84nomore:
You and your son were lucky; my son, also born in TPMH but some 20 years earlier was also refused permission to enter the US when travelling on his British passport as he had put RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus as his place of birth in the ESTA and was therefore also ineligible for the Visa waiver programme. After a fairly intense interrogation he was imprisoned for 24 hours then deported - handcuffs and manacles to the airport, and 'restrained' on the aircraft until clear of US territory.
On a positive note he has now acquired a full visa to enter the States, although still has a stamp on EVERY page of his passport stating he was refused permission to enter the USA, and has a fairly heavy interview with Homeland Security on every visit.