Clark AFB, in the Angeles City area, was closed due to the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption. Due to the upcoming expiration of our base leases in the Philippines in 1992, Clark AFB was declared a total loss and we did not attempt to repair the base or renew its lease, due to the Billion$$$ it would have cost to totally rebuild it.
Just prior to the 1991 eruption that destroyed Clark AFB, Clark was the largest U.S. Air Force Base outside the Continental United States. I believe that at the time I was stationed in nearby Subic Bay Naval Base in the mid to late 1980's, Clark had nearly 10,000 Air Force members stationed there. There is a good nostalgic website dedicated to Clark AFB that you can check out by clicking the link below:
The Subic Bay Naval Base was also heavily damaged by the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption, but unlike Clark AFB, after the dependents were evacuated, the base was repaired and the dependents were returned. After Pinatubo, the U.S. did not attempt to renew the lease to Clark AFB, but instead attempted to just renew the lease and keep our naval base at Subic Bay.
As with Clark AFB, when the Subic Bay Naval Base was open, it was the largest Naval Base outside the United States. When I was there in the mid to late 1980's, there were approximately 5,000 or so sailors and marines stationed there. You could add a few thousand more who were there temporarily there for a few weeks to a few months and whenever 'the fleet' would pull in (a Carrier Battle group), you could add 10,000 sailors/marines in town and on base for liberty. (Back during the Vietnam War, Subic Bay could handle three Carrier battle groups in port at the same time.)
However, it all came to naught as the Philippine Senate in 1992 rejected any lease extension and ordered our remaining forces out of the Philippines by the end of that year. I believe the final personnel left Subic Bay in November, 1992 and returned total control of the Subic Bay Naval Base over to the Philippine Government. There is also a nostalgic website dedicated to the former Subic Bay Naval Base that you can click on below:
I remember at the time that the PI government wanted us to pay almost double to continue the leases.
After the eruption, the US was no longer as interested because of the predicted cost of the clean up and repairs. The base at Subic had lost over 80 buildings, most collapsed due to the weight of the ash, along with the rains from the super typhoon that also hit at the same time.
The negotiations just fell through after that. It was portrayed by some of the politicians as them “kicking us out,” but that was just for political gain.
Subic was the best liberty port in the Pacific IMHO. It was so friendly and laid back. I would have retired there in 1 more year if the volcano hadn't changed my plans for me. If the bases did open back up, I'd go back to stay.