"Son, you're on your own."
Posted on 05/19/2015 10:15:43 AM PDT by Timber Rattler
At the height of the Vietnam War, the vast U.S. Navy base here at Subic Bay, across the South China Sea from the fighting, was humming with activity, and for the 30,000 civilian Filipinos who worked on maintenance, repair and hundreds of other high-paid jobs, it was a golden era.
"There was so much money to be made," said Jong Cortez, a member of the city council whose parents both worked on the base. Plus, there were good benefits and, everyone thought, job security.
Even after the war ended, the Navy stayed active here to counter the naval base the Soviets occupied at Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam that the Americans had left behind. But in 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, and in 1992, amid long-festering feelings that Philippine sovereignty was compromised by the presence of U.S. bases, the Americans were told to leave. The eruption of nearby Mount Pinatubo in June 1991 helped convince Washington that the bases weren't worth making an issue of. The civilian jobs vanished.
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
Too bad.
After what Corazon Aquino and the F*CKED UP Philippine “Senate” did to the US Navy in the early 1990s I SAY “Screw You”!
Sorry, Philippines, we don't have any Navy to send you anymore. Our Dear Leader threw it away.
“After what Corazon Aquino and the F*CKED UP Philippine “Senate” did to the US Navy in the early 1990s I SAY “Screw You”!”
If what you said and most of us feel are heard by the White Hut, we should be back there by end of year.
You beat me to it!!
Their economy is better than some US states.
And dropping the bases for fifteen years saved us money at the time.
I would support a return because we were never that resented, and their remains a whole lot of intermarriage between Americans and Pilipinos.
And then there are still some of the men Harry Truman betrayed there.
How much are they willing to pay for our services this time?
That goes without saying.
They threw thousands and thousands of Filipinos into poverty by kicking us out.
So yes, I say SCREW ‘EM.
As an aside: When in the Navy my dad dived in Subic Bay. He pulled up silver coins that said “Philippines” and “United States of America” on them. They were really cool.
He said they got dumped just as the japs were moving in, in an attempt to deny them the silver.
Sadly, a family member stole and sold them to support his drug habit.
And if we DO go back to Subic with the way the NEW United States Navy is will there be enough “Benny Boys” “imported” into Olongapo/Subic City/Angeles City to “service” the NEW “Fleet”. And will Clark open back up as well?
The one thing I remember about reading in the Stars and Stripes back when we closed Subic down was how they were angry about us taking our floating dry docks to Sasebo (I believe). For those that were there, if you recall there were those big floating drydocks. How many billions of dollars did the American taxpayers pay for those and they were upset we weren’t leaving them when we pulled out? That was hutzpah!
"Son, you're on your own."
good story! thanks!
........and Clark AFB...............but Mt. Pinatubo took care of that.................
LOL..............
One should always be careful that for which one wishes. The communist element in the Philippines wanted the USA out of Subic Bay, period. Tough cookies! Buzz off! You reap what you sow! ;-)
Clark is buried under tons of ash....................
For those who do not know:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Benny+Boy
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