War in the Pacific: A Difficult Heritage

FAIN: AV-255550-17

East Carolina University (Greenville, NC 27858-5235)
Jennifer McKinnon (Project Director: November 2016 to March 2021)

A preparatory training program and two one-week discussion series on the island of Saipan, focusing on the seventeenth-century Spanish-Chamorro Wars and the World War II Battle of Saipan.

War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage, a project of East Carolina University (ECU) in partnership with the Northern Marianas Humanities Council (NMHC) and the Saipan Historic Preservation Office (HPO), will engage veterans, surviving civilian participants of WWII, and families of military service personnel in considering how difficult heritage, or heritage that relates to past conflicts, can be seen as universal to humanity and how it can be used to heal and renew. The starting point for this consideration will be to focus on the historical and modern warrior/veteran’s experience as it relates to our collective human experience of war and how we might come to understand and interpret the heritage created through conflicts as a shared, collective heritage.

Media Coverage

Three East Carolina University faculty members awarded grant funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities (Media Coverage)
Publication: ECU College of Education
Date: 5/1/2017
URL: https://blog.ecu.edu/sites/coeblog/2017/05/community-outreach/three-east-carolina-university-faculty-members-awarded-grant-funds-from-the-national-endowment-for-the-humanities/

ECU reading education faculty member works with veterans, families & WWII survivors in Saipan (Media Coverage)
Publication: ECU College of Education
Date: 10/25/2017
URL: http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/coeblog/author/ticknora/

ECU faculty receive national funding to work with veterans, families (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Jason Boyd,
Publication: News Channel WCTI ABC 12
Date: 5/13/2017
URL: https://wcti12.com/news/east-carolina-university/ecu-faculty-receive-national-funding-to-work-with-veterans-families

WWII Survivors Sought (Media Coverage)
Author(s):
Publication: Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan Newsletter
Date: 6/16/2017
URL: https://mailchi.mp/mail/this-week-in-congress-friday-june-16-2017?e=8668508eb1

Community invited to participate in discussion about war (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Lori Lyn C. Lirio
Publication: Marianas Variety
Date: 7/11/2017
URL: http://www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/96765-community-invited-to-participate-in-discussion-about-war

ECU faculty receive national funding to work with veterans and their families (Media Coverage)
Author(s):
Publication: Daily Reflector
Date: 10/30/2018

ECU FACULTY RECEIVE NATIONAL FUNDING TO WORK WITH VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES (Media Coverage)
Author(s):
Publication: ECU Now
Date: 5/19/2017

Funding to support Saipan vets (Media Coverage)
Author(s):
Publication: Saipan Tribune
Date: 5/4/2017
URL: https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/funding-support-saipan-vets/

ECU faculty members awarded grants to help Saipan veterans (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Hope Benton
Publication: The East Carolinian
Date: 5/23/2017
URL: http://www.theeastcarolinian.com/news/article_b52e896c-3ff3-11e7-b52a-a7cc96e2cd34.html

ECU researcher will use grant to work with veterans (Media Coverage)
Publication: Washington Daily News
Date: 10/30/2018
URL: https://www.thewashingtondailynews.com/2017/08/07/ecu-researcher-will-use-grant-to-work-with-veterans/

War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage news story (Media Coverage)
Publication: KSPN TV news
Date: 10/30/2018

Associated Products

War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage (Web Resource)
Title: War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage
Author: Jennifer McKinnon
Author: Anne Ticknor
Abstract: Website created for the War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage discussion program in Saipan, CNMI.
Year: 2017
Primary URL: https://cnmiheritage.wordpress.com/

Prizes

Achievement in International Service and Engagement Award
Date: 11/17/2017
Organization: East Carolina University

Mark E. Mack Community Engagement Award
Date: 1/4/2018
Organization: Society for Historical Archaeology

War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage (Web Resource)
Title: War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage
Author: Jennifer McKinnon
Author: Anne Ticknor
Abstract: Facebook page for War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage
Year: 2017
Primary URL: https://www.facebook.com/WarinPacific/

War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage (Web Resource)
Title: War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage
Author: Jennifer McKinnon
Author: Anne Ticknor
Abstract: Twitter page for War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage
Year: 2017
Primary URL: https://twitter.com/WarinPacific

War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage Film (Film/TV/Video Broadcast or Recording)
Title: War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage Film
Writer: Jennifer McKinnon
Writer: John McCord
Director: Jennifer McKinnon
Director: John McCord
Producer: John McCord
Abstract: Film outlining the War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage Program
Year: 2018
Primary URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmxfjvhv-eg&feature=youtu.be
Access Model: open access
Format: Digital File
Format: Web

Half-Hour Humanities Program (Radio/Audio Broadcast or Recording)
Title: Half-Hour Humanities Program
Director: Catherine Perry
Producer: Power 99 radio
Abstract: A half-hour humanities radio program that explores local humanities subjects. The NEH project was featured.
Date: 07/09/2017
Access Model: open
Format: Radio

Beyond the Fence (Radio/Audio Broadcast or Recording)
Title: Beyond the Fence
Director: Vivian Dames
Producer: Public Radio Guam
Abstract: Beyond the Fence is a locally produced program that features interviews and coverage of public events offering analysis and personal perspectives on the local impacts of US global militarism, especially in the Asia - Pacific region. It also provides accounts of different forms of resistance, decolonisation and sovereignty struggles, and the challenges of building community beyond the fence. Audio podcasts of most episodes are available for free and may be download within five days of the broadcast by going to
Date: 10/20/2017
Primary URL: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/469522396/beyond-the-fence
Access Model: open
Format: Radio

