The closure of Naval Base Subic Bay, the U.S. Navy’s massive ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility in the Philippines, was prompted by both political and geological unrest. Once the second largest U.S. overseas military installation in the world, it was acquired by the U.S. in the 1898 Treaty Of Paris and because of its strategic location, played a key role in World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars and Operation Desert Storm. But with the departure of President Ferdinand Marcos and the rise of the People Power Revolution, the operation of the bases by U.S. forces was increasingly seen as incompatible with Filipino nationalism.
The political turmoil was complicated by the June 15, 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo. The second-largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, it produced high-speed avalanches of hot ash and gas, giant mud flows, and a cloud of volcanic ash. The U.S. Air Force evacuated and closed down Clark Air Base. Naval Base Subic Bay was also evacuated but less badly damaged and operations resumed. On September 13, 1991, the Filipino Senate voted to reject a lease extension on the bases, ending almost a century of American military presence. The closing required the relocation of 5,800 military personnel, 600 civilians and 6,000 military dependents, and resulted in a major economic loss for the Southeast Asian island nation.
Serving as a Public Affairs Officer in the Philippines from 1984-1987, Herwald Morton recalled the strategic value of Subic Bay and Clark Field to American military operations in an interview with James T. L. Dandridge in April, 2003. Philip Merrill, Defense Department Counselor from 1981-1984, talked about the U.S.-Philippines negotiations with Charles Stuart Kennedy in January, 1997. Richard H. Solomon, ambassador to the Philippines from 1992-1993, discussed the consequences of the base closures in a September, 1996 interview with Charles Stuart Kennedy.
Read Full Article »