SUBIC BAY, P.I.

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

Upon the commencement of hostilities during the Spanish- American War, Teddy Roosevelt, then Asst. SEC. Nav., ordered Commodore Dewey to attack the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay. On May 1, 1898, Dewey destroyed the Spanish fleet and U.S. forces invaded the Philippines. The P.I. became an American protectorate.

Following WWII, the Philippines became an independent sovereign island nation. They have experienced a difficult history of trying to govern themselves.

In the '50's, the Korean War showed the U.S. a need for a forward operating base in the South Pacific. The site of the Spanish Naval base Subic Bay was chosen. From 1951-1956, Navy Seabees worked to build the airfield at Cubi Point and the adjacent pier at a cost of 100's of millions of dollars.

Subic Bay and the associated Cubi Point Naval Air Station were of significant importance during the Vietnam War. Cubi Point had an adjacent pier that could accommodate the Navy's carriers. Cubi Point served as the maintenance, repair and supply center for the carrier fleet's air wing.

Right outside the main gate, across the river bridge is the city of Olongapo. For many young American sailors this was the scene of their first exposure to friendly foreign nationals. Many a young sailor fell in love with young dark-skinned beauties.

1. Subic Bay
2. A four day in port period was a time of relaxing, maybe.
3. The pier was a busy place.
4. The Coral Sea (CV43), our sister carrier seen in the distance.
5. The road from the pier to the airfield in the distance.

 

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

While in port the USS Constellation undergoes underwater inspection by Navy divers.

Nearby Grande Island was fortified by the Spanish but during Vietnam, it was a place for R&R for ship's crews and Marines.

 

[Targets Guy]

I have experienced the Philippines twice; a stop over on the way to Hawaii in 1971 and a stop over coming back to Vietnam in 1971. Been near it a few more times while in South Korea and Guam.

My dad was there during WWII helping to kick the Japanese army out.

 

[Mark S.]

Right outside the main gate, across the river bridge is the city of Olongapo. For many young American sailors this was the scene of their first exposure to friendly foreign nationals. Many a young sailor fell in love with young dark-skinned beauties.

Clark Air Base was the first foreign soil I touched in my life when I flew in to meet my ship which was part of the Midway carrier group in port down in Subic Bay. The bus I rode south had metal bars on the windows. I was wondering if they were there to protect us or the locals. Martial law and curfews were still in place back in the Marcos days. Olongapo was quite an eye opener for a young sailor's first overseas experience.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

Many a young sailor fell in love with young dark-skinned beauties.

In the Philippines I flew out of NS Sangley Point which was across the bay from Manila. It was a Naval Station vs a Air Station, which was a bit confusing because it had a runway as well as a Sea-lane for the seaplanes from VP-40, VP-48 and VP-50. There were C-124's, C-130's, P2V's, F4's and a host of other planes flying in and out on a daily basis. There was also a Squadron of Australian P2V's using the airfield. Sangley Point was within easy reach of Vietnam. We made many patrols to VN that were 12+ hours: 4 hours flying time each way and 4 hours on Station in support of Operation Market Time.

Three guys I know of married while there, and they are still married 53 years later.

 

[RobertJ.]

Right outside the main gate, across the river bridge is the city of Olongapo.

That bridge was where one would see a "Poop River Queen"!

I had the pleasure of being at Subic Bay for two weeks about April of 1982. I was 22, and behaved like a blind dog in a meat-packing plant!

The funniest thing I saw, was a country-western band, whose singer wore a cowboy hat almost as big as he was. He yelled, "If you ain't country, you ain't poop!"

Excellent write-up, BTW!

 

[USN-RET]

Having been stationed on two ships out of San Diego (USS England DLG/CG-22) and the (USS Jouett CG-29) and made a total of 6 deployments it was always nice to pull into Subic for a little R&R, San Miguel or MoJo, if that was your poison. Trips out to Grande Island or Blacks Beach were always a welcome retreat after patrolling off the coast of Vietnam. To bad Subic was closed for my LAST deployment to the Persian Gulf for Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, I could have used a gallon of MoJo.

Here are my two ships, some shots of Subic and what I did in the Navy (Missile Fire Controlman). GO NAVY!! FCCM(SW)

 

[USN-RET]

Just a few more pictures for days gone by....

 

[RobertJ.]

Just a few more pictures for days gone by....

I like how everyone's plugging their ears for the Tomcat fly-by!

 

[the ringo kid]

Upon the commencement of hostilities during the Spanish- American War, Teddy Roosevelt, then Asst. SEC. Nav., ordered Commodore Dewey to attack the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay. On May 1, 1898, Dewey destroyed the Spanish fleet and U.S. forces invaded the Philippines. The P.I. became an American protectorate.

Following WWII, the Philippines became an independent sovereign island nation. They have experienced a difficult history of trying to govern themselves.

In the '50's, the Korean War showed the U.S. a need for a forward operating base in the South Pacific. The site of the Spanish Naval base Subic Bay was chosen. From 1951-1956, Navy Seabees worked to build the airfield at Cubi Point and the adjacent pier at a cost of 100's of millions of dollars.

Subic Bay and the associated Cubi Point Naval Air Station were of significant importance during the Vietnam War. Cubi Point had an adjacent pier that could accommodate the Navy's carriers. Cubi Point served as the maintenance, repair and supply center for the carrier fleet's air wing.

Right outside the main gate, across the river bridge is the city of Olongapo. For many young American sailors this was the scene of their first exposure to friendly foreign nationals. Many a young sailor fell in love with young dark-skinned beauties.

1. Subic Bay
2. A four day in port period was a time of relaxing, maybe.
3. The pier was a busy place.
4. The Coral Sea (CV43), our sister carrier seen in the distance.
5. The road from the pier to the airfield in the distance.

