63. INSIDE CLARK AIR BASE: 13 VINTAGE IMAGES FROM THE 1960s

Clark Air Force Base, straddling parts of Angeles and Mabalacat, is the headquarters of the U.S. Thirteenth Air Force. This modern, fully equipped air base is the nerve center of the Unites States Air Force operations in Southeast Asia. Let's take a look at what's inside Clark, in the 1960s.

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1. OFFICERS’ OPEN MESS

The tastefully furnished, air conditioned CAB Officers’ Club holds events like dances, variety shows, game nights, bridge tournaments, buffet and family dinners. The club is famous for its charcoal broiled foods and excellent services available at the downstairs “Rathskeller”. Adjacent to the main building, one can find a barber shop, beauty salon, an outdoor patio and a swimming pool.

2. THE ‘TOP3’ NCO CLUB

Touted as ‘the finest in the air force’, the NCO club has an indoor patio that can seat 1100 persons. It features a beautifully-decorated bandstand manned by a 16-piece dance band which plays 6 times a week, while Western music holds forth the other night. The plush cocktail lounge—"T-Bar-3 Room"—is a fine place to relax and bask in the Western-style atmosphere complete with cattle horn décor and Western rug. The NCO Club also has a Stag Room and an air-conditioned barber shop.

3. AIRMEN’S CLUB

The Airmen’ Open Mess, established in 1954 on Bong Highway,  is a favorite spot of ‘lower four’ airmen. Recently remodeled in the early 1960s, it has a Stag Room, cocktail lounge, TV and game room, an enlarged dining area and a ballroom with a distinctive tropical motif. The club features dancing nightly, Sunday breakfasts, floor shows, game nights, and a weekly “Mr. Big Shot” contest where the winner gets a free all-expense paid weekend in Manila. This facility was later renamed Coconut Grove.

4. SILVER WINGS SERVICE CLUB

The Silver Wing Service Club is a recreation center, constructed in 1949, that provides a host of activities for personnel and their dependents—from games, pool, billiards, ping pong, shuffleboard, badminton, plus card and games of all types.  The Mars-o-Gram, the base telegraph office, is also housed in this club. The spacious main lounge is equipped with a stage and a superb dance floor. Weekly programs include Sunday morning coffee hours, square dancing, USO Shows, Grand Ole Opry entertainment and Manila specialty attractions. One of the most popular is “Stateside Calling”, where base personnel can send messages and requests to their loved ones via their hometown radio, through the facilities of the Clark radio station.

5. ARMED FORCES RADIO AND TELEVISION STATION

Clark TV is available on Channel 8, and offers approximately 8 hours of TV enjoyment every day, with special presentations such as sports events, feature movies, and canned popular U.S. TV series, like “Perry Mason” and “Rawhide”. The best in stateside viewing from the 4 major TV networks can be seen daily. In addition, local talent shows, such as Pantomime Teens and others are also shown.  Round the clock radio—1220 on the dial is provided. UPI (United Press Int’l) and AP (Associated Press)  wires and over 250,000 transcribed musical selections offer the best for everyone’s pleasure.

6. CHAPEL 1

Clark Air Base has 3 base chapels with 8 staff chaplains of different denominations to cater to spiritual needs of Clark servicemen and their families. They are used daily and weekly by members of all religions and for various services (Protestant Sunday service, Sunday School, Episcopal, Christian Science, Jewish Service, etc.). Catholic Mass is said 7 times on Sunday, and twice daily. Baptisms, weddings and other religious ceremonies can also be conducted in the chapels. The Chapel 1, which started as a single standing structure along Dyess Highway (now Recto Ave.), was expanded in the 1960s and installed with air conditioning.  Damaged by the Pinatubo eruption, Chapel 1 underwent a series of rehabilitation and improvements, and is now known as the Chapel of Our Lady of Remedies.

