Clark Air Base
Clark Air Base is a former American air base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, near the city of Angeles in the province of Pampanga and about 40 miles (60 km) northwest of Manila. Clark Air Base was arguably the most urbanized military facility in history, and was the largest American overseas base. The base was converted into a special economic zone following the departure of American military presence in the Philippines in 1992.
The base was the location of the Far East Air Force's 4th Composite Group. Located at 15° 11'N 120° 33'E, altitude 478 ft (146 m), Clark Air Base was an American military facility from 1903 to 1991. The base covered 14.3 square miles (37 km²) with a military reservation extending northward that covered another 230 square miles (596 km²). At its peak around 1990, it had a permanent population of 15,000. 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.
History
Clark Air Base was originally established as Fort Stotsenberg in 1903 and was under control of the U.S. Army. A flying school was created in 1912, with the runway designated Clark Field in 1919. The base was overrun by Japanese forces during World War II in early 1942, but was recaptured by Americans in January 1945 following three months of fierce fighting. On March 14, 1947 the U.S. and the Philippines cosigned the Military Bases Agreement which provided for use of Clark Air Base until the year 2046. In 1949 the base was transferred from the Army to the U.S. Air Force, and was known as Clark Air Base (or Clark AB).
Clark Air Base was completely evacuated beginning June 10, 1991 as Mount Pinatubo erupted. The Philippine Senate rejected an extension of the Military Bases Agreement that September, and the base was transferred to the Philippine government on November 26, 1991.
Aircraft and military units
Major Air Force units included the 13th Air Force, the 3rd Combat Support Group, the 3rd Security Police Group, and the 405th Fighter Wing. The heart of Clark's aircraft force during the 1970s and 1980s was the F-4E fighter jet. Other planes included the T-33 trainer, the C-130 transport, and a small number of F-5 fighters. Transient aircraft of all types, especially cargo jets, were very common. Fighter planes regularly visited to participate in aerial warfare exercises at Crow Valley about thirty miles (50 km) to the north.
Clark was served regularly by cargo and passenger flights to and from Andersen AFB, Guam; Kadena AB, Japan; Diego Garcia; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Saigon, Vietnam (until 1975). During the 1970s passengers arrived via Trans International Douglas DC-8 flights from Travis AFB, California (via Honolulu and Guam). By 1980 the base had grown to such an extent that weekly Flying Tigers Boeing 747 service to St. Louis (via Kadena AB Japan; Anchorage; and Los Angeles) had begun. The 747 service was taken over by Tower Air sometime in the late 1980s.
Facilities
A large flight operations area was located just west of the the airfield, comprising the core of the base. Housing and commercial areas were located further west. At the foothills of Mount Pinatubo were two major housing areas bisected by a large golf course. The base was crisscrossed by about five major boulevards, one measuring six miles (10 km) long. The base had a regional hospital, a very large supermarket, a department store, a mini-mall, several restaurants, a hotel, and a six-story dormitory. Clark was home to Wagner High School, Wagner Middle School, and Lily Hill Middle School, and had at least four elementary schools. The base had its own television station and two 24 hour radio stations, which broadcast as FEN, or Far East Network Philippines.
Three major Filipino communities were nestled against Clark Air Base: Angeles City against the southeast corner, Mabalacat against the northeast corner, and Sapangbato on the south side. They were all important sources of labor, goods, and services to the base.
Demise of Clark Air Base
In 1995, following years of neglect, cleanup and removal of volcanic ash deposits began. The former base re-emerged as Clark International Airport and Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ). The airfield infrastructure was upgraded to make it one of the most modern in Asia, and a second parallel runway was built. The former base is now home to a golf resort, a number of industrial buildings, landmarks, and retail establishments.
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