared to be a World War II aircraft.
Through further research and with the assistance of our dedicated Facebook followers, we confirmed that the tail section and remnants of the engine belonged to a WWII US Dauntless aircraft. These were pieces that we couldn’t pass up for our museum collection.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of Jason Rakau, the CEO of Airports Vanuatu Limited (AVL), he graciously agreed to donate the tail and engine to the museum. However, we soon faced the challenge of transporting these precious artefacts to Santo.
Fortunately, Shaun Griffin from Ocean Logistics came to our aid. He made arrangements for the Dauntless wreckage to be picked up by the team from Recyclecorp in Port Vila and transported to the dock, where it was loaded onto a barge for transportation to Santo.
We extend our sincerest gratitude to Jason Rakau from AVL for his invaluable donation to the museum. Special thanks also go to Rowland and Damas from AVL for their assistance with the loading process, Recyclecorp for transporting the wreckage to the waterfront, and Sean Griffin from Ocean Logistics for organising the transportation to Santo.
Once we have mounted the tail and engine, we will share further photographs of these pieces on display at the museum in Luganville.
The engine from the Dauntless as it was found at Port Vila airport.
The fuselage is currently sitting under the museum's verandah in Luganville.
Fortunately, Sean Griffin from Ocean Logistics came to our aid. He made arrangements for the Dauntless wreckage to be picked up by the team from Recyclecorp in Port Vila and transported to the dock, where it was loaded onto a barge for transportation to Santo.
We extend our sincerest gratitude to Jason Rakau from AVL for his invaluable donation to the museum. Special thanks also go to Rowland and Damas from AVL for their assistance with the loading process, Recyclecorp for transporting the wreckage to the waterfront, and Sean Griffin from Ocean Logistics for organising the transportation to Santo.
Once we have mounted the tail and engine, we will share further photographs of these pieces on display at the museum in Luganville.
October 25, 2022
Major new Museum piece
Not all the news this week is Coolidge related.
Those with an eagle eye, may have spotted a new addition to the Museum’s collection at the opening of the Coolidge exhibition. Tucked away under our verandah roof was the newest edition to the Museum;’s collection.
It took many months – actually years, thanks to Covid – to get here, but Chairman Bradley Wood has finally had delivered to the Museum, a beautiful new Willys Jeep.
When we say new, we mean new. This Jeep from WWII, never made it to the front lines. In fact is has just 700 or so genuine miles on it, and purrs like a kitten. It even comes with its original books!
It’s another wonderful addition to our collection.
The Museum's new Jeep goes out for a test run on Santo with Bradley and Rick Wood.
All original and all new, everything on the Jeep is as it was when it left the production line.
October 13, 2022
Museum gets major makeover
In the lead up to the S.S. President Coolidge Commemoration and Exhibition on October 26, the South Pacific WWII Museum required quite a makeover to get it ready for the Coolidge exhibition.
In fact we had to remove every item in the Museum to enable us to re-dress every wall, display cabinet and some floor areas with Coolidge related items.
Large format wall posters from All About Graphics in Melbourne, Australia were brought up to Santo by museum Project Manager James Carter. They were created from images held in the United States Archives and showed the ship being evacuated, just after it hit the mines and later as it was about to go under.
“The images looked beautiful and we had them printed on a special environmentally friendly wallpaper style media”, said James. “The challenge then was to get the large format prints to Santo, which wasn’t easy given their considerable size.”
Work gets underway with all the previous displays taken out, ready for the Coolidge Exhibition.
The large format poster from All About Graphics is in place on the north wall.
Preparations are made to install a porthole in one of the Museum's doors.
Close to completion, the new displays are in place and ready to be repositioned.
Another view of the almost completed Coolidge displays.
A big thanks to our good friends at Air Vanuatu. They offered to assist with the excess luggage charges to get the posters from Australia to Santo, which the Museum was very thankful for. Now that they’re in place in the mini-museum in Luganville, they were certainly worth all the hard work.
October 12, 2022
Message in a bottle
Millie Ogden, CEO of 3 Link Communications in Port Vila offered to help the museum with planning for the Coolidge commemoration and exhibition. Her company will be providing us with a satellite uplink to ensure we can livestream the commemoration on the internet. Further details of how you can watch the event will be put up on social media and our website soon.
However, Millie also came up with the idea to contact the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation. Given the obvious connection between us both, we thought they might have some interest in what we have planned and potentially attend the commemoration later in the month on October 26.
Within days we had a delightful response from the organisation, but unfortunately they won’t be able to attend. However, as their President, Matthew Denhart explained, they wanted to do something special for us.
Matthew and his team generously organised a very special gift to be sent to the Museum, that will hopefully arrive in time for the exhibition. A letter accompanying the gift, says in part:
We are most appreciative of your invitation to take part in the commemorative event planned for October 26, 2022 in Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. We regret we are unable to attend in person. However, enclosed, please find a gift to your organization — an antique Moxie bottle filled with water drawn from a faucet at the historic Coolidge homestead in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. If the above-cited press reports are accurate, the same natural spring fed both this bottle and the one used in the 1931 christening of the SS President Coolidge. Moxie was the President’s favourite soft drink and this bottle was actually found here on the premises. We hope this new artifact will be a welcome addition to your celebration, and may be kept at your museum if appropriate.
Ms. Ogden, thank you again. We wish you and your colleagues a successful 80″ SS President Coolidge anniversary event next month.
Assuming the bottle and letter arrive in time, we will be putting them on display with our other artefacts. The bottle will make quite a talking piece for visitors to the Museum.
We’d like to thank Matthew Denhart and the staff at the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation for their wonderful gifts. The bottle and its accompanying letter, will make beautiful additions to the Museum’s Coolidge collection.
October 8, 2022
Whistle set to sing again
Last month we reported on the amazing progress being made with the restoration of the S.S. President Coolidge whistle in Luganville. We are delighted to report that we’ve reached another milestone. The whistle has been polished, reassembled and is now complete.
It’s been quite a journey for the almost 100 year old brass whistle that sailed the world for over 10 years, was drafted into the war, sunk, recovered 30 years later, before spending 40 years under Allan Power’s veranda, in Luganville.
The plan from here is to mount the whistle on a sturdy base and devise a way of connecting a large air hose to it. From there, testing and adjustments will take place over the next couple of weeks to ‘tune’ the whistle to get the best possible sound from it.
The Museum would like to thank Yves Lau for donating his time to the restoration and the turning of the replacement main shaft and the beautiful brass nut on top. We would also very much like to thank Yves parents, Mr and Mrs Lau for their generosity in providing the workshop space at LCY Garage, where Yves worked on the replacement parts.
One of the two Coolidge whistles as it looked when it was brought in for restoration.
Yves Lau in his parent's workshop working on the brass cap for the whistle.
September 14, 2022
Vanuatu Tourism Office generously sponsors commemoration
On October 26, we will be commemorating the 80th anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. President Coolidge off the coast of Santo in 1942.
Much is planned for the day and The South Pacific World War II Museum is delighted to announce the support of the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) for the commemoration.
VTO CEO Adela Issachar Aru in announcing their support, said, “historical or heritage tourism means traveling with the primary purpose of exploring the history and heritage of a place. People visiting Espiritu Santo can combine their love of history with other tourist delights like diving in order to visit the SS President Coolidge.
Museum Chairman Bradley Wood at the S.S. President Coolidge 75th anniversary commemoration. Photo Patrick Dancel.
Elwood J Euart's memorial on Espiritu Santo. The site of the 75th and this year's 80th anniversary. Photo Patrick Dancel.
Museum Chairman Bradley Wood said he is absolutely thrilled to have the support of VTO. “We’ve been working towards this event for a very long time, so to have the Vanuatu Tourism Office behind us, makes all that hard work extra worthwhile,” he said. “We can’t thank VTO enough for coming on board.”
Adela went on to say, “I take this opportunity to thank the South Pacific World War II Museum and its executive members for giving us the opportunity to be part of celebrating 80th Anniversary of the sinking of SS President Coolidge.”
There is much still to do and we’re working with local businesses to get everything in place. More news on the what’s planned for the commemoration will be released soon.
February 16, 2022
Million Dollar Point captured like never before
The South Pacific World War II Museum is delighted to announce that internationally renowned underwater photographer, Christopher Hamilton, has come on board as a Museum supporter through his incredible photography.
Chris is making some of his stunning work available to us for use in the Museum and for external publicity such as through our website and social media.
Originally from Canada where he dived the freezing waters of Nova Scotia to capture northern shipwrecks, his desire to capture even more of the underwater world, saw he travel to every corner of the globe.
Wrecked military trucks at Million Dollar Point. © 2022 Chris Hamilton | CHPhotographic
A former Seabee excavator at Million Dollar Point. © 2022 Chris Hamilton | CHPhotographic
Following a trip through Latin America, Chris ended up in Australia for what was going to be a quick stop along his journey. However the lure of the Great Barrier Reef turned into a seven year, 5,000 dive odyssey capturing a staggering number of images from the stunning northern stretches of the Reef.
In 2011, Chris moved to Indonesia and travelled all over the Pacific photographing some of the most unique, pristine and extraordinary underwater creatures and seascapes – including that of the SS President Coolidge and Million Dollar Point, here in Espiritu Santo.
Chris’ extraordinary work has been published in many magazines and journals throughout the world. He has also deservedly won 9 international photography awards, and if you visit his website you’ll see why.
Chris has shot over 100,000 photographs, from 56 locations throughout the oceans of the world. His website features many of these in albums to make it easier to find what you’re looking for, and they available for purchase.
The website explains how to get in touch with Chris. You’ll find it at chphotographic.com
Thank you Chris for getting behind the Museum. We very much appreciate your generosity and assistance.
Truck chassis' and pontoons sitting on the sea floor at Million Dollar Point. © 2022 Chris Hamilton | CHPhotographic
October 26, 2021
A memorable commemoration
Today marks the 79th anniversary of the sinking of the SS President Coolidge off the south east coast of Espiritu Santo.
Each year, the South Pacific WWII Museum recognises this remarkable moment in Santo’s history with a short service at the Elwood J Euart memorial, across the road from where the ship sank and still lies today.
Elwood J Euart was the US Army Captain who lost his life going back into the sinking ship to rescue soldiers he believed were still down in the lower decks of the ship. After getting the last of the survivors to safety, Captain Euart was too weak to get himself out and sadly went down with the ship. Only he and engine Fireman Robert Read died in the tragedy. The 5000 troops on board, all made it to shore.
The charitable organisation behind the Museum project is named the Elwood J Euart Association in memory of Captain Euart.
Next year will be a very special time on Santo as we mark the 80th anniversary of the sinking of the Coolidge. Much is already being planned for that event, including what we hope will be a spectacular unveiling to mark this important occasion. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy these images from today.
July 21, 2021
Locals snap up bargains at Bigfala Sale 2021
From the moment we threw open the flaps on the marquee, we knew we were going to be busy. The Museum’s annual Bigfala Sale concluded on Friday last week after almost two weeks of raising much needed funds for the South Pacific WWII Museum.
The Sale, the brainchild of Museum Chairman Bradley Wood, sees a container load of excess hardware and homewares stock from GMID/Fill The Container Australia, get sold at heavily discounted prices – the profits of which, go straight back to the Museum.
The most popular items were those used in construction such as concrete reinforcing mesh, corrugated roofing, PVC pipe and cement sheet. While smaller items such as shovels, work boots, plastic pots and tarpaulins were also hot sellers.
Of course the constant stream of locals to the Bigfala Sale also meant a lot more locals dropped in to have a look through the Museum. Lengkon and Marina were rushed off their feet trying to look after both sites, but luckily for us, Santo Hardware staff were on hand. They did an extraordinary job moving products down to the Sale, looking after payments and ensuring everything ran smoothly.
The South Pacific WWII Museum would like to take this opportunity to thank Hamish Saunders from GMID/Fill-the-Container for once again getting behind the Museum with a container load of fantastic sale products.
We’d also like to thank the wonderfully generous Richard & Rosemary Lo from the LCM group for their ongoing support via Santo Hardware.
The Luganville Municipal Council Town Clerk is always very helpful in granting us the use of the empty space opposite Museum to set up the Bigfala Sale. Thank you sir.
A special thanks must also be given to Santo Hardware Sales staff Angela, Rosie, Justin, Karu, and Jordie for all their superb work during this sale. Plus the guys who came down and set up up the marquee for the event. You guys are the best.
To our Project Office Manager Lengkon Tokon, thank you for all your hard work jumping between the Sale and the Museum to look after visitors. And of course Marina Moli at the Museum. A huge thank you to you for so calmly and warmly showing everyone through the Museum and answering who knows how many questions about the Pacific War.
And lastly, a final word of sincere thanks must go to Museum Chairman and Santo Hardware MD Bradley Wood whose enthusiasm and passion for the Museum remains as strong as it was when we first embarked on this project.
June 20, 2021
An exciting collection with a fascinating link to our past
Early in June, we were contacted by Brad Wojcik in the United States. He told us the wonderful story of his father’s career in the merchant navy during World War II. But of greatest interest to us was that his father John served as a Steward on the SS President Coolidge when it went down off the coast of Espiritu Santo in 1942.
Brad had a number of his father’s items he wished to donate to the Museum along with a couple of fabulous pieces from the Coolidge, recovered prior to its sinking.
Born in Chicago, John Wojcik had a tragic childhood with both parents passing away in unrelated circumstances by the time he turned 10.
He went and lived with his older sister for a while then ended up with a family in Wisconsin. He then rode a freight train out to California with only 15 cents in his pocket, because his brother Steve lived there.
John was a hard worker and was always trying to learn something new. Which is probably why he joined the Merchant Navy and US Coast Guard. He served on Edward Ganby, SS Defiance, SS Cape Isabel and on a number of occasions on the
John Wojcik's photograph inside his Seaman's Passport.
SS President Coolidge. During his time on board the ships, he worked as a porter, qualified as a cook and baker, room steward, second steward, steward’s mate and chief steward. After the war he worked for a vending machine company in San Francisco where he worked his way up to general manager of Automatic Vending in Sacramento.
He was very successful financially without ever graduating from high school. However, later in life he took night classes and finally gained his high school diploma in 1984. As far as John’s wonderful memorabilia goes, Brad has sent us quite an amazing snapshot of his father’s life in the merchant marine. Included in the collection are:
Letters of recommendation
Certificates of discharge
A seaman’s passport
Crew ID passes
Inoculation records
Seaman’s permits
Leather seaman’s wallet
US Coast Guard Certificate of Service
And much more.
Brad sent us his father's Seaman Passport, USCG Certificate of Service, Coolidge menu, Seaman's Wallet and more.
John's Release from Active Duty certificate releasing him from service.
Of greatest significance is a beautiful lifeboat flashlight still with its protective copper canister. Brad said, “my dad was on a life boat after the ship sank and he brought back the flashlight from the boat.” There is also a menu from one of the Coolidge’s dining areas. Brad’s not sure of the story behind the menu but said, “…seeing as he was the Chief Steward maybe that is why he took that.”
Some of the papers from John's Seaman's Wallet provide a wonderful snapshot of his life in the Merchant Navy.
The flashlight's copper canister.
The beautiful SS President Coolidge lifeboat flashlight donated to the Museum.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Brad for his generous donation and for entrusting his father’s items to our care. They’ll be included in a wider Coolidge display that we will create at a later date.
December 17, 2020
A much needed donation from the Government of Japan
Earlier today in Espiritu Santo, the Ambassador for Japan Mr Hirohisa Chiba handed over the keys to a brand new, state-of-the-art Toyota 4WD ambulance to the ProMedical team.
The Government of Japan through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) Programme generously donated the Ambulance worth VUV 6,194,910. It was handed over to Station Manager Jerome Sese in a ribbon cutting ceremony at ProMedical’s headquarters in Luganville. As is customary with ProMedical’s ambulances, they are given a name. Children from Luganville International School were asked to submit names, including Amirah Wensi, who suggested the ambulance should be named after her dad.
Alma Wensi was a very active member of not only his church but the entire Luganville community, a Youth Group Leader and a loving husband and proud father. What’s more, he was the South Pacific WWII Museum’s Project Office Manager until his sad passing last year. The name ‘Alma’ also means lifts the spirits and feeds the soul.
We couldn’t think of a more deserving name for the new ambulance and we’d like to thank and congratulate the ProMedical committee on choosing what couldn’t be a more fitting name for the new emergency vehicle.
Tankio Tumas Government of Japan.
December 2, 2020
Museum kicks off end of year fundraiser.
Yet, thanks to the hard work of Museum Board members and Lengkon and Marina down at the Museum, we’ve managed to keep things pretty much as they were earlier this year: • We’ve maintained daily posts on social media.
• The website has remained up to date.
• We’ve published the monthly newsletter.
• We’ve continued locating the families of lost dog tags from those who served on Santo during WWII.
• And most importantly, we’ve kept the Museum open – on reduced hours – and continued hosting visitors from Santo and neighbouring islands. That has also meant that our schools’ program has continued to enjoy popularity. However, to help keep our heads above water, we’re asking for your help, to support us in any way you can. If you’d like to give, you can access our online donation page here or click on the image and make your donation via PayPal or Credit Card. Your gift would be mean a lot to us, and we greatly appreciate your generosity and support. If you’re from the U.S. donations to the South Pacific WWII Museum are tax deductible.September 19, 2020
Lord Mayor’s Award recognises Museum’s local role.
Saturday in Luganville started like any other for South Pacific WWII Museum Project Office Manager Lengkon Tokon and Support Officer Marina Moli. And then the phone call came.
Luganville Municipal Council Lord Mayor Mr. Peter Patty asked to meet with Museum staff at the Museum for a special presentation. Lengkon and Marina were intrigued. What was this all about? And the Lord Mayor no less.
Sure enough Lord Mayor Peter Patty came by the Museum and Project Development Office – to present an award to us. The ‘Award of Recognition’ acknowledges the important role the Museum is fulfilling through:
– The preservation of Luganville’s WWII history;
– The untold stories being uncovered by the Museum;
– The dedication of the staff, particularly Marina Moli and her incredible work following Cyclone Harold and the Covid-19 outbreak;
– And our cooperation and communication of the Museum.
Lengkon and Marina were absolutely thrilled to accept the award on behalf of the Museum, which came as a total surprise to all of us.
Lengkon and Marina are absolutely thrilled to receive the award from the Lord Mayor.
The Lord Mayor’s award that now hangs proudly on the Museum wall.
The Museum would like to congratulate and thank Marina for all she has done for the Museum project in her time as our longest serving Museum staff member. She has shown an enthusiasm and willingness to lend a hand no matter what was asked of her. She has also proven to be a wonderful guide and teacher to the hundreds and possibly thousands of tourists and locals who have visited the Museum over the years.
We’d like to thank Lord Mayor Peter Patty and the Luganville Municipal Council for the award which now hangs very proudly in the Museum.
Next time you’re visiting the South Pacific WWII Museum, ask Marina or Lengkon to show it to you. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to.
September 21, 2020
Museum is most grateful for BSP’s ongoing support.
The South Pacific World War II Museum in Luganville, is delighted to announce that Navara sponsor Bank South Pacific (BSP) has signed on for a third year. In announcing its support for 2020/2021, Ms. Moana Korikalo, Head of Retail & Marketing at BSP said, “we are delighted to reaffirm our support for such an important project. The Museum is doing a wonderful job educating the younger and indeed older generations about Vanuatu’s vital role in supporting the Allied war effort during World War II.” Museum Chairman Bradley Wood was thrilled to have BSP on board for a third year. “We are very grateful for the wonderful assistance we’ve received from Bank South Pacific. I can’t thank Ms. Korikalo and her team enough for what they’ve done to ensure we keep the Museum dream alive.” 2020 has certainly been a challenging year for tourism operators right across Vanuatu following TC Harold and the ongoing effects of the Coronavirus outbreak globally. Museum Project Office Manager Lengkon Tokon has had to make some tough decisions along the way, with the fall in tourist numbers affecting visitors to the mini museum and Development Office.
“It has been a year I think we’d all rather forget, as far as tourism goes. Of course, that has meant some unfortunate decisions for us, cutting back on our opening hours until tourist numbers pick up again,” Lengkon said. “However, Bank South Pacific’s wonderful contribution to the project enables us to keep the doors open through this difficult time and continue our fundraising efforts. We’re extremely grateful to them for their continued support.”
Should you wish to discuss becoming a Navara supporter of the Museum Project or would like to make a donation, please contact Lengkon at: [email protected]
March 7, 2020
Museum reaches out to Hollywood actor Tom Hanks.
Last year the South Pacific WWII Museum produced a short video. It was essentially an invitation to a very special person. Research had shown that the Museum project wasn’t widely known, particularly in the United States, where we believe a large proportion of our funding will hopefully come from. To increase our profile in the US, we need a way of getting the project known in the wider world. To do that, we wanted to get Hollywood actor Tom Hanks to record a short message that we could use to help publicise the Museum. The reason we have chosen Tom Hanks will become clear when you watch the video. However, to demonstrate to him the level of commitment behind the project, we filmed an invitation from Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Charlot Salwai, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trades, Ralph Regenvanu, Museum Chairman Bradley Wood and James Carter to encourage Tom to support us. The video was put on USB flash drives, packaged up in hand-made boxes and couriered to his three agents in Los Angeles. Despite all the effort we went to, we didn’t hear a thing. We have tried time and time again for the past six months to engage many contacts, friends and business associates who we thought could help. Again, we came up empty. So this week we went public with our video and posted it on social media. The aim was to get our wonderful supporters and friends to see if they can find a way to get our video in front of Tom. Given our broad supporter base, we were hoping someone, somewhere may have had dealings with Tom’s production company, or may know know his agents. Then again maybe someone knows Tom personally or has worked with him. All we’re asking for is that if anyone has a way into Tom, we’d be extremely grateful for their help in getting him to see our video. So far the Facebook post has reached almost 32,000 people and it’s continuing to gather momentum. Who knows, maybe when he gets some downtime on the Gold Coast in Australia where he’s filming Baz Luhrmann’s new Elvis film, he might get to see our video? Whatever the case if you can help spread the word, please head over to our Facebook page and share our post. If you’d like to watch the video, either click on the photograph above or follow this link.April 29, 2020
The first Category 5 cyclone to hit the northern islands
As the unfolding tragedy of the coronavirus began to take hold of almost every country around the world, the Vanuatu government began weighing up the impact it could have on its own people. With so much of the population in isolated villages spread across the 80 or so islands that make up the archipelago, the devastation the virus could cause would be unimaginable.
The government therefore made the decision to close Vanuatu’s borders – early. It was decision that certainly paid off with no reported cases of the virus anywhere in the country.
But as everyone began to breathe a sigh of relief, there was another potential disaster looming.
On April 1, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology reported that a tropical low had developed east of Papua New Guinea. As the system developed, it began tracking towards the Solomon Islands. Passing approximately 135km to the southeast of Honiara, the cyclone gained ferocity and its track suggested it would make landfall somewhere along the west coast of Espiritu Santo.
On April 4, it was reclassified as a Category 3 cyclone and soon developed into a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone.
On April 6, at around 11:00am local time, Harold made landfall on the west coast of Santo, with 10-minute sustained winds of 215km/h (130mph). Harold continued to the southeast almost following the Segond Channel and the stronger northern eyewall of the cyclone passed over Luganville near 1pm local time.
While the storm weakened for a few hours, wind shear and very warm sea surface temperatures caused the cyclone to re-intensify just before passing over the south end of Pentecost Island in the early evening. When it hit the island, it was packing winds of up to 270km/h (168mph) – the strongest recorded along Harold’s destructive path across the northern islands.
While two category 3 cyclones have hit Espiritu Santo and Pentecost Islands in the past, Harold was the first Category 4 or 5 cyclone on record to hit the islands.
Infrared Himawari-8 image of Cyclone Harold over Pentecost Island. Credit: NOAA, CIRA & RAMMB
Damage to homes on Espiritu Santo following Cyclone Harold. Credit: Kevin Green
The aftermath of Cyclone Harold is nothing short of devastating. West coast communities were completely destroyed as was 90% of the houses on Pentacost. The damage across Santo and the islands is unimaginable. Of course, with Vanuatu’s borders closed due to the coronavirus, it’s been an immense challenge to get aid and personnel in. In fact, no personnel will be allowed in until border restrictions are lifted. So where possible, assistance is coming from Port Vila.
The people across the northern islands are facing challenges beyond anyone’s comprehension. It will be a mammoth rebuilding requiring time and an immense amount of effort. But of all the things that will get the Ni-Vanuatu people through all of this, it’s their faith and resilience that will ensure they stay strong.
Villages on nearby islands have been completely flattened. Credit: Big Heart Island Vanuatu
If you’d like to help the people of Vanuatu, donations can be made through Big Heart Island Vanuatu. A wonderful charity set up by Museum Secretary Mayumi Green following Cyclone Pam in 2015, to look after the people of Vanuatu in times of natural disaster. A Go Fund Me page has been set up following Cyclone Harold here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/tc-harold-relief-fund-by-big-heart-island-vanuatu
Alternatively, donations may be made directly to Big Heart Island’s ANZ Bank account in Espiritu Santo. Details can be sent to you by emailing [email protected]
If you would like to keep up to date with what Big Heart Island are doing to support the people of Vanuatu, visit their Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BigHeartIslandVanuatu/about/
January 20, 2020
Lengkon Tokon joins the Project Office team
Today is a very special day for the South Pacific WWII museum as we welcome Lengkon Tokon to the Museum project. Lengkon is taking up the role of Office Manager, following the passing of our previous office manager Alma Wensi in May last year. Our search for a replacement for Alma was a difficult one for us given the tremendous legacy he left behind. After sorting through the many applications we received, Lengkon stood out as the perfect candidate to continue our mission to see the Museum through to fruition. Museum Committee Member Mary O’Reilly, who headed up the recruitment committee said, “Lengkon is an, experienced, friendly, and enthusiastic person. He has a desire to contribute to and become a valid member of the Santo community and sees the Museum Project as an opportunity to do that locally but has an immediate grasp of the global impact this could also have for Santo and Vanuatu.” Lengkon comes to us from a diverse career in a variety of industries, most recently working for Air Vanuatu as the airline’s Airport Coordinator at Santo-Pekoa International Airport. He is fluent in English and Bislama and as Lengkon puts it, has “a basic grasp of the French language”, which will no doubt come in handy given the broad scope of visitors to the mini museum and Development Office. Museum Chairman Bradley Wood is also very excited to have Lengkon coming on board. “Lengkon has some wonderful ideas and a work ethic that impressed me during the interview process”, Bradley said. “He also has a vision for how to improve his work places and provide development opportunities for his staff, which will be a tremendous asset to the Museum as we continue to grow.” Lengkon is very much looking forward to his new role with us and envisages exciting times ahead for the Museum. “I see great potential in the South Pacific WWII Museum project for Santo, Vanuatu and the Ni-Vanuatu people. I can also see the potential for growth and the social contribution that this project can offer.” When you’re next in Luganville, come down to the Development Office and mini museum and and say hello to Lenkon and welcome him into his new role.September 20, 2019
LCM makes it eight
Rosemary and Richard have already been supporting the Museum through another of their well-known businesses in Luganville, Santo Hardware. Rosemary Lo says they are delighted to join the Navara Fund and give additional support over the next three years to the project. “The Museum will create a significant tourism destination and local jobs and further help develop the economy of Espiritu Santo and we are fully supportive of all those goals.” Elwood J Euart Trust chairman Bradley Wood thanks the Lo’s for their support. “We already know from their past help that Rosemary and Richard are believers in our work, but this latest support is a great sign of confidence in us.” The Navara Fund is named after the bislama for coconut seedling, and is a local and meaningful name for our seed fund. It allows local and international businesses, and individuals, to support our office and fund-raising work. LCM joins seven other Navara Fund members: Air Vanuatu, BSP Bank, TVL, Tropex Exports Limited, Henry Cumines Pty Ltd, Bob Hill, and the Thiele Boys. If you are interested in becoming a Navara Fund member, you can see more here at Navara Fund Information or contact us at [email protected]October 21, 2019
We present our plans in Canberra with great success.
Our recent trip to Canberra was a great success for us as it provided us with the opportunity to essentially pitch the Museum to a number of key figures in Canberra. Each of the people were selected for their potential to add value to the Museum project in some way. Those people were, Dr Brendan Nelson, Director of the Australian War Memorial, Hon Alex Hawke MP, Minister for International Development and the Pacific and Assistant Defence Minister and Mr John Hennessey-Niland Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy. Here is a brief rundown of each of those meetings.
From left to right, Committee Member Steve Turner, Project Manager James Carter, AWM Director Dr Brendon Nelson and Museum Chairman Brad Wood.
Dr Brendan Nelson
Director, Australian War Memorial
We met with Dr Brendan Nelson, Director of the Australian War Memorial on Wednesday October 16. We spent around an hour with him, introducing the project and discussing a range of topics, including how we might be able to partner with the War Memorial in some way and draw upon their extensive museum experience.
We left Dr Nelson’s office with new ideas, new directions and a clearer idea of where we should be heading in these early development stages. Having the opportunity to discuss our project with the Director of one of the truly great museums of the world was a rare opportunity indeed.
Hon Alex Hawke MP
Minister for International Development and the Pacific
Assistant Defence Minister
On Thursday we met with the Hon Alex Hawke MP, Minister for International Development and the Pacific and Assistant Defence Minister. He was extremely interested in every aspect of the Museum project and as a result, made many suggestions as to how we might move the project forward.
He was one of the most committed and enthusiastic people we could hope to meet. We came away from that meeting full of ideas and will certainly be in touch with the minister – at his suggestion – again in the very near future.
From left to right, Museum Chairman Brad Wood, Hon Alex Hawke MP Minister for International Development and the Pacific and Deputy Defence Minister, Committee Member Steve Turner and Project Manager James Carter.
From left to right, Museum Chairman Brad Wood and Project Manager James Carter outside the US Embassy in Canberra.
Mr John Hennessey-Niland
Deputy Chief of Mission, United States Embassy
On Friday we attended a meeting at the U.S. Embassy. We met with Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr John Hennessey-Niland. He was also very enthusiastic about our project and offered to assist us in any way he and the Embassy could.
We talked about the possibility of introductions to relevant museums, organisations, and corporates. John said that once the South Pacific WWII Museum is in a position to develop a list of people we would like to approach in the United States, to get in contact again. The Embassy in Canberra will liaise with its counterpart in PNG that is also responsible for Vanuatu, to facilitate introductions for us in the United States.
August 11, 2019
Bank South Pacific re-signs as a Navara supporter
We would like to thank Bank South Pacific, and its general manager Nik Regenvanu, for re-signing for a second year as a member of the Museum Navara Fund.
The generous support of BSP Bank has helped us run our popular mini museum and project office in Luganville, and to carry out activities as we progress our fundraising aims. Elwood J Euart Chairman Bradley Wood received the Navara second year re-signing from the Luganville branch of BSP manager, Edwige Wensi.
Chairman Bradley Wood with BSP Luganville manager Edwige Wensi.
Bradley thanks Edwidge with a framed medallion from the Museum.
We were delighted to give a small something in return – a framed silver medallion pressed from an authentic wartime die that the Museum holds. The medallion is handsomely framed with a picture taken during wartime of US soldiers and Ni-Vanuatu on a tank.
BSP is a leading bank in the South Pacific, and has branches across six countries in the region.
The bank has as its motto Our Culture is Our Strength, and their support is helping us develop an important cultural asset for the people of Vanuatu.
Our Navara Fund is named after the bislama for coconut seedling, and is a local and meaningful name for our seed fund.
The Navara thank you medallion framed with a wartime picture.
July 26, 2019
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister
show
their support for Museum Project
Recently, cinematographer and director Karl von Moller and Museum Project Manager James Carter travelled to Port Vila to film Vanuatu Prime Minister Hon. Charlot Salwai and Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trades. The filming which took place at the wonderful Breakas Beach Resort at Port Vila was part of a video the Museum Project is putting together to assist with the Museum’s fundraising program. The Prime Minister and Mr. Regenvanu were extremely generous with their time and we thank them most sincerely for squeezing us into their busy schedules.
The short film in which they’ll appear is going to be sent to a key potential supporter of the Museum project. If and when that support comes to fruition, we’ll make further announcements later in the year.
July 24, 2019
Air Vanuatu supports Museum filming
Earlier in July, the Museum team embarked on an ambitious filming project to assist with not only our fundraising plans, but to create fascinating filmed content that will appear on the Museum’s website and in social media.
Australian cinematographer and director Karl von Moller travelled from Australia with Museum Project Manager James Carter to film the 18 short films and 1 longer content film. With a great deal of fragile gear to ship, the Museum turned to Navara sponsor Air Vanuatu to ensure everything arrived safely.
With some of the filming occurring on Efate and the majority on Santo, it meant a number of international and domestic flights to ensure the filming schedule remained on track. “Air Vanuatu were marvellous”, said James. “We were met at the airport to ensure there were no issues with our luggage and the whole shoot couldn’t have gone smoother.”
The Museum would like to thank Jeff Murdoch, General Manager Commercial and Paul Pio, Manager Marketing & Communications from Air Vanuatu for all their assistance in making everything go so smoothly for the film crew.
The videos that were created in Vanuatu will be released one by one over the coming weeks and months on the Museum’s social media pages and website.
July 24, 2019
Breakas Beach Resort assists Museum with filming
The Museum’s recent filming of the Vanuatu Prime Minister Hon. Charlot Salwai and Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trades took them to Breakas Beach Resort in Port Vila.
The resort was chosen for its idyllic South Pacific atmosphere and tropical island ambience. Film makers Karl von Moller and James Carter from Australia, were seeking the quintessential resort-like backdrop particularly for the Prime Minister’s portion of the short film being shot on behalf of the Museum.
“Breakas was just stunning and the perfect place to shoot”, said Karl. “It offered us so many possibilities and what we chose as a location was absolutely perfect.”
The Museum is very grateful to Breakas Resort for all their assistance to ensure the filming went so smoothly. We would particularly like to thank Breakas General Manager Isaac Boyle and Food and Beverage Manager Roy Ernst who went out of their way to accommodate us during our visit.
If you’d like to find out more about Breakas Beach Resort at Port Vila, visit their website at breakas.com
April 19, 2019
TVL signs on as our latest Navara Sponsor.
Seven companies or individuals have now joined the Navara Fund, which has been created to support the running costs of the project office and its fundraising efforts. Project manager Alma Wensi says TVL is a great partner for the Museum. “Our vision is for a Museum that has modern information technology and is interactive for our young generation. 
We look forward to working with TVL as a telecommunications leader in Vanuatu.” Mr Wensi says the Navara package provided to the Museum office is a great help. Fast broadband makes it easier for us to talk to the world and showcase our progress and vision. So TVL is very much making a difference for us.” Mr Barlen Lutchmoodoo Chief Execuitve of TVL says it’s great to be associating with the Museum project. “We are a company that deals every day with the changes in technology and the differences we can make to people’s lives. This is a project that is ambitious to do the same, and we are proud to be associating with it. TVL is committed to connecting the people of Vanautu with each other and the outside world, and there is exciting work underway to keep on improving our service.” 
Alma Wensi says the TVL agreement comes very soon after the national carrier Air Vanuatu signed up for a second year of Navara Fund membership, and Henry Cumines Ltd became the sixth new member. “We’re delighted that the Fund is growing as more companies want to be associated with the excitement of our project. The Navara Fund is a way they can be in on the ground floor and look to partner further with us when the Museum is built.” If you’d like to become a Navara Fund member, contact Alma Wensi at [email protected]June 3, 2019
The sad passing of a special friend to us all.
It was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of South Pacific World War II Museum Manager Alma Wensi on Saturday May 25.
Alma came to the Museum project quite early in its development and very soon was running it with the drive and passion we all came to know so well. But Alma was more than just the Museum Manager. On many levels he was the guiding light behind the project, with a generosity and kindness that will be greatly missed by everyone he came in contact with.
Alma’s keen business acumen was spotted very early on by Museum President Bradley Wood, who employed Alma to run the Museum following his time in the tourism and telecommunication sectors.
It didn’t take Alma long to grasp the enormity of the challenge that lay ahead – a challenge he relished every day. The sponsors we’ve attracted to the project, the donations and support we’ve garnered from the Vanuatu Government, were all thanks to the extraordinary hard work of Alma.