KKMP morning radio show (Radio/Audio Broadcast or Recording)
Title: KKMP morning radio show
Director: Gordon Marciano
Director: Gary Sword
Abstract: Morning radio show featured War in the Pacific. In English, Chamorro, and Carolinian languages.
Date: 07/03/2017
Format: Radio

Dialogues on the Experience of War: A Difficult Heritage. Paper presented at the Society for Historical Archaeology (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Dialogues on the Experience of War: A Difficult Heritage. Paper presented at the Society for Historical Archaeology
Author: Jennifer Mckinnon
Author: Anne Ticknor
Author: Anna Froula
Abstract: War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage recently engaged veterans, veteran families, and WWII survivors on the Pacific island of Saipan in considering how conflict heritage can be seen as universal to humanity and how it can be used to examine the veteran’s experience. The starting point for this consideration was to focus on the historical and contemporary warrior/veteran’s experiences as it relates to collective human experience of war and how we might come to understand and interpret the heritage created through past conflicts as shared, collective heritage. The project trained local community members to lead discussion focused on the Spanish-Chamorro Wars of the 17th century and the WWII Battle of Saipan, as bookends to the history of resistance and aggressions in the Mariana Islands. A multi-vocal approach was used to explore and discuss terrestrial and underwater heritage, film, memoirs, children’s literature, poetry, and graphic novels on the subject of war.
Date: 01/04/2018
Conference Name: Society for Historical Archaeology

War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage
Author: Jennifer Mckinnon
Author: Anne Ticknor
Author: Anna Froula
Abstract: War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage, a National Endowment for the Humanities-funded project of East Carolina University in partnership with the Northern Marianas Humanities Council and the Saipan Historic Preservation Office, engages veterans of contemporary wars, surviving civilian participants of WWII, and families of military service personnel in considering how difficult heritage can be seen as universal to humanity and how it can be used to examine the veteran’s experience and even heal and renew. The starting point for this consideration is to focus on the historical and contemporary warrior/veteran’s experience as it relates to our collective human experience of war and how we might come to understand and interpret the heritage created through conflicts as shared, collective heritage. This process is accomplished through the development of a program that train local Saipanese community members with experience and interest in humanities, history and veteran affairs to be discussion leaders who will conduct humanities discussion groups with local, primarily Chamorro and Carolinian, veterans. The wars chosen are the Spanish-Chamorro Wars of the 17th century and the WWII Battle of Saipan as bookends to the history of resistance and aggressions in the islands. Together these wars were chosen because they represent the complexities of all of the participants of war, combatant and non-combatant, in a colonial and post-colonial context. Through the exploration of terrestrial and underwater cultural heritage, film, history, memoirs, children’s historical fiction, poetry, painting and graphic novels, a focus on multi-vocality will be critical to understanding the meanings of war from different perspectives.
Date: 11/27/2017
Conference Name: 3rd Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage

War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage (Article)
Title: War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage
Author: Brian Fahy
Abstract: War in the Pacific: Difficult Heritage, a National Endowment for the Humanities-funded project of East Carolina University in partnership with the Northern Marianas Humanities Council and the Saipan Historic Preservation Office, engages veterans of contemporary wars, surviving civilian participants of WWII, and families of military service personnel in considering how difficult heritage can be seen as universal to humanity and how it can be used to examine the veteran’s experience and even heal and renew. The starting point for this consideration is to focus on the historical and contemporary warrior/veteran’s experience as it relates to our collective human experience of war and how we might come to understand and interpret the heritage created through conflicts as shared, collective heritage. This process is accomplished through the development of a program that train local Saipanese community members with experience and interest in humanities, history and veteran affairs to be discussion leaders who will conduct humanities discussion groups with local, primarily Chamorro and Carolinian, veterans. The wars chosen are the Spanish-Chamorro Wars of the 17th century and the WWII Battle of Saipan as bookends to the history of resistance and aggressions in the islands. Together these wars were chosen because they represent the complexities of all of the participants of war, combatant and non-combatant, in a colonial and post-colonial context. Through the exploration of terrestrial and underwater cultural heritage, film, history, memoirs, children’s historical fiction, poetry, painting and graphic novels, a focus on multi-vocality will be critical to understanding the meanings of war from different perspectives.
Year: 2017
Primary URL: http://www.hkmaritimemuseum.org/index.php?plugin=common_media&_spAction=saveMedia&room=webBasic_content&recordType=attachment&media_id=4169&showHTML=0
Access Model: open
Format: Other
Periodical Title: Proceedings of the 3rd Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage
Publisher: Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage

We Drank Our Tears: Story of Fransisco Babuta (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: We Drank Our Tears: Story of Fransisco Babuta
Abstract: The film is based on a book published in 2004, “We Drank Our Tears,” which is a collection of more than 60 stories. The book, published to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, chronicles the experiences of Chamorros and Carolinians during the war.
Author: GALVIN Deleon Guerrero
Date: 10/05/2017
Location: National Park Service American Memorial Park, Saipan, CNMI
Primary URL: http://www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/99138-1st-local-screening-of-we-drank-our-tears-francisco-babauta-s-story

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