1992 and Family

1992 and Family
Originally uploaded by joel monsalud

Reunion 2007

Last Recruits
Originally uploaded by joel monsalud

San Diego Reunion

Ellis Island of Subic Bay

This humble building is the former Subic Bay Class "A" Navy Recruiting Station but also dubbed as the "Ellis Island" of Subic Bay, Philippines. Thousands of young and abled body Filipinos aspiring to join the US Navy were processed here. During the height of recruitment, there were more Filipinos in the US Navy than in the entire Philippine Navy. In March 1992, following the rejection of the Philippine Senate to the US Mutual Defense Treaty, US Naval Recruiting Center Subic Bay closed its doors forever... a month and a half after I joined the navy.
Today, it houses a detachment of Philippine Custom Officers. Notable anecdotes and personal stories of few young men who were successful and many who were unfortunate to join the navy were written on its walls. Statistically, there was only one successful recruit that eventually enlisted in the US Navy for every 400 applicants. If I win a lotto on Saturday, I will turn this building into a museum.