So...here are a few pics covering around 5 years (roughly 88-93) in the Marines with a little background info on each.
This was the flightline in Oahu at Kaneohe bay. It was an absolutely beautiful place to work everyday.
This is passing Maui on our way to the big Island...roughly 1988. It was very common to see pods of humpback whales breaching as well as very large sea turtles.
This is an island just off Ni'ihau. This is at the top of the Hawaiian chain and one of the islands that is actually privately owned. This lucky boater has the cove all to himself...paradise!
The above photo was taken on our way to a range area. Here is an actual photo of me at that range....approximately 25 years ago..:lol: Look closely...its an action shot!
Now we head to Okinawa Japan around 1989 roughly. The water is just as blue as Hawaii...but shallow in many areas.
After being in Oki we catch a ride on the USS Dubuque (LPD-8 ) and head south to the Phillipines. It was very calm there arriving on the boat in Oki......but so rough off the coast of PI that the pitching and rolling of the deck exceeded our ability to take off. I think it was 3-4 days travel by boat.
Taking off from the US Dubuque and passing Corregidor Island at the mouth of Manilla bay in the Phillipines on our way to Cubi Point/Subic Bay. Severe WWII battles were fought here. Many Americans and Filipinos died.
Roughly 1991 Mt Pinatubo erupted into one of the largest eruption since that of Novarupta in 1912 and some ten times larger than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. This is the runway at Cubi Point. Notice the L1011 that got caught in the eruption. Its sitting on its tail because there is so much volcanic ash on its tail.
This is the USS Abraham Lincoln pulling in right in front of our hangar to render assistance.
The place was devastated. Since our hangar was one of the only ones not destroyed..we ran missions to Clark AFB to recover classified munitions. Clark was completely destroyed...never to be an active base again. Some of the villagers who lived in huts were covered by hundreds of feet of ash. In this pic....there used to be deep valleys of lush green jungle.
Taking food and supplies to the displaced Filipinos. It was a madhouse. We ended up having to hover and kick out the food.
About 7 or 8 days after the volcano erupted and devastated the Island...they needed volunteers to take some vulcanologists to Mt Pinatubo to survey the area and take air samples. These are the first pics to be taken after Pinatubos eruption that I am aware of. This is the inside of the crater. There was no crater prior.
