Early 1980s Subic Bay Naval Base

Zc797. A view of the U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Achieves. An aerial deck view, looking from bow to stern, of the aircraft carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CV-63) docked in the harbor with the guided missile cruiser USS STERETT (CG-31), the destroyer USS INGERSOLL (DD-990), and the oilers USNS MISPILLION (T-AO-105) and USNS NAVASOTA (T-AO-106) docked at its stern. The destroyer USS O’BRIEN (DD-975) and the guided missile cruiser USS HALSEY (CG-23) are docked at the left. Photo is from the U.S. Archives.

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These are mostly aerial shots of the Naval Station Subic Bay and a few other shots from the greater Naval Base from about 1981 to 1983. They are all from U.S. National Archives. I downloaded these images many years ago and it is about time I do something with them. I think they are very interesting for people with interest to Subic Bay.

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Zc799. A view of the “Officer Country” in the U. S. Naval Station Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Achieves. An aerial view which includes the officers club, near water, and the Mabuhay bachelor officer’s quarters and adjacent tennis courts. Photo is from the U.S. Archives.

Zc800. A comparable view of the former “Officer Country” in the U. S. Naval Station Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Achieves, as it looks now from Google Earth in 2018. We see the ex Bachelor Officer Quarters (BOQ), it became the Legenda Hotel which went out of business but has a new investor now. The ex Officer Club became the Oriental Paradise Casino and was renovated at least twice. The El Centro Convention Center went out of business and this area does not look good right now. The Legenda Investment added all these buildings over the infamous tennis court (somewhere here) where the U.S. and Allied POWs were kept by the Japanese after the sinking of the Hell Ship Oryoku Maru. The ex Officer Boat landing became the boat terminal to the Grande Island Resort. Photo is from Google Earth.

Zc801. A view of the CPO Club and the EM Club in the U. S. Naval Station Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Achieves. Photo is from the U.S. Archives.

Zc802. A comparable view of the former Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Club and the Enlisted Men (EM) Club in the U. S. Naval Station Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Achieves, as it looks now from Google Earth in 2018. The CPO club became the Golden Dragon Restaurant. The EM Club was used for Bingo a few years only and is practically abandoned, I had some beer and grilled cheese sandwiches here in 1962. That barracks became a casino and a Chinese restaurant. The CPO Barracks are on top of this picture. Photo is from Google Earth.

Zc803. A view of the Main Gate area in the U. S. Naval Station Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Achieves. Photo is from the U.S. Archives.

Zc804. A comparable view of the former Main Gate area in the U. S. Naval Station Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Achieves, as it looks now from Google Earth in 2018. Photo is from Google Earth.

Start of 2^nd set of images

Zc805. A view of the U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Achives. That was the US Post Office and behind it is the Mini Golf Course. The vehicles on the bottom were MWR (Moral-Welfare & Recreation) vehicles for rent. There was a building but it collapsed from the Mt. Pinatubo ash and was never rebuild.

Zc806. A comparable view of the former U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Achieves, as it looks now from Google Earth in 2018. That was the US Post Office and behind it is the Mini Golf Course. The use of the Mini Golf Course was discontinued and the trees just kept growing. The Post Office became a Cocktail lounge. This MWR vehicle place became a large hotel and the U.S. Embassy holds their Outreach Program here. This was and is the Base/SBFZ Fire Station. New hotel and Restaurants, it was empty during our time. A submarine is in port. This was and is the Base/SBFZ HQ Building. The NSD HQ collapsed and was rebuild as the Harbor Admin.-Control Building by the SBFZ. This is a Google Earth 2018 image of the SBFZ marked-up by me.

Zc807. This is a view of the U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives. The view is from above the former Naval Supply Depot towards the Boton Valley across the Fueling Pier.

Zc808. This is a comparable view of the former U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives. The view is from above the former Naval Supply Depot towards the Boton Valley across the Fueling Pier. The Boton Valley was used for new factories. The Lower MAU is used by 2 large Auctioneers. This hill was used as fill for the new container port & the Fuel Co. built these new tanks and added a pier. The old Navy Coaling Pier became the famous Vasco’s Bar, Restaurant, Hotel and Maritime Museum. This is a Google Earth 2018 image of the SBFZ marked-up by me.

Zc809. This is a view of the U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives. The view is from above the former Naval Supply Depot towards the empty wet land across the former MWR Skeet Shooting Place.

Zc810. A comparable view of the former U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives. The view is from above the former Naval Supply Depot towards the empty wet land across the former MWR Skeet Shooting Place. What a Change, can you believe it? The large Naval Supply Warehouses did not collapse from the heavy Mt. Pinatubo ash and typhoon rain. What a development, how many jobs were created? This was our Navy Commissary and the Main Navy Exchange (NEX), it is now the Royal Duty Free Store, I buy most of my food stuff here-like before. Our MWR Skeet Shooting Place was here. This is a Google Earth 2018 image of the SBFZ marked-up by me.

Zc811. This is a view of the U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Achieves. This is the area near and around the Naval Base Kalaklan Gate, the way north into the Zambales Provence. Much of the area was used by the Public Works Center (PWC) and the Seabees. I know the Naval Investigating Service (NIS) had a large building here. The Naval Station Armory in a bunker was here. The Transient Personnel Unit (TPU) was here and also handled all the Filipinos joining the Navy. In the 80s the Officer in Charge (OIC) told me that he had 64 personnel on legal hold who were waiting for an outcome of their legal cases. Much has changed, look at the next image!]

