PM Archives

Pacific Magazine's May-June 1979 issue featured, not surprisingly, a stunning photo of the American Samoa Flag Day ceremonies on Tutuila. Flag Day remains a popular holiday in the U.S. Territory. While this year it was marked on April 17th with a small ceremony, the big gala will be held in July in conjunction with the centennial celebrations for Manu'a. Our coverage 25 years ago noted the importance of the fautasi boat races in Flag Day activities.

Long Boats: "Flag Day is at its most exciting on the morning of the longboat races. Before dawn the shoreline along the entire bay is packed with people, and anticipation fills the air. Just as the first streaks of dawn light the eastern sky, the sound of a slow, steady beat travels across the water as the longboats slowly make their way from the head of the bay to a spot about a mile past the entrance to the harbor."

Proud Bird: "Continental Airlines' daylight service to the South Pacific, which began May 1, uses DC-10-10 aircraft, the shorter-range version of the international DC-10. The daily flight from Los Angeles and Honolulu will fly to Pago Pago five times a week and to Fiji twice weekly, continuing on to Auckland three times a week and to Sydney four times weekly. The airline sees the multi-island nation destination marketing concept, using Pago Pago as the gateway, as enhancing tourism to other island nations in the South Pacific."

More Birds: "The estimated 150 pelicans that mysteriously migrated to Palau last year were driven from their former habitat in northeastern Australia by an extended period of drought, according to Robert Owen, chief conservationist for the Trust Territory. Owen received this information from Australian ornithologists in response to his inquiries concerning the sudden appearance of the five-foot-long birds last July."