Subic Bay, SBFZ, ex Naval Base

[chadhill]

Those pictures, including the 1926 photos of Subic, are awesome, Karl! Patty and I greatly enjoyed them. You sure have been working hard on these posts and we appreciate the effort and time you put into them.

[Karl Welteke]

SUBMARINE BASE IN SUBIC BAY 1945

Some time ago I came across this webpage about the female experience in the U.S. Armed Forces, it is called: The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project. And this is the URL:
library.uncg.edu/dp/wv/

A Search for Subic Bay in the Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project popped up 6 images which I am going to use here and this is the URL for that search.
library.uncg.edu/dp/wv/itemSearch.aspx?t=1&k=Subic%20Bay

The pictures show a female visiting a Submarine Base in Subic Bay and at a location which was very inaccessible until 2008. A few friends and I were the lone visitors in that area for many years but the pictures of that location caught my attention.

So along with the 1945 images I’m also presenting some of my images of my hikes in the same area for comparison.



Y114---the original description just says Submarines in Subic Bay in 1945.



Y115---a capture of the search result for Subic Bay in the above URL.



Y116---a Red Cross Lady on the Mt. Redondo slopes 60 years before friends and I were crawling around the same slopes.



Y117---the same slopes on Mt. Redondo as in the last picture, only a little more than 60 years later.



Y118---a section of an old 1:50000 map which shows the streets of the former 1945 Submarine Base. Newer maps don’t show those streets anymore. And for many decades this area was no longer accessible by vehicle, only on foot or boat.



Y119---at 2006 things started to change here because of the Hanjin Shipyard development. By 2008 that road was usable and people started flowing in. But the former Sub Base was forgotten and Mr. Gaines died and with him the Gains Beach Resort which used the area of the former Sub Base.



Y120---This is on the Mt. Redondo side of Subic Bay, right of the Lady’s head is Grande Island.



Y121---Almost the same shot as the last 1945 picture, at right one can see a couple of buildings and a crane, the Hanjin Shipyard is being created.



Y122---one bridge left in the former 1945 Submarine Base on the west side of Subic Bay. To my diver friends, that is Bill Loudermilk trekking along with me. This is a 2006 image, the imprint on the image is wrong.



Y123---I’m sure that the 1945 Submarine Pier was abutted against this embankment, the area of the former Submarine Base became Gains Beach and Miami Club Beach (remember the Miami Club in Subic City you old Sea Dogs).



Y124---obviously a Sub and a float plane but I can’t make out the direction we are looking at in Subic Bay, 1945.



Y125---based on hiking experience those slopes certainly look like the Mt. Redondo slopes. Please don’t tell the Political Correct People, who are in power now, that our sailors had a Hangover House in 1945, maybe they will condemn them rectractive.
Note:
Chad and Patty, you are most welcome, love to do it though!

[beirutvet]

Hey Gents;

That resort at Fort Wint looks real cozy.  Is it still running?  Is it worth the trip to stay there to see the fortifications, or just do a day trip?  Or has it gone the way of the resort on Corregidor?

And what the hell is a 'Hash House Harrier'?

[Karl Welteke]

AMERICAN LEGION POST #4 RECEIVED NOTICE TO VACATE


The Post is located on Magsaysay Drive Olongapo City and has the Oryoku Mary gun mounted in front.


On Tuesday, October 21, 2014 5:03 PM, Chris Schrauben <[e-mail]> wrote:


I am calling a special membership meeting to be held on October 26,

2014 at 1300 (1pm) at Post 4. The general purpose of this meeting
follows.

I am keeping this simple and to the point.


Monday Oct 20, 2014 Post 4 was served with eviction papers by the Labor
Board Sheriff. We have been given 15 days (November 4, 2014) to vacate
our Post Home.


Our lawyer has been notified. City Hall has been notified. I am hoping
at the minimum get an extension on the 15 days. I will hopefully know
more by the meeting on Sunday. I am not going to speculate on
possibilities.


I have canceled the National Commander (NC) Visit to Post 4 in
November. The Department has been notified.


I may call a short noticed Executive Committee meeting before Sunday as
things develop.


Please pass this information on.


If you want to know more attend the meeting.


Yours in Service, Chris


Chris Schrauben
Post Commander
Admiral Arthur F Spring Post 4
The American Legion
Philippines Department

[fortman]

Hi Karl,

Thanks for the very interesting photos, especially the ones from 1926. The seaplane near the sub in the 1945 photo looks like a Consolidated PBY Catalina, but I'm amazed at how the sub dwarfs it.

Regards,

Fortman

[Karl Welteke]

LANDFILLS IN SUBIC BAY 2014

I actually went to the Olongapo Landfill on the 9th of Sep 2014 and noticed that there seems to be a project in the works to build a modern landfill with the ecology in mind. I was not able to finish taking pictures so I came back on the 20th Oct 2014 and finished it.



