Former Clark AFB in the Philippines

Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:36 am

I'm curious as to this statement in the online Wikipedia... has this been discussed before?

At the end of World War II, Clark Field, like so many other American bases in the Western Pacific, became a dumping ground for battle-damaged equipment. Clark was a major dumping ground for P-38 "Lightnings", the mainstay of the Allied air forces in the Pacific. After being stripped of all usable material, these aircraft were simply pushed into giant pits and covered with dirt. Such "boneyards" exist at several locations on Clark and occasionally, new construction efforts result in the rediscovery of one or more of these almost completely decomposed aircraft and equipment.

Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:49 am

It has been discussed here before. You may want to try the search feature. I am sure you can find a thread or two.

Mike

Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:16 am

Remember John Parker "Setter" telling us that as many as 600 P-38's waiting to be dug up! Also that an actual "Bong Squadron" Lightning already made it back to the US for restoration!

Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:41 am

mrhenniger wrote:It has been discussed here before. You may want to try the search feