Santo was the Allies' base during WWII. For 3 years to Sept 1945, more than half a million military personnel, mainly American, were stationed here waiting to head into battle in the Pacific. There were sometimes 100 ships moored off the main town.
Road were laid. There were 40 cinemas, four military hospitals, five airfields, a torpedo boat base, jetties and market gardens. Quonset huts were erected for use as offices, workshops and servicemen's accommodation. More than 10,000 ni-Vanuatu came to work for the troops. To them, the servicemen seemed fabulously wealthy and generous.
Unfortunately, USS President Coolidge, a luxury liner turned troopship, hit a friendly mine. It's since become the world's largest accessible and dive able shipwreck.
After the war, the USA offered the Vanuatu government (French and British) the surplus equipment but they didn't respond, so the lot was dumped. Everything from bulldozers, aeroplane engines and jeeps to crates of coca-cola went into the sea at what is now Million Dollar Point.
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