è Report #12 - March 09 – 17, 2008  - Clark Air Base, Philippines

Greetings from Clark Air Base, where Nick, I and our fellow travelers were promised an All American experience.  After visiting all these foreign countries where most of the locals don't even have the courtesy to speak English, this was a welcomed outing. But first, as always, a bit of history. Clark Air Base was an American military facility from 1903 to 1991. The base covered 14.3 square miles (or 37 square kilometers for the rest of the world) with a military reservation extending north that covered another 596 square kilometers. The base was a stronghold of American forces during the end of World War II, and until 1975, it was a backbone of logistical support during the Vietnam War.

Other names of Clark Air Base have been:

• Camp Stotsenburg, September 1, 1903 - September 1, 1919

• Clark Field, September 2, 1919 - December 20, 1941

• Army Air Base (AAB) Clark Field, September 10, 1945 - March 26, 1948

• Clark Air Force Base, March 26, 1948 - December 3, 1957

Now, on to the present day. Clark has not been a military facility for 17 years, but that doesn't mean that there isn't an American stamp on the place. We spent a day of All American activities at Clark - a home away from home!

First stop on our bus tour of the base was a replica of the Mall of America that has been built inside one of the abandoned aircraft hangars:

We spent most of the day languishing on benches, stuffing our faces with deep fried everything at the Food Court, and buying tons of stuff we didn't really need. It was so much like the US that it was scary!

After watching a screening of Porkys III at the Cineplex, we needed to get out and get some exercise. Fortunately, there were athletic facilities at hand, namely a go cart track modeled after the #1 spectator sport in the US, NASCAR auto racing:

That's Nick just coming into the turn under the bridge. What a great time. My clothes still smell like 2-stroke engine exhaust!

Finally, what All American day would be complete without six to eight hours of mindless television?

We sat around watching shows about guys sitting around and fishing. The reality shows were my favorite, although we didn't see too many references to serving humanity to fight world hunger, disease, illiteracy, poor water quality, war or poverty....I guess they're living in a different reality than Rotarians do

What an All American day we had at Clark. It's time to head back to our ship, and our next great adventure!!.

è Next - Report #13 (March 18 – 20, 2008) (Two days to stop for gas.)