Collecting country points would be boring without all the island states in the Caribbean and in the South Pacific. After a rather long flight from my business destination in Manila via the Micronesian island of Chuuk and the US territory of Guam I arrived on Palau and immediately thought that this could be easily another US territory rather than an independent country. The design of its parliament looked much too big for the tiny island nation. Gunther who was providing me with snorkeling equipment, told me that the US Military were the major employer on Palau. Due to the lack of other employment options, Palau’s citizens often volunteer to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. On the front yards of quite a few houses there the Star-Spangled banner was flying. I sadly learned that the flags bear witness to the ultimate sacrifice the volunteers had tragically to offer to their employer. As comfort and compensationthe family of the soldier killed in action is receiving US citizenship.