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Post by cbuehler on Dec 19, 2014 7:02:49 GMT 8
Ok, I am not sure I understand what is going on. Have Ft. Drum and Ft. Frank been closed off? Who is enforcing this and why? When Fireball and I were on both locations nearly 2 years ago, most everything was still present on Ft. Drum as it has been for many years. Yes, scrappers had been at work on both locations, mostly rebar pickers, and have been for decades. The guns are still present on Ft.Drum to my knowledge. One had fallen back into the barbette quite some years ago, but it is still there. Who has said that these places can no longer be visited? What Marines are using Caballo island as firing range? US or Phil.? Have any of the contributors to this forum been on Drum and Carabao recently? With regard to FT. Drum, its condition is very precarious now and the damage caused be scrappers aside, I noted that it is starting to fall apart on its own. I suppose it is still relatively safe to be on the top outside, if it had some rope barriers around the edges perhaps, but to go inside is now very dangerous. Floors and ceilings are collapsing and every piece of metal is rusted. The barbettes, cradles for the guns etc. are in an advanced state of corrosion and it is only a matter of time (probably not much) when the other tubes will fall inside as well. As a tourist destination, it can only be visited by going around it on water with any safety. Ft. Frank would be better if they could clear it of growth and make a decent spot to land on the island.
CB
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 21:16:08 GMT 8
I don't know why but the who is the Phillipine Marines. Their base is near Fort Frank. They came over in 2 "go fast" boats and a banca. They tooh the captain off our boat and interrogated him. Our names were written down and photos taken of us. We had a coast guard with us - but he kept his mouth shut.
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Post by cbuehler on Dec 23, 2014 1:44:40 GMT 8
Well, I have to wonder if this was a single incident at a given time or is the island indeed completely off limits now?
CB
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Post by Registrar on Dec 23, 2014 10:18:21 GMT 8
Please be aware that many of us are discussing a foreign country where it is a reasonable inference that single incidents by military personnel who carry guns become de-facto government policy, whether the government has made the decision consciously or not. Once it happens, higher authority tends to close ranks around its lower echelon conduct irrespective. This is the way policy is made in many worlds, not just here. Take the matter up with higher authority than the guys with guns, if you will. Sorry if this may seem a bit curt or unreasonable, but there's no room for reason or debate out there when they have Armalite Authority, and we do not. They are, at least, friendly. Complain to the US Embassy.
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Post by oozlefinch on Dec 24, 2014 13:52:58 GMT 8
Registrar is quite right. Just because we may want to do something, doesn't mean we get to do it. There are many instances of "ugly Americans" demanding to be able to do something just because of who we are (I be one, and I've been told I'm very ugly!). Just a SWAG, but may the Philippine Marines are using Ft. Frank as a training base for urban warfare. I think the place is ready-made for such training.
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Post by cbuehler on Dec 26, 2014 10:45:46 GMT 8
As of a few years ago, Carabao Island (Ft. Frank) was so immensely overgrown with thick and thorny undergrowth that it sometimes took Fireball and I 30 minutes of chopping, clipping and tripping to traverse but 50 yards! The only evidence of recent human activity were the remains of some bamboo bangko (bed frame) of fishermen or scrappers. Even they had apparently given up on going to the island due to the undergrowth and tunnels packed with bats and filth. Jungle warfare would be the word. There was no ready landing point to access the island, and unless it has been recently (with great effort) cleared and a suitable landing point made, no one is doing anything there, including the Marines. I am wondering if zman and company may have been the victims of some muscle flexing Phil. Marines using their US training in a "security" operation. The South China sea is an issue now.
CB
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2014 22:20:16 GMT 8
We saw the same - heavily overgrown with no signs of recent use. The way I figure it, There are 3 possibilities 1. They spotted us from the Marine base across the bay as we wandered about topside on the Northern end of the island 2. We were picked up randomly during a patrol / exercise 3. The scrapers were pissed that the biig banca was in their parking spot, and ratted us out.
I vote for #3
Z
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