Subic Bay

Subic Bay, Philippines

U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay, Philippines was one of the largest U.S. military bases in the world, and was a very popular Rest and Recreation (R&R) liberty port for U.S. Sailors and Marines until its closing in 1992. For many U.S. servicemembers throughout the years, Subic Bay (and the neighboring city of Olongapo) was the best liberty port in the world, owing in most part to Olongapo's countless bars and countless young women eager to meet American servicemen. There was a club for every taste. If you wanted Country Music, there were clubs for that, complete with live bands that sounded exactly like the original performers back in the states. For Heavy Metal, there was the Sierra Club (seen in the header above at the end of the street on the right), where the live band gave perfect renditions of Ozzie and other Metal favorites. T's Tavern was another popular, well-known club. Other clubs included AC/DC, Cal Jam, State Rock, Slim's Tavern, Rock Trax, Radio City Music Hall, the Florida Club and many, many others. And whatever club you were at, there were at least five pretty women for every servicemember, and they all "loved you no sh*t." This page is a dedication to those times. It is not meant to glorify or demean, but to provide a small account of unique and exciting times.

If you have Subic Bay photos or another unique military experience (military campaign, liberty port, etc.) and would like to see it at MNN, please contact us.

Subic Bay Photos (circa 1988 - 1989)

Subic Bay Naval Station, the best liberty port in the entire world, as seen from the deck of the USS Peleliu.	Magsaysay Street, Olongapo City, Philippines. This was the main street and it started at the entrance to the US Naval Base. To get to Olongapo from the base, you had to cross a bridge over Sh*t River. The river was full of sewage, but if you tossed a Peso coin in, a Filipino would always dive in and get it.	Magsaysay Street, Olongapo City, Philippines
Color-coded Jeepneys provided transportation around town. They were originally made from US Willys jeeps left after World War 2.	A Marine enjoys the company of three Filipinas at Sgt. Peppers Club.	The Sierra Club on Magsaysay Street, Olongapo City.
A Marine with his "honeyco," the popular term among Marines and Sailors for their Filipina girlfriends.	A Marine who has had a little too much to drink, which happened often.	"Want your picture taken?"
The Spanish Gate area at Subic Bay Naval Base.	Subic Bay as seen from Green Beach.	Humvee at Green Beach Training Area, Subic Bay.
You could trade your MREs for a meal of Lumpia and Rice.	Vendors followed Marines to the field at Green Beach to sell swords, blowguns and more.	Vendors market their wares. They made swords and knives from junk automobiles, melting the steel for the blades and using plastics from dashboards and other parts for the handles.
At Green Beach Training Area, Filipinos made houses out of discarded ammunition boxes and other scraps.

MilitaryNewsNetwork.com (MNN): Global military news, photos, videos, information, discussions and more for military people worldwide. Serving army, navy, air force, marine corps, coast guard, soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, reservists, veterans, spouses, brats, contractors, dod and civilian employees, supporters, and interested individuals located in the U.S. and around the world.