How American spite created a million-dollar underwater junkyard
Off the coast of Vanuatu lies a submerged museum of WWII wreckage. This video explores the surprising, petty origins of Million Dollar Point, where thousands of pieces of American military equipment were abandoned not due to battle, but as an act of political and economic spite.
Million Dollar Point, located near Luganville, features a massive collection of rusting US military gear on the ocean floor, including tanks, artillery, bulldozers, and even everyday items like Coca-Cola bottles. While it looks like the aftermath of a naval disaster, the site is actually a collection of abandoned logistics.
During WWII, the US Navy's Seabees transformed Espiritu Santo into a vital supply hub. They built the Turtle Bay Airfield in just 20 days and established extensive infrastructure, including hospitals and fuel depots, to support the Pacific campaign. The video traces how the transition from a massive wartime supply depot to this underwater graveyard was driven by the friction between the US and its former allies.
Source: The Greatest Act of Political and Economic Spite in History
