How US soldiers helped inspire a religion on a remote island in Vanuatu

On Vanuatu's remote Tanna Island, a decades-old religion traces its origins to World War Two. When American soldiers arrived in the Pacific, islanders interpreted the military presence and its supplies through a spiritual lens, creating a faith centered on a figure known as John Frum — a shape-shifting spirit. According to ABC News Australia, this unique cargo cult continues to thrive today, with followers maintaining distinctive practices rooted in their ancestral beliefs.

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