TIME LINE HISTORY OF SUBIC BAY
This portion of the site is for documenting the various activities and changes that occured at Subic Bay, Cubi Point, San Miguel and surrounding areas, such as Olongapo, Subic City and other communities and areas that were a big part of the History and Memories of both, the Serviceman and Population.
If you have memory of occurances during your time in the PI that you do not see posted here and would like to add them to the listing on this page, please send a note to the webmaster and make him aware of them.
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place"SUBIC TIME LINE" in the subject line.
1940
• President Roosevelt orders integration of
military forces in the Philippines known as the U.S. Armed Forces
in the Far East (USAFFE)
1941
• July , the Dewey Drydock, which was at Subic for
35 years, was towed to Mariveles Harbor and scuttled on 8 Apr
1942 to keep the Japanese from getting it.
• November 1st, the forward echelon of the 4th
Marine Regiment arrives from China.
• December 1st, the remainder of the 4th Marine
Regiment arrives at Subic. The 4th Marines mission was to provide
landward defense of Subic Bay.
• December 14th, Japanese bombers conduct attack
on Olongapo/Subic Bay area.
• December 24th, The order is given to burn Subic
Bay Naval Station and withdraw. Olongapo is set aflame by
the local filipinos in anticipation of Japanese troop
arrival. The USS New York is scuttled in Subic Bay.
The Marines withdraw into Bataan.
• December 25th, Fort Wint (Grande Island) is
evacuated.
1942
• January 10th, 14th Infantry Division, Japanese
Imperial Army arrives in Olongapo.
• January PT boats from Cavite attack and
sink a Japanese ship at Subic Bay.
• February 1st, A PT boat attacks a Japanese ship
at Subic.
• February 17th, PT boats make a final attack
prior to being ordered out of the Philippines.
1943
1944
• October 20th, 4 U.S. Army Divisions land at
Palo, Leyte commencing the end of the Japanese occupation.
1945
• January 29th, 40,000 U.S. Army troops land at
San Antonio Zambales.
• September 26th, Marines land in Manila for
occupation duty.
• December
13th, In Manila, the Japanese transport Oryoku Maru was loaded
with 1619 POWs from the Cabanatuan Prison Camp. On the 15th
the ship was sunk about 200 yards off the southern end of the
main base of Subic Bay (then a Japanese Naval Base).
Approximately 1300 of the POW survivors were kept within the
confines of a tennis court with little to no food, water from a
single spigot, and no shade, for 5 days, before being transported
out again. The tennis courts which served as a temporary
prison were located immediately behind the Old Spanish Gate.
1946
• July 4th, Philippine's become
independent.
• Olongapo is
reestablished across the drainage canal to it's present site.
1947
• March 14th, The Military Bases Agreement (MBA)
is signed with U.S. for 99 year term.
1948
1949
1950
1951
• October 2nd - The first Seabees arrive to start
construction of NAS CUBI POINT.
• Aug 30th - U.S.-
Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty signed.
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
• July
25th, President Ramon Magsaysay attends the commissioning
ceremony at NAS Cubi Point.
• July 25th, NAS CUBI
POINT is commisioned.
1957
1958
• January,
Lee Harvey Oswald arrived at Subic Bay for Cubi Point, to be
attached to MACS-1 in helping to set up a temporary radar
tracking and control unit.
1959
• December 7th,The U.S. turns over control of
Olongapo City to the Philippine government.
• Magsaysay was under consrtuction between the
months of July and September.
• The new gate on Magsaysay was
opened towards the last part of the year.
• Oct
12th - Bohlen-Serrano agreement on military bases: U.S. to
consult before using bases for non-SEATO or non-Philippine
defense combat operations or deploying long range missiles in the
Philippines.
1960
1961
1962
• Bagobantay,
which was the transmitter site for San Miguel, located on the
outskirts of Quezon City and used before Tarlac was built, was
closed from operations. It was on the site where a World's Fair
was once held before WWII.
1963
1964
• The Main Exchange, Recreation Center and 100
housing units are built and finished in 1968.
• An average of 98 ship visits a month.
1965
1966
• Harbor Clearance Unit One is activated at Subic
Bay.
• Sept 16th - Rusk-Ramos
agreement: fixed term of military bases agreement changed to
expire in 1991.
1967
• August, USS Forrestal damaged by
fire is repaired at Subic.
• A 600 foot extension is completed at Alava pier.
• An average of 215
ship visits a month with 30 ships in port a day.
1968
• June, A fire destroys a warehouse at NSD.
• October, A record 47 ships in port at one time.
• A bomber
that took off from Cubi, had engine trouble after take off. The
pilot ejected, and then the plane looped around, came back to
Subic and crashed into a bunker located at Cubi Point Naval
Magizine, which was full of 5" projectiles.
• The earth at the base shook from
a quake near Manila.
1969
1970
• Jan thur Mar - "First-quarter
storm": massive student demonstrations in Manila against
Marcos and U.S. government.
1971
1972
• Sept
21st - Marcos signs declaration of martial law.
1973
1974
1975
• Vietnamese refugees begin arriving at Subic
aboard U.S. Navy ships that rescued them at sea.
1976
1977
1978
1979
• Jan
7th - The Military Bases
Agreement (MBA) is ammended, giving the Philippine sovereignty
over the bases. Philippine flag to fly
over bases, but U.S. guaranteed "unhampered" military
use.
1980
1981
• Jan
17th - Marcos "lifts" martial law, but retains most
martial law powers.
1982
1983
• August
21st, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino was assassinated on the
Tarmac at Manila International Airport.
1984
1985
1986
• February - People Power Revolution.
• Feb
25th - Marcos flies to Clark Air Base and then to Hawaii; Aquino
takes over presidency.
1987
1988
• August, Super Typhoon Ruby rips thru Subic.
1989
• December 1st, 2 Navy Hospital Corpsmen, 5 Navy
SEAL's and approximatley 107 Marines from B Co. Marine Barracks,
Subic Bay arrive via CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters at the
U.S. Embassy, Manila to reinforce the Embassy during a
coup attempt.
1990
• July 17th, A tremendous eartquake registering
7.7 on the richter scale causing massive damage to Bagio City and
Cabanatuan.
1991
• April 2nd, Mount Pinatubo began it's steam explosions.
• June 15th, Mt Pinatubo eruption
occurs.
• June 16th, Navy ships began the evacuation of
USAF Personnel, Dependents and Navy Dependents from Subic Bay.
• September,
Dependents start returning to Subic Bay.
1992
• Subic Bay was handed over to the Philippine
Government and the US Military presents ended.