He was more than just the Museum Manager. He was the joyous smiling face that greeted visitors from around the world when they arrived at the mini-museum and Project Office. His knowledge of local history fascinated visitors from all around the world, with tales of the famous and not so famous who came through Espiritu Santo, particularly throughout the war years.
Alma was a devoted family man. His love for his wife Edwige and daughter Amirah was only matched by his faith and devotion to the Centenary Presbyterian Church in Luganville. There, Alma was a leader especially involved with a flourishing youth group that saw him as far more than just a leader.
Alma was one of those people you meet once in a lifetime. His generosity and love for those around him was undeniable and unforgettable. His passing will leave a huge hole in our lives and those beyond Vanuatu’s beautiful tropical shores. His kind heart and gentle soul, will never be forgotten and likewise all he did for the South Pacific World War II Museum project.
Goodbye dear friend and god be with you.
March 7, 2020
It’s takeoff for year two of Museum sponsorship.
Museum project manager Alma Wensi says it’s wonderful to have a leading Vanuatu company showing its backing. “We’ve been able to support our fundraising efforts thanks to Air Vanuatu, including helping build understanding about our project with local people. It is also a vote of confidence from a tourism leader in our goal of becoming a significant tourism attraction for Vanuatu and Espiritu Santo.” Jeffrey Murdoch, Air Vanuatu’s General Manager Commercial, says the airline is focused on growing and bringing additional visitors into Vanuatu. “This Museum project is ambitious for the future of our tourism, and our national prosperity, and as such we are proud to help its progress.” A six-minute informational video was produced in 2018 and is currently available on Air Vanuatu’s Boeing 737-800 inflight entertainment. Alma Wensi says many visitors who came to the Museum reported having seen the video onboard. More than 2000 international and 3000 local people have visited the project’s mini museum in Luganville in its first full year. 
“As the first carrier of choice for entry into Vanuatu, we are very grateful to Air Vanuatu for showcasing and spreading the message. The Museum gives the travelers another reason to keep coming back and to visit our islands.” The Navara Fund is a seed fund set up to allow local and overseas businesses to support the project office and costs of fundraising. If you are interested in becoming a Navara Fund member, please contact The South Pacific World War II Museum’s General Manager Alma Wensi at [email protected] The South Pacific World War II Museum project office and mini-museum is open weekdays 8am to 5pm in Unity Park, Luganville. Phone +678 37000.Jeffrey Murdoch, Air Vanuatu’s Commercial General Manager (left) and Museum Manager Alma Wensi at the signing of Air Vanuatu’s 2nd year of sponsorship.
April 7, 2019
Henry Cumines is our new Navara supporter.
Helder Rodrigues of Henry Cumines Ltd says that the company founder, Mr Henry Cumines originally began traveling to the South Pacific region in 1946 before opening his own company in 1966. “During this time, he provided assistance and pioneered many trade missions to Vanuatu and many other South Pacific Nations by exporting high quality goods such as foodstuffs, medical supplies, general supplies and equipment from Australia and New Zealand. This helped these nations grow and rebuild after such an epic world event as World War II. We believe it is our turn to give something back to our South Pacific neighbors especially Vanuatu which has shown tremendous support to our company over the many years and to secure the history that brought us all together in the way of a museum for the next generations to appreciate.” The Navara Fund supports the museum project office and mini-museum in Luganville, and its wider fundraising work. The present Navara Fund members are Air Vanuatu, BSP Bank, Tropex Exports, the Thiele Boys and Bob Hill. If you are interested in finding out more about the Navara Fund and becoming a member, please contact Alma Wensi at [email protected]January 24, 2019
Chief of Australian Defence Force presents flag to Museum
The South Pacific World War II Museum has been greatly honoured with the presentation of a flag by Australia’s Chief of Defence Force, General Angus Campbell, AO, DSC. General Campbell made the presentation to Elwood J Euart Association chairman Bradley Wood and Museum Project Manager Alma Wensi during a function hosted by the Australian High Commission in Port Vila on Monday night. The Chief of Defence Force (CDF) is the senior ranked officer in Australia’s armed forces, representing the navy, army and air force. The role is shared between the three services and a senior officer from one of the other two services assumes the role when a new CDF is appointed. General Campbell’s visit to Vanuatu was to mark Australia’s commitment to the security of the nation and the fostering of stronger relationships in the future. Australia’s High Commissioner, H.E. Jenny Da Rin, kindly invited the
Museum to attend the function, which also included representatives of the Vanuatu Government – Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trades Hon Ralph Regenvanu, and the Internal Affairs Minister Hon Andrew Napuat. General Campbell spoke positively of the Museum. He had been surprised to learn from Bradley Wood about the string of famous people who had been linked by wartime to the island of Espiritu Santo – names such as John F Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh, and Gene Roddenberry.
Besides presenting an Australian flag that will fly outside the Museum project office in Luganville, General Campbell also gifted the museum several commemorative coins symbolizing the three armed services that he oversees.
The Museum had its own special gift for General Campbell – a reproduction of a sketch by famous US wartime artist Howard Brodie. It shows an Australian sergeant major during training of members of the New Hebrides Defence Force in 1943. The print, the original of which is held by the US Library of Congress, was handsomely mounted in a rosewood frame hand-made by Bradley Wood.
The museum team was able to chat with General Campbell and members of his staff, and tell them more about our project.
The South Pacific World War II Museum would like very much to thank General Campbell and his team, the High Commissioner Jenny Da Rin, and her staff for making us part of a memorable night.
