Just a little more on GITMO

   A sweet car: 

The '32 Ford Roadster, voted one of Fords BEST!

So for today:

I spent 20 years plus a few days in Military Service. I was very fortunate having only a few separations. The tour in GITMO was the highlight of our time, because it was like a normal job for me and the family. The boys did good in school there and Sherry worked full-time. Her office handled the shipping of materials and household goods in and out of the base.

Above is some of the rough coast line of Leeward and windward. That coast line creates some beautiful 'sea glass' from the millions of wine, liquor and beer bottles that have been thrown  down on those rocks. WE brought a few pounds of it back.

The base is divided by the bay. Leeward point is mainly the air wing. All planes in and out land on Leeward. There is a regular scheduled ferry for the mouth of the bay, from Leeward to Windward Point. Our offices and homes were on Windward. 

As you can see on the inset of Cuba, GITMO is at the South Eastern end of the Island Nation.

The famous ‘Prison’ is actually at Camp Buckley or Camp X, USMC stations in a remote part of the 40 sq miles.  My job was twofold. I was the repairman for IBM gear on the base and my other job was producing the bimonthly checks for pay rolls for both civilian and military aboard.

 

Speed limits for 95% of the base was 20 mph.  One stretch about a mile long was 35 mph.  Most folks know (or think) modern cars must go faster just to keep the engines stable. So the Base Police sorta kept a blind eye for guys who would safely wind their cars out on that stretch. I did it several times myself.

Funny that speed limit thing. Back in the states I had a tendency to drive slowl. My sons would say, ”Dad you are not in GITMO now! Speed up!”

There were men and women on base with rewards on their heads from Castro’s government.  During my time there were still 200 commuters who walked aboard daily to work from Guantanamo City.

I have learned since I starting talking here about GITMO that they now have a McDonalds, Pizza Hut and a Taco Bell. We would have loved that. We once bought a Big Mac in San Juan when we had to fly there for dental work for one of our sons.  It was not the same as in the states. L

Nite Shipslog

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