Zc812. A comparable view of the former U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Achieves, as it looks now from Google Earth in 2018. This is the area near and around the former Naval Base and now the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) Kalaklan Gate. We see: the old bridge not dismantled, the new bridge, the hotel & entertainment developments, the ex PWC areas still available for development, the locations of some Navy structures gone and the few that still remain. This is a Google Earth 2018 image of the SBFZ marked-up by me.

Zc813. This is a view of the U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives. I bet most old hands will not know where this was! Left is the Subic Bay Naval Station Chief Petty Officer (CPO) barracks. In the middle was a Seabee camp housed in mobile trailers. They were here only a few years but in the 90s the HQ and Quarterdeck area was still there. The next picture will help you in your orientation.

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Zc814. This is a comparable view of the former U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives. Left is the Subic Bay Naval Station Chief Petty Officer (CPO) barracks. In the middle was a Seabee camp housed in mobile trailers. Location Key: 1= ex CPO barracks-now various businesses; 2= ex Sampaguita EM Club; 3=ex MWR bowling alley, was remodeled but was not successful; 4=ex NAVSTA swimming pool-was not successful-not used; 5=ex Navy Lodge-now International Hotel, 6= ex newer EM barracks-now the International Hotel; 7= various businesses; 8=SBFZ Admin; 9=college and or schools; 10=two large commercial buildings going up-very slow; 11= hotels & apartments; 12=not used; 13= started as a Korean High-rise-a big failure-lots of concrete to be cleared!; 14= ex Navy Dispensary-still medical-a little-all buildings behind it are hotels or entertainment places. This is a Google Earth 2018 image of the SBFZ marked-up by me.

Zc815. This is a view of the U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives. In front is much of the former Ship Repair Facility (SRF), Navy Ships and across the harbor water we see left-the Boton Valley, middle-the Boton Wharf and JEST on the hill, right is part of the former Cubi Point Naval Air Station

Zc816. A comparable view of the former U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives. This is a Google Earth 2018 image of the SBFZ marked-up by me. In front is much of the former Ship Repair Facility, Navy Ships still visit sometime and across the harbor water we see left-the Boton Valley, middle-the Boton Wharf and JEST on the hill, right is part of the former Cubi Point Naval Air Station. Location key: 1= fuel piers; 2= ex Navy coaling pier-now famous Vasco Hotel etc; 3 =two large auctioneer outfits; 4= Boton Valley houses large manufacturing buildings and many other small businesses; 5=the Boton pier area also houses many various businesses; 6=was the SRF HQ-Pinatubo collapsed it and is now an upscale hotel; 7 was the NSD HQ-it also collapsed- it has become the Harbor Administration Building; 8= was a Navy hangar and was remodeled as a terminal for the Subic Bay International Air Port.

Zc817. A view of the U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives, this picture shows much of the eastern part of the Naval Station Subic Bay in 1981.

Zc818.A comparable view of the former U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Achieves, as it looks now from Google Earth in 2018. We notice that 1= this admin building has been extended, 2=these two barracks became 1 hotel, 3= Enlistment Men Boat Landing where I stepped ashore in 1962, the Movie theatre still stands but is not used much for anything, 5=other barracks that are hotels now, 6=Spanish Gate, 7= these MWR buildings collapsed and here is now a big hotel, 8= ex Post Office-now a cocktail lounge, 9= ex mess hall houses various businesses, 10= the former Fleet Exchange houses a similar business, 11=various businesses and USS William H. Standley-CG32. This is a Google Earth 2018 image of the SBFZ marked-up by me.

Zc819. This is a view of the U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives; we are looking from above the Ship Repair Facility (SRF) towards the fuel pier, Lower MAU (Marine Amphibious Unit) and the Boton River Valley.

Zc820. A comparable view of the former U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives. This is a view of the former U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives; we are looking from above the Ship Repair Facility (SRF) towards the fuel pier, Lower MAU (Marine Amphibious Unit) and the Boton River Valley. I have described before the many changes in that area that have occurred under the new Philippine management. You study all the changes! This is a Google Earth 2018 image of the SBFZ.

Zc821. This is a view of the U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives; we see most of the Ship Repair Facility (SRF), the west end of the Naval Supply Depot (NSD), the Special Warfare Camp (SEAL), the US Bicentennial Park and Pond which is now the Volunteer Park,-Pond and Memorial, my Diving Locker Building, the two floating dry docks etc.

Zc822. A comparable view of the former U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay in 1981 from the U. S. National Archives. This is a Google Earth 2018 image of the SBFZ marked-up by me. In front is much of the former Ship Repair Facility, Navy Ships still visit sometime. We see also: 1=Spanish Gate, 2=part of the SRF HQ-Pinatubo collapsed it, now an upper resort, 3 + 4=the floating dry docks, 5=my diving locker,  6=ex Bicentennial Park-now Volunteer Park, 7=SPECWAR Camp (Special Warfare-SEALS),8= birthplace of my Harbor Clearance Unit-1 (HCU-1) now the SBFZ =Marina,9=the Causeway-ex road to the Navy Coaling Pier and Boton area, 10=the ex Far East Fleet Exchange-now a similar store, 11= the Navy Mess Hall-one of the Best-now various businesses.