I was poking around on Google Maps yesterday. I took a look at Pearl Harbor and noticed they have taken down all the old finger piers and have built one new one. Also the floating dry dock is gone too. And a new barracks. I guess I have been away from there too many years. I would love to go back and see the WWII memorial on Sub Base again. I saw some of the ceremonies by the WWII vets. I am still amazed by the bravery of those shipmates.
Those sat maps are pretty cool though. I even looked at some of those bases that belong to other countries (wink wink). They sure have a bunch of boats all tied up together.
Hey Old GST check out those places with Google Earth , it's even better . I think Erick turned me onto it , pretty cool controls . Found the old sub barracks or new ones built in the same place . Didn't recognize much else , would be fun to go back and poke around some . Wonder if the bar with the underwater view on the pool is still there , some knit swimsuits aint ment to get wet
Did you notice how big the Commissary/NEX has gotten. You should see that because it is just incredible. The food court is on the 2nd floor and there is mural by Wyland as well.
The housing has changed as well. No longer the ghetto but is actually the nicest housing on the island what a diff huh.
Then there is Ford Island housing there, plus a new museum for the Air side.
You need to go back just to see how much everything has changed sometimes! lol
Originally posted by PO1_Kline: Google Earth NPS in Orlando....or NTC Great Lakes...Subbase San Diego (looks wierd with no Dixon or McKee there)...All of the bases are changing.
If you look at the Weapons Station in Charleston you can see the new nuke school complex also. Pretty large campus.
You can also see old navy ships moored in rivers in various locations. I cannot remember where exactly, but if you use Google Earth it is one of the packets you can download with everything marked.
I went pack to subase Pearl Harbor about 6 years ago. Lots of things have changed. I wonder why they removed the finger pieers and put in 1 big one that sticks out? Lots of new barracks too. I left there in 1990 and they were fixing up the place then.
Hey Kline I left you a late reply under another thread but I will give it to you here too. I was in San Deigo from 1988-90 on the USS Haddo SSN 604. I was on WESTPAC during the filming of Hunt for Red October. Do you remember an ET named Alex Griffin on the Huston? I went to school with him. Last I heard he was an LDO.
I also looked at the base at Point Loma. I noticed there were almost no boats there anymore. We did a port call there from Hawaii in 1992 and both tenders had already been pulled from there. It made the place feel really strange. I always loved the view from Cabrillo Monument though.
When I was at Pearl Harbor in the early 90's they were getting ready to build the causeway at that time. I should go back sometime and tour the USS Missouri. My dad served on the USS Wisconsin so maybe I should visit her too.
It was taken when she was still commissioned, last time in Canadian waters. My dad drove the boat that had taken the Pilot off of her. It was incredible to see it and a friend took the picture.
Even though I spent my time on "boats", I still miss the projection of power that a US Navy BB had. Damn they're impressive! My dad was on the recommisoning crew of the USS Iowa.
Yeah, I remember griffin (or at least I think I do. My mind isn't as sharp as it used to be.) We on the Houston were the "stunt boat" for the Dallas....
And, yes, I would like to tour the Missouri also. Just can't afford the trip to Hawaii right now. was stationed there for a year and change, but shipyard time doesn't leave much tourist time.
Yeah! Changed, is right. 'Bout flipped when I saw how SubasePearl had changed. Damn. Lockwood Hall still there (important to our visit, since My Lady is the great-grand niece of Uncle Charlie). Kinda teared-up when I was describing what 'used to be where' and what happened at various piers. She had to pull me away, physically, I was so rooted in memories. Took her to Missouri and Bowfin - since I served in Wisconsin as enlisted and Bowfin looks just like my early boats.
Great memories. Just can't live there, any more. Of course, the rent is cheaper...
Great subject since on the 21st of May I’ll be flying out to Pearl to attend my Boat’s reunion there. Last time I was on Oahu was the summer of 96, right before I retired from the Army… I’m sure there are many changes. But I will have a whole week to explore and knock around all those places that were such a defining part of my military career. We have one day planned for a lunch at the top of the old escape tower. Where I did my initial escape training, since when I went to Subschool the tower at Groton was down at the time. Ii is hard to accept that the old Ford Island ferry is gone. Oh well, time moves on…And we all get older and grayer…
Mac I was on the Big Whisky in Aug of 06 when I got together with my Target Fleet shipmates in Norfolk… Wish you could have been with us then to tell us all some Korean War sea stories…
This message has been edited. Last edited by: IC2SS19Z50C5,
Say it isn't so about the dive tower. That was a landmark at Groton. Then again they did take down Building 150 the original Sub School building. When I was there I had my ET 'A' school in that building. It was a pilot SSN ET 'A' school at the time. Before BERT/BEETS or what ever the heck they are calling it now.
Originally posted by IC2SS19Z50C5: since when I went to Subschool the tower at Groton was down at the time.
I didn't mean to imply that the escape tower was gone in my last posting, when I said it "was down"… I meant “down for use”, since there had been a fire in it shortly before I attended basic enlisted subschool, (Aug-Sep 71)... I didn't do my escape training until after I was qualified in Submarines and had made my first boomer patrol. It is also hard for me to accept that the escape tower at Pearl is now used as a restaurant and conference room. I would not want to visit Groton, CN now,. Way too many changes. I loved the Ivy league school image that all those nice old subschool buildings gave to the base for the short time I was stationed there.. Time marches on, oh well… Not always for the better…
This message has been edited. Last edited by: IC2SS19Z50C5,
what a diff huh. 
Then again they did take down Building 150 the original Sub School building. When I was there I had my ET 'A' school in that building. It was a pilot SSN ET 'A' school at the time. Before BERT/BEETS or what ever the heck they are calling it now. 