Y355. 2014-09-09. I walked here with some friends who wanted to get a handle on how to walk to Familiar Hill and we noticed this new road being built around the Olongapo City Landfill. So we checked it out what it was for. We walked down the new road and work on the road was actually going on. When we were partially down we understood what is going on, it seems Olongapo City is preparing a modern landfill with the ecology in mind.



Y356. This Google Earth image gives the route of my walk and landmarks so you picture things how they fit into the geography.



Y357. 2014-09-09. We are looking back at the present active Olongapo landfill, a few years ago a trash slide occurred here and killed one person. We still can see the trash in front of us from the trash slide. SBFZ brings their trash here now also.



Y358. 2014-09-09.The new Olongapo City landfill seems to be almost finished. My impression is that it is too small; especially now since the Subic Bay Freeport Zone also dumps their trash here. Also it seems that the project is on a hold status.



Y359. 2014-10-20. The new Olongapo landfill project seems to have a fluid collection system on the bottom. But when will it be finished and what is holding up the project?



Y360. 2014-10-20. This must be some kind of filter structure for the draining fluid, it is located next to that fluid holding space.



Y361. 2014-10-20. I am leaving the new Olongapo City landfill project, only the guard is there and we waved good bye to each other. There are no workers here and the project of the Olongapo City new landfill seems to be in a hold status.



Y362. 2014-10-20. Nothing has changed, the Olongapo old and current landfill is still functioning as usual, all is still dumped here from the city and the SBFZ. The new and modern Olongapo and SBFZ landfill project seems to be on hold.

This is the end of the Olongapo Landfill presentation, I actually took 29 images and uploaded them into this album and the pictures are much larger and have descriptions:
tinyurl.com/l53ke4n

Now since I been told numerous times that the landfill in the SBFZ (the ex Subic Bay Naval Base) is closed and their trash is also being dumped here in the Olongapo Landfill, I went there and looked.

The SBFZ landfill 2014-10-20 is reported closed; I went there this date to have a look.



Y363. This is the main entrance to the SBFZ landfill complex, the bull dozer just passed here and you can see the wet mud it dropped while crawling along to here.



Y364. This Google Earth image gives the route of my walk and landmarks so you picture things how they fit into the geography.



Y365. This is at the very end of the dirt road and we can see that the landfill is still used to dump biodegrading material such as tree parts, other plants and discarded soil, I seen two trucks arrive and dump and a front loader was also active.



Y366. This is about in the middle of the SBFW landfill area and here also soil and biodegrading material is being dumped.



Y367. This was a big surprise to me; these two fellows were from New Cabalan (the Olongapo landfill area) and find materials here and take it back to be recycled. They told me they can pass under the Subic-Tipo Expressway. I used to walk that trail, I guess I will again. They had a small bundle of galvanized chicken wire. They estimated it to be 25 kg and maybe would receive 200 pesos for it.



Y368. On the map at the SW corner of the landfill (we can see) are three fluid collection pawns, they seem to be plastic lined. These three fluid pawns are also near the entrance to the trash collecting Vehicle Park.



Y369. That is the bull dozer that just finished some work and it is parked near the defunct vehicle weighing scale. This is the main entrance to the SBFZ landfill complex



Y370. This is the place where the Subic Town dumps their trash.

For the SBFZ, the ex Subic Bay Naval Base, landfill I also established an album with 28 images and they are here:
tinyurl.com/nwoqh3t

[Karl Welteke]

NAVY FRIENDS MEET AND THE NAVY IS IN TOWN

As has been the tradition with my close friends and I ever since 1981 we meet once a week, at the end of the week, spin the yarn, shoot the bull etc. 2014-10-11 we met at the reopening SCUBA Shack in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) which is the former Subic Bay Naval Base. We call the get together the Round Table, if you look in the album you will find out why.

This day was special; the US Navy was in port, in strength, and provided the proper naval background for our activity. My friend Rick is working on establishing a Diving Museum in the SCUBA Shack. A diving comrade was visiting from Pearl Harbor. An ex diving student of ours (1983 class Pearl Harbor) who later became a SPECWAR Warrior met with us, his old instructors again for the first time after 31 years.

I established this album with 14 images in flickr:
www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/sets/72157646661112064/

Here is only one sample image:



Y401. Some terrific noise got our attention while at the SCUBA Shack, we walked to the beach and seen a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) roaring around the bay of Subic Bay. The LCAC making its approach to the stern of the USS Ashland LSD-48 to enter its well deck. The Joint US-Phil Amphibious Exercise is completed. Those small white boats are not Admiral Barges although they are tied up at the former Officer Landing. They are the ferry boats to Grande Island to the Grande Island Resort. Many people do not know but Grande Island was an US Army fort, called Fort Wint. USS Peleliu is behind the LSD.

[Karl Welteke]

LARGE MAPS OF NAVSTA SUBIC BAY (1985) AND OLONGAPO (1984) AVAILABLE FROM KARL.