7. CLARK AIR BASE HOSPITAL

Opening its doors in December 1964, the new, $5 million Clark Air Base Hospital was built over a period of 4 years to answer the primary health care of U.S. military personnel and their dependents stationed not only in the Philippines, but all over Southeast Asia. It was equipped with the most modern facilities for almost all kinds of medical care , except heart surgery and neurosurgery. It had a Laboratory, X-ray facilities, a Pharmacy, and an efficient Emergency Room open 24/7. The hospital personnel is mostly American, including its nursing staff. Interestingly, the hospital also offers specialized training services to Filipino medical residents in the fields of veterinary medicine, sanitation, immunization and public health care. Now in ruins, the hospital was featured by the US TV show, “Ghost Hunters” for supposed paranormal activities happening in there.

8. HOBBY SHOP

The base hobby center, along Marrat Highway,  comes complete with equipment and instructors, plus many departments that cater to every type of major hobby: Woodworking, Leathercraft, Photography, Ceramics, Graphic and Fine Arts, Hi-Fi and Electronics, Lapidary, Model Building and even Automotive. Two hobby stores are maintained at the center for arts and crafts supplies. The model center has all the materials and tools needed to build models of just about everything, with a flying circle for model airplanes and a model car track.

9. BX (BASE EXCHANGE) AND COMMISSARY

The Base Exchange facilities in Clark includes a spacious main building and surrounding support buildings that contain every solution to almost every shopping problem. In the main store alone, on O’Leary Avenue, 10,000 items are offered. There are 7 BX branches scattered around the base for shopping convenience, all carrying many imported items as well as standard stateside purchases. The main BX is surrounded with fresh vegetables stores , jewelry and watch repair shop, shoe store, travel agency, radio-TV shops, tailors, barbers and beauty salons. Also in operation is a modern service station that offers standard services as well as motor,  scooter and U.S. spare parts sales. Adjacent to the BX is the local commissary with food stocks, frozen meats, canned goods, fresh produce, egg and poultry. A bakery, milk and ice cream plant are also on the BX grounds to supply bread, cakes and dairy products  of ” stateside quality”. A new Base Commissary along Dyess Highway was opened in April 1984, containing state-of-the-art equipment and marketing concepts, built at a total cost of $6.2 million.  At the time of its construction, it was the largest in the world.

10. PERMANENT AIRMEN’S QUARTERS

Housing in Clark began in 1919 with the creation of dormitories for servicemen. Modern in-base housing in the 60s already included buildings like this 2-storey, permanent airmen’s quarters, designed to make the most of the tropical breeze. These are furnished with the most essential items of furniture. Married officers and eligible civilians can plan on a 9-month delay in getting government quarters. The majority of the people obtain housing off-base until government housing becomes available.

11. BACHELOR OFFICERS QUARTERS

Bachelor-type quarters are available for single officers an those awaiting their families. Generally, these consist of a furnished room complete with refrigerator and bathroom facilities. They are designed for tropical living, with louvres and very little glass to allow unhindered ventilation. The Bachelors Officers Quarters are in the hill area, near the club annex, and are equipped with carport areas beneath them.

12. EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

Elementary, secondary, vocational and college level courses are conducted in on-duty and off-duty classes at the base. The Wurtsmith Memorial School (1954), a modern school designed for “tropical teaching and learning”, is tuition-free to school-age dependents of military and civilian personnel at Clark. All textbooks, work books and other supplies are furnished to the students free of charge; papers and pencils are issued on regular schedules to meet their needs. Wurtsmith would be renamed Wagner High School in 1962. A decade earlier, in 1953, a branch of the University of the Philippines was established as a base residence program leading to a liberal arts degree.

13. SPORTS FACILITIES

Complete sports facilities include the Meyer Levin Gymnasium (built in 1955), just east of the Parade Ground, with courts for handball, squash, basketball and volleyball. A brand new football stadium called “Bamboo Bowl” and a well-lighted baseball diamond  are also available for use. The  sprawling Clark Golf Club with a challenging 18-hole course, practice green, driving range an club house is a must-stop fpr golf enthusiasts. There are 3 swimming pools in the base, where swimming classes are conducted regularly. A year-round program of sporting events have been developed to appeal to active athletes and spectators alike: from King Football, Little League baseball, Interservice League competitions, Powder Puff softball, basketball, volleyball and golf tournaments to boxing bouts, target shooting, horseback riding, diving exhibitions.

SOURCE:

Welcome to Clark Air Base Philippines booklet, ca. 1965