Thank you for another great post Chief. Ive had a couple friends who were stationed there, but back in the early 80's. Ive been told you can walk in the trees and find rusting Japanese tanks and such in there. One friend was stuck there for 4 years I believe? His "entertainment" was to cycle the island on his Schwinn.

 

[the ringo kid]

While in port the USS Constellation undergoes underwater inspection by Navy divers.

Nearby Grande Island was fortified by the Spanish but during Vietnam, it was a place for R&R for ship's crews and Marines.

Question, Navy divers arent S.E.A.L.s are they? Reason I ask is a neighbor of mine was stationed at NAS Kingsville late 80s to about 1991?? and he was a diver. He's now long since retired and living in Key West If anyone knows a Navy diver by the name of Scott Smith? please let me know how to get in touch with he and his wife. Scott is over 6 foot tall. His wife has a glass eye. Thats all I can remember.

 

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

Question, Navy divers arent S.E.A.L.s are they? Reason I ask is a neighbor of mine was stationed at NAS Kingsville late 80s to about 1991?? and he was a diver. He's now long since retired and living in Key West If anyone knows a Navy diver by the name of Scott Smith? please let me know how to get in touch with he and his wife. Scott is over 6 foot tall. His wife has a glass eye. Thats all I can remember.

Navy Divers are not SEALS, they perform many underwater task not necessarily directly associated with combat such as inspection and underwater repair and salvage. Although there is some shared training, being a Diver is a different skill set.

Below is a photo of a crazy Filipino diver that I photographed in Manila. He was wearing a homemade wet suit made of old inner tubes.

 

[wilkoi]

I was stationed at Cubi for 19 months and survived, enough said.

 

[USN-RET]

I like how everyone's plugging their ears for the Tomcat fly-by!

Yeah, we were up north in the Gulf, covering the No-Fly Zone and this flyboy decided to give us Cruiser types a close-up of his mode of transportation. I swear his wing wasn't 10' off the deck. Crazy!! and yes..... L O U D !!

 

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

USN-Ret, in 1972 onboard the USS Independence in the Med, we were constantly harassed by Russian torpedo boats. They would come at us in an attack attitude perpendicular to our fore and aft axis. Then at the last moment they would veer off. They would often try to interfere with flight ops. It was really annoying and the crew was getting fed-up with the shenanigans.

One day as we were getting ready to launch aircraft, a Soviet helicopter, the little egg beater kind, flew very low over the flight deck trying to stop flight ops. A purple shirt from the fuel farm was walking across the deck carrying a fuel spill mop. As the Soviet chopper buzzed him, he threw that swab straight into the air. I was standing maybe twenty feet away, I swear that swab was headed directly for the chopper's blades. I don't to this day know how that swab missed but it would have been an international incident if that chopper had been brought down. The Soviets quit that particular game after that.

 

[Targets Guy]

Having been stationed on two ships out of San Diego (USS England DLG/CG-22) and the (USS Jouett CG-29) and made a total of 6 deployments it was always nice to pull into Subic for a little R&R, San Miguel or MoJo, if that was your poison. Trips out to Grande Island or Blacks Beach were always a welcome retreat after patrolling off the coast of Vietnam. To bad Subic was closed for my LAST deployment to the Persian Gulf for Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, I could have used a gallon of MoJo.

Here are my two ships, some shots of Subic and what I did in the Navy (Missile Fire Controlman). GO NAVY!! FCCM(SW)

Thanks for reminding me. I do miss the San Miguel. It got me through my Guam tour.

 

[zzzippper]

I made my career as a DoD civilian watching contractors build and maintain aircraft. You name it, I've worked on it. At least until the F-22 and F-35 came along. In the 2006 to 2007 timeframe I was stationed at NAF Atsugi, Japan doing quality assurance on the air wing. But during that time I also went TDY to Clark to do QA on a PAF C-130 that was getting depot maintenance. Actually it was being rebuilt but that is another story. During that time I spent over 13 months total living in the PI.

When the US left the PI they turned over Subic and Clark. Both bases were appointed mayors and you can see the difference in how they were managed. At Clark the generals sealed the gates and stripped out everything of value (doors, windows, plumbing, etc.) and sold it. The jungle has been over taking most of it. The hospital is virtually engulfed. At that time some businesses were moving in and turning it around. It has a world class length runway and was an emergency landing place for the space shuttle. So cargo companies like Fed Ex and UPS have big operations there. There is also a nice golf resort and housing development. I heard that a big Singapore hotel company was going to build there.

Subic was cleaner and better developed. They USN still called there at times. There are some hotels and bars. I stayed at one where they had a monkey caged in the bar and people would torment the poor thing. I stayed away from the monkey! They also hosted a ladyboy beauty contest one weekend which was entertaining.

Is this MoJo you're talking about lambanog? A rot gut cheap liquor flavored with raisins, apples, and even Juicy Fruit gum at time.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

Anyone traveling by Pensacola, Florida, can stop in at the National Naval Aviation Museum and have lunch at the Cubi Bar Cafe. It is the same Cubi Bar that was the Officer's Club at Cubi Point Naval Air Station which was adjacent to Subic Bay. It is full of memorabilia and history. They even have San Miguel Beer. Rumor is that even a couple of waitresses came over with the bar in 1992. Subic Bay and Cubi Point were both severely damaged by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo on June 15, 1991. The Bases closed the following year.

 

[Scotiapilot]

POO river. YUCK

 

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

Lee, I sure enjoy your posts. Your Videos of VP-40 were terrific. The Chief's Club at Cubi was the best, it was called the Top of the Mark or something like that, it looked out over the whole bay.

USN-RET, liked your photos. I really like ships that look like ships, particularly Destroyers. So many today look like something out of a Hollywood special effects designer's imagination.