I had these drawings since my active duty days and I finally got off my butt and found a place to scan them and digitalize them.

In the process I learned the difference of a JPG and a PDF file, see the details below”.



Y433. Look at size of a different file formats of the same material!

In view of above I only make the PDF file available, should you be interested send me a message on the forum with your email and I will send you the PDF file copy.

Here is how they look on a small JPD file, small and unreadable:



Y434. US Naval Station (NAVSTA) Subic Bay 1985 map or drawing.



Y435. Olongapo City 1984 map or drawing.

[Karl Welteke]

Port of Subic bustles with more ship calls

SUBIC BAY NEWSLINK reports this with this URL
subicnewslink.blogspot.com/2014/11/port-of-subic-bustles-with-more-ship.html



Y523. [1] The MV Front Runner, a Panamanian-registered vessel, unloads grains at the Mega Grain Terminal while Singaporean-registered container vessels MV Thana Bhum and MV Spirit of Colombo unload cargo containers at the New Container Terminal in the Subic Bay Freeport in this photo taken November 4, 2014.


Note from Karl:
Where the ship Front Runner is moored was the carrier wharf Leyte. Where the container port is now was the location of the former Officer Beach and the geographical point “Cubi Point”.




Y524. [2] A stacker truck gets moving at the New Container Terminal in the Subic Bay Freeport, as the Singaporean-registered cargo vessels MV Thana Bhum and MV Spirit of Colombo unload container boxes in this photo taken November 4, 2014.



Note from Karl:
That building and buildings on the hill at right was the famous Cubi Point Naval Air Station Officer Club and the buildings around it are a new housing development. The 1996 APEC meeting was held in that former Officer Club.



Y525. [3] Trailer trucks get busy at the New Container Terminal in the Subic Bay Freeport, as Singaporean-registered cargo vessels MV Thana Bhum and MV Spirit of Colombo unload container boxes in this photo taken November 4, 2014.

Where the ship Front Runner is moored was the carrier wharf Leyte. Where the container port is now was the location of the former Officer Beach and the geographical point “Cubi Point”.

[Karl Welteke]

SUBIC BAY LIBERTY ROUTE REVISITED 2009


These pictures are from 2009-04-11 and so are the descriptions. I uploaded them here in 2014-11-16 and some of the information is not up to date any more. I stepped ashore in the Philippines for the first time in 1962 and walked the liberty route then. This is a walk down Memorial Lane for me and perhaps for some other Military Personnel. I established an album with 21 pictures in my Flickr image sharing account. The pictures are nice and big in this album:

www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/sets/72157648897239989/

Some of you have seen these pictures before because it was in my died Kodak (Kodak gave up this business and transferred it to the Shutterfly image sharing account). I am not satisfied with their service either and this is the first album I have transferred from there to here. But the comments and the pictures have improved.


But here are 12 very small sample images:



Y604. EZ map of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the ex US Naval Station, I marked in the liberty route.



Y605. Google Earth view of the Liberty Route in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the ex US Naval Station, I marked in the liberty route.



Y606. 2009-04-11. This was the Enlisted Men Boat Landing where I first stepped on land in the Philippines in 1962. I loved this land ever since! Before all the pier, wharfs and docks existed we came ashore by boat from our ships anchored out.



Y607. 2009-04-11. Waterfront Road by my landing and in front of HQ Building # 229. Note that black marble structure is the Hell Ships Memorial and existed since 2006.



Y608. 2009-04-11. After walking down Taft St.; we turn left and go diagonal to the Library and Base Theatre. Here we arrived at the former library and theatre along Dewey Ave. It is now called the 'Art Center'.



Y609. 2009-04-11. Aguinaldo St.; right is the Art Ctr. Notice the covered walkway around the Art Ctr., the former library and theatre.



Y610. 2009-04-11. Reached Canal Rd. and I'm looking back on Aguinaldo St. Left is one of two barracks used as a budget hotel and right is a barracks used as a upscale hotel and casino.



Y611. 2009-04-11. Looking back to the front entrance of the former CPO Club, now called Golden Dragon Restaurant and one of the earliest enterprises on the ex Base.



Y612. 2009-04-11. This is BRANDNEW, I guess that is going to be stalls of a sports hotel. Bleachers used to be here, part of our large sport fields at right. Two huge sports buildings are at my right, I just passed them.



Y613. 2009-04-11. Reached Rizal Hwy, the gate is in sight. It is closed right now for vehicles- Easter activities outside the gate? Wimpy's was there during our Navy time already!



Y614. 2009-04-11. Across the bridge and looking up Magsaysay Dr. Left are those ex 'Super Clubs' which only seen me once in my 30 year career. Right was 'Lot 21' but now is a neat Mall.



Y615. 2009-04-11. Looking back to the Main gate bridge where thousands and thousands of people have crossed from the base to Olongapo or the other way. Many of us Sailors called the canal “Sh..t River”. But when we reached this point we were on LIBERTY.