Episode 1 — Christmas Odyssey in Vietnam

Memoirs Pasifika

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Memoirs Pasifika, a podcast exploring events, movements, and people in modern Micronesian history.

In this episode, Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua tells the story of Governor Carlos Camacho’s eventful trip to Vietnam — at the height of the war — to visit Guam's battle-weary troops during Christmas.

The trip unexpectedly helped shape Guam’s political history, launched a practice among politicians nationwide that continues up until today, and even inspired a hit song!

Dr. Bevacqua is an historian and teacher of Chamoru, the indigenous language of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

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Interviewees:

- Senator Mary Camacho Torres

- Eddie Duenas

- James Brooks

Music:

- Memoirs Pasifika intro/outro song by Ryan Shook

- “Christmas Odyssey in Viet Nam” by Johnny Sablan