All your base are belong to us
Seeing today's list of recommended military base closings spurred me to run down my own personal list of Air Force Bases Where I Grew Up and check off the Actives vs. the Closed. Here's the semi-official tally:
Selfridge AFB (Mount Clemens, Michigan): Active. My birth parents were both Air Force enlisted personnel stationed here, and I was born -- I think -- in the base hospital. Due to the circumstances of my birth and the nature of closed adoption, the details are somewhat sketchy. As is true of many things in life.
K.I. Sawyer AFB (Marquette, Michigan): Closed since 1995. This is where my father was stationed when I came to live with my parents. We left when I was less than two years old.
Hickam AFB (Honolulu, Hawaii): Active. Due to its strategic (and highly desirable) location, Hickam's one of those bases that will never be in danger of closing.
Andrews AFB (Prince George's County, Maryland, near Washington D.C.): Active. The Home of Air Force One. As long as the President and other top government officials utilize air transportation, there will always be an Andrews.
Dow AFB (Bangor, Maine): Closed since 1968. Dow was actually already closed when we were stationed there in 1969. My father was assigned to the team responsible for helping convert the former base to civilian use. Bangor International Airport occupies most of the site today.
Iraklion Air Station (Iraklion, Crete, Greece): Closed since 1993. I've written previously about the two years we accidentally spent in Greece. I understand the site of the base is now under the control of the Greek military and is essentially unused.
Hamilton AFB (Marin County, California): Closed since 1976. Hamilton was already scheduled for shutdown when we arrived in the early '70s. The site, which is just a few miles south of where I now live, has been the subject of dispute between various interests for the past 30 years.
Clark Air Base (Angeles City, Luzon, The Philippines): Closed since 1991, when the base was buried under volcanic ash by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. There's a resort hotel, golf course, and shopping area on part of the site today.
Dyess AFB (Abilene, Texas): Active, if you can call living in West Texas being "active." My father's final duty station before mustering out after 20 years of service.
Selfridge AFB (Mount Clemens, Michigan): Active. My birth parents were both Air Force enlisted personnel stationed here, and I was born -- I think -- in the base hospital. Due to the circumstances of my birth and the nature of closed adoption, the details are somewhat sketchy. As is true of many things in life.
K.I. Sawyer AFB (Marquette, Michigan): Closed since 1995. This is where my father was stationed when I came to live with my parents. We left when I was less than two years old.
Hickam AFB (Honolulu, Hawaii): Active. Due to its strategic (and highly desirable) location, Hickam's one of those bases that will never be in danger of closing.
Andrews AFB (Prince George's County, Maryland, near Washington D.C.): Active. The Home of Air Force One. As long as the President and other top government officials utilize air transportation, there will always be an Andrews.
Dow AFB (Bangor, Maine): Closed since 1968. Dow was actually already closed when we were stationed there in 1969. My father was assigned to the team responsible for helping convert the former base to civilian use. Bangor International Airport occupies most of the site today.
Iraklion Air Station (Iraklion, Crete, Greece): Closed since 1993. I've written previously about the two years we accidentally spent in Greece. I understand the site of the base is now under the control of the Greek military and is essentially unused.
Hamilton AFB (Marin County, California): Closed since 1976. Hamilton was already scheduled for shutdown when we arrived in the early '70s. The site, which is just a few miles south of where I now live, has been the subject of dispute between various interests for the past 30 years.
Clark Air Base (Angeles City, Luzon, The Philippines): Closed since 1991, when the base was buried under volcanic ash by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. There's a resort hotel, golf course, and shopping area on part of the site today.
Dyess AFB (Abilene, Texas): Active, if you can call living in West Texas being "active." My father's final duty station before mustering out after 20 years of service.
SwanShadow was randomly pounding the keyboard at 12:45 PM
1 insisted on sticking two cents in:
That's interesting about your remark about much of life. It's so true...thankfully.
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