U.S. Will Close Puerto Rico Naval Base

AP | 9/23/03

[kattracks]

The Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Sept. 23 — The United States will close its Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in eastern Puerto Rico within the next six months, the territory's congressional delegate said Tuesday. Congress and President Bush are expected to sign off on the closure by the end of next week, said Anibal Acevado Vila, the U.S. territory's nonvoting congressional delegate. The Pentagon did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

The base's closure comes after several years of protests against U.S. military exercises in Vieques, which ended with the Navy's May 1 withdrawal from its bombing range on that tiny outlying island.

The United States set up Roosevelt Roads and the Vieques bombing range in the 1940s and used it to prepare for international conflicts from World War II to the war in Afghanistan.

Roosevelt Roads was the site of the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility, which oversaw the exercises on Vieques.

Tensions between the Navy and locals heightened, however, when two errant bombs in 1999 killed a civilian guard on Vieques. Opponents said the bombing harmed the environment, the health of the island's 9,100 residents and its sole industries of fishing and tourism.

The Navy maintains the exercises never posed a health threat, but it turned to inert ammunition following the fatal accident.

Since 1999, more than 1,000 people including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Rev. Al Sharpton and actor Edward James Olmos have been arrested for breaking onto Navy lands to thwart the exercises.

Gov. Sila Calderon wanted Roosevelt Roads to remain open even after the end to Vieques military exercises.

Roosevelt Roads, which began laying off some of its 6,300 employees in April, injects an estimated $300 million a year into the U.S. Caribbean territory's economy.

Acevado Vila, who is running for governor in 2004 from Calderon's People's Democratic Party, said the base's closure would open opportunities for tourism and other investment.

[TheBattman]

Coal? Steam Powered? Huh?

[berserker]

Some of my finest memories of my naval career are walking in the dark down the hill from the officer's club at 2 or 3 in the morning to get back to the LST. Ah, what can you do with a drunken sailor?

[battlegearboat]

...so err-lie-a in the mornin....

I drove a 1964 TR4 that I bought from the retiring Public Works Commander. It was one of the top ten hottest cars at Roosevelt Roads.

My boss drove an authentic English Taxi to and from work.

If you didn't have a car at Roosey, you were definitly in a pickle. However, station residents felt it their duty to pick up hitchhikers, but not around those hours of the morning.

[RinaseaofDs]

Everett, WA did the same exact thing last month. The Navy was looking at Everett as a place to base the SBX platform for this area (part of a missile early warning system). Boeing has lots of facilities here, there's a major airport in Paine Field close by, lots of good reasons for it to be there.

Everett City Council put it's Admirals Epaulettes on and said that they didn't want the SBX barge in Everett.

They have a carrier, and five other ships, but the SBX and its radiation would screw up TV reception. In addition, the barge would be an eyesore in an area under revitilization.

So, Everett wants the Naval base AND it wants to tell the Navy what is acceptible usage of the base.

Smoked salmon, anyone?

[Destro]

Sad so few American know their history. The need for colonies-and coal fueling stations was a prime imperative of that era's foreign policy considerations. In other words, the reasons for holding on to PR as a colony has become obsolete.

[teldon30]

anyone remember the Black Angus social club in San Juan? ...hehehe :D

[oyez]

I was E-5 I advanced tio E-5 later that summer Sorry about that. Anyway, my Senior crew was highly p*ssed that he couldn't have a guest. I didn't really care, beer was 20 cents in the Enlisted Club.

[TheBattman]

I was very much aware of the historical need for such fueling locations in the oceans. I just missed your invisible sarcasm tag.......

[Destro]

no problemo.

[ladyjane]

We should cut Puerto Rico loose and let it become an independent Carribean nation

You're right bump.

[shaggy eel]

Acevado Vila, who is running for governor in 2004 from Calderon's People's Democratic Party, said the base's closure would open opportunities for tourism and other investment.

,,, here's a great realty opportunity for the Chinese.

[battlegearboat]

Right outside the main gate to San Juan Naval Station.

[BOBWADE]

Great news, Now to close all of our Germany bases and take our money to a country that appreciates our help.

[4Freedom]

"...they'll probably blame Bush for not increasing the welfare allocation..."

No, because that's exactly what Bush is going to do.

Thanks to last minute changes in the base closing legislation, it looks like the ingrates in Puerto Rico are going to get almost the whole thing for FREE!!!

The multi-billion U.S. Taxpayer's dollars built airport?

Goes to Puerto Rico FREE!

The multi-billion U.S. Taxpayer's dollars built harbors?

Goes to Puerto Rico FREE!

Mangrove areas, schools, parks, prisons, health facilities (Hospital), land designated for homeless shelters and anything else designated for public use?

Goes to Puerto Rico FREE!

Puerto Rico gets 40% of the money from the sale of anything that's left to sell.

Puerto Rico gets to appoint all the members of the commission that will decide what to do with any land that's left and NOW, neither the Navy nor Congress gets to say a damn thing about it.

The Navy will have to make grant money available for land and commuity development in and around the base.

House Defense Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif. and President George Bush completely sold out the U.S. Taxpayers, again!

So much for all their RINO chest thumping.

[Pukin Dog]

I think you missed your medicine this morning, friend. What do you think the Puerto Rican government would rather have? Everything you listed, or the guaranteed $300M annual infusion into their economy? Airports without airplanes are nothing but worthless concrete. Harbors without ships are worth nothing either. All the facilities you mentioned? Who is going to pay to keep the lights on, smartguy? The value of the land in question has fallen rapidly, and there are no facts supporting your claim regarding any Navy committment to community development.

In case you were not aware, the Navy has no money or authority to appropriate funds outside of it's own needs. If Puerto Rico gets a dime, it will come from Congress. You know, those folks who actually SPEND the money? So, it was a nice little rant, but not one anyone else should get steamed over. Right now, Puerto Ricas are wishing we were still dropping bombs on them.

[ASA Vet]

You also for deaddog.

[TontoKowalski]

Back in the seventies the best looking hookers on Earth plied their wares in Old San Juan.

East Coast Lightweight. The best looking hookers on Earth reside in Thailand. The decade is irrelevant.

WestPac. Ain't no Picnic.

[jsbankston]

Now these idiot Puerto Ricans can go back to selling Tacos and watching reruns of I Love Lucy.

I would doubt that most Puerto Ricans are idiots but tacos are not a mainstay in the Puerto Rican diet, instead there diet is more Caribbean on nature. In addition Ricky Ricardo was a Cuban, not Puerto Rican and there tends to be a great deal of bad blood between people of the two islands.

[jsbankston]

The people of Puerto Rico have voted in several Plebiscites and had the choice of becoming a U.S. State, becoming independent or remaining a Territory.

In each plebiscite the people choose to remain a territory. BTW-The only people on the island that want to become independent are the far left Communists that want the United States out of Puerto Rico.

For now, every Puerto Rican is as American as a child born in Texas.

[ASA Vet]

The best looking hookers on Earth reside in Thailand

Where's that?