3rd AND LAST IMAGE BATCH FOR THE USS LANIKAI IN THE SUBIC MUSEUM
Since the wreck of the USS Lanikai was found, early this century, many of us people here in Subic Bay have a special interest in the ship. If you read the many references about the vessel perhaps you agree with the former skipper of the ship and Admiral Hart, the Commander of the US Asiatic Fleet that they thought that President Roosevelt had certain intentions in mind. I lean toward the intelligence task of the mission.
The Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) (the former Subic Bay Naval Base) managed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) have established a museum on the former Naval Base. Good friends of mine were involved in arranging a corner in the museum in2009, dedicated to the USS Lanikai. They asked me to take pictures.
In 2009 I did take some pictures and established an album. The pictures were not the best quality and just this week I reworked the pictures and uploaded them into a new album with 27 images and in a higher resolution. This is the album:
s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/SBFZ%20Ex%20Naval%20Base%20Subic%20Bay/SBFZ%202009/USS%20Lanikai?sort=9&page=1Here are the next 13 and last sample pictures but they are much smaller than in the album.
W797 (#14) this is the 2nd image board of the USS Lanikai museum display at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone Museum. Two local residents Randy Anderson and Bob Chester with the SBFZ Museum have done it. They invited me to take pictures.
W798 (#15) this is the cover of the book the Commanding Officer Lt. Kemp Tolley wrote later of its WWII voyage. It is called Cruise of the Lanikai (Incitement to War) who became a Rear Admiral.
W799 (#17) this is the description of the previous image #14, one explains the history and the special WWII mission of the ship. The 2nd one lists the 12 Filipino crew members of the 18 men crew.
W800 (#20) twelve crewmen of the USS Lanikai were Filipinos and the shadow box of crew member Armando Alcantara found its way into the USS Lanikai history display in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone Museum on the former Naval Base Subic Bay.
W801 (#22) apparently all USS Lanikai crew members were specially honored and recognized by the President of the United States. Here is the certificate of crew member Armando Alcantara. That is special, I never got one!
W802 (#23) here is the picture crew member Armando Alcantara. Twelve crewmen of the USS Lanikai were Filipinos the other 6 were US Mainland Sailors incl. the Skipper, the other 5 were mostly Chief Petty Officers incl. one Chief Boatswain Mate.
W803 (#24) the sunken wreck of the USS Lanikai has been found. About 20 artefacts were recovered and turned over to SBMA (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority) incl. this porthole. This information is from Randy Anderson, see in the description below.
Randy Anderson writes in this web page:
www.pinoytoptips.com/buzz/travel/subic-bay/philippine-adventure-the-discovery-of-the-uss-lanikai.htmlWhen the SBMA received the report of a wooden wreck near Mooring at the mouth of Triboa Bay, they asked Robbie Homan’s Subic Bay based dive company, Masterdive, Inc., to investigate.
Homan described what he saw, “Lanikai is sitting upright in 125 feet of water, the bow slightly up. All the wood is badly deteriorated, of course, but about two feet of the hull, with planking, is still visible. The big timbers of the ribs are still intact and the keel protrudes from the badly damaged bow of the wreck.
W804 (25) this is another porthole of the USS Lanikai at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone Museum. When I first established the original album about this story, my 2nd best hiking buddy, here in Subic Bay, a lady from Belgium, wrote this on 16th Oct 2009
Hi Karl,
With diving friends we went diving on The Lanikai. It was on 08/04/2004
There was not much left at 35 meters.
I remember there was a toilet, some tiles and it was dark and murky (not muddy!)
Jen Valermino, a Subic friend of ours, her grandfather was on the Lanikai.
It was quit emotional for her when she knew that we would go diving there.
It was an interesting dive with a lot of story's going around about who found the wreck.
Nice to see your email with info about the Lanikai and that we have seen the leftovers of the wreck.
Have a nice weekend,
Jos
W805 (#26) this is maybe the most valuable artifact recovered from 1947 sunken wreck of the USS Lanikai. These thought came to me: Helmsman, come right to new course 045 to Subic Bay! Was that one of those commands to the helmsman? A son of a crew member wrote
Hello!
I enjoyed your notes and photos taken of the Lanikai museum. My father, John Gorman, was in the U.S. Navy and sailed with Kemp Tolley on that infamous journey to Australia aboard the Lanikai during the war. Admiral Tolley contacted my father back in the 60's asking for information to be used in Tolleys book Cruise of the Lanikai. My father is mentioned a few times in the book. I had heard about the museum a few years ago but I really appreciate the interest and photos you took. My father passed away back in 1976.He served in the Navy till 1960.He was briefed in the U.S. after the war and his story is in the national archives in Washington D.C. I am new to the Heritage website. It looks very interesting.
Thanks again,
Geff Gorman
W806 (#27) more artifacts recovered from the 1947 sunken wreck of the USS Lanikai. There are different claims as to who found the Lanikai wreck. Below in the description box I pasted a mail from a friend and URL that describes the conflict matter.
#27a a friend wrote this in regards the discovery of the Lanikai. Hi Karl, here is a little more additional information on the discovery of the Lanikai. It was Johan, (Owner of a Beach Resort and Inn) from Baloy Beach, Barretto, Olongapo City; that found the wreck. Regards, David.
W807 (#28) more artifacts recovered from the 1947 sunken wreck of the USS Lanikai. There are different claims as to who found the Lanikai wreck. This is a URL that mentions the conflict of claims between two different diving organizations in Subic Bay:
www.tseatc.com/smf/index.php?topic=10.0W808 (#29) I thought this was an interesting addition in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone Museum. I believe it shows a Japanese occupation administrator signing some authorization slip. It represents the Japanese Occupation in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone Museum.
W809 (#32) I thought this was an interesting addition in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone Museum. I believe it shows a Japanese occupation administrator signing some authorization slip. It represents the Japanese Occupation in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone Museum.