The Pacific Islanders who worship an American GI

There is always something strange in the newspapers, and here is something you don't get to hear everyday. There is a small population on an Island in the Pacific that believes that one day an American GI by the name of "John Frum" will bring them wealth and happiness - their own version of the Christian Jesus. Read for yourselves.

At the base of a sacred volcano in an isolated corner of the South Pacific young men play the "Star Spangled Banner" on bamboo flutes. Every February they parade in old US army uniforms with wooden weapons. Others go bare-chested with the letters "USA" painted in bright red letters on their bodies.

Nearby, a giant Stars and Stripes flutters in the breeze from the main flagpole. This is the heart of John Frum country on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu. Villagers at Sulphur Bay worship a mystical figure who they believe will one day bring them wealth and happiness.[...]