Documenting the famous goodwill journey of Drew University students through Latin American universities
March 2025 – Drew University’s Library has launched a detailed website documenting the famous goodwill journey of seven college students—three from Drew—who set out on a 13-month goodwill tour of Latin American universities in 1961. The site serves as a digital archive of the Operation Americas expedition, coined the Duck Diaries.
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Drew students George Burrill C’65, Robert Hinds Jr. C’64, and Fraser Shaw C’64, together with SUNY Cobleskill students Dan Twomey, Tom Twomey, Colin Reid, and Walter Kutrieb, traveled nearly 30,000 miles in an Army surplus amphibian vehicle named El Pato Valiente (The Valiant Duck).
Their remarkable journey, which aimed to foster goodwill and cultural exchange, was later chronicled in the film The Duck Diaries: A Cold War Quest for Friendship Across the Americas, written and directed by Matt Twomey, son of Dan Twomey and nephew of Tom Twomey.
The website was developed in part by Julia Satola C’25 as a project within Drew’s Digital Humanities Summer Institute, a program that pairs students with faculty and staff mentors to conduct primary research using digital humanities each summer. Drew Library staff instrumental in the research and content development included University Archivist Matthew Beland, University Library Director Elizabeth Leonard, Digital Initiatives Manager Danielle Reay, Manager of Special Collections Candace Reilly, and Reference Librarian Amanda Graves.
“From a historical perspective, the website provides insight into our experience, what we were thinking, and what drove us at that time,” said Burrill, who was integral in the compilation of data for the website.
“At a time of political negativity and lack of critical thinking, it is refreshing to view the Duck Diaries—a story of students, including three from Drew, that made a 30,000 mile goodwill trip throughout Latin America making friends and showing that love of country, music, and playing basketball can make friendships and demonstrate that warmth, courtesy, and caring are forceful weapons against prejudice and intolerance,” said Hinds, who was the captain of the El Pato Valiente.
The crew garnered an incredible amount of press coverage before, during, and after the trip. They were even asked to make an appearance on “The Today Show” directly prior to their departure.
Burrill’s most vivid memories of the journey stem from the incredible welcomes they received at the university campuses, which is well-documented in the digital exhibit.
At Drew, Burrill, Shaw, and Hinds found they shared an intellectual and emotional interest in culture and social issues. “At Drew, I met students with similar values,” said Burrill. “Classes and faculty were very open to these issues. That’s why I came to Drew in the first place.”
“There were a set of topics that I was most interested in, and I expanded upon what I knew and understood and gave me more experience and more depth,” he continued. “That trip expanded my knowledge and interest in international matters. Drew provided me with a situation where I could explore and expand upon my interests in the things I cared about.”
Drew’s administration supported the journey, even allowing the three Drew students to take a one year leave of absence, which was not common practice at the time.
Reflecting on his return to Drew, Burrill noted the contrast in intellectual challenges before and after the trip. “The journey was an intellectual challenge of one kind,” he explained. “Returning to Drew presented intellectual challenges of a different nature.” Following his return, Burrill spent his junior year in two semester programs at Drew, studying abroad in London and in Washington, D.C.
“The documentation on Drew’s website shows Drew’s long term interest in the student body, as well as other countries and cultures,” said Burrill. “That’s been an active facet of life at Drew for many students.”
The seven crew members formed life-long friendships and have remained in contact over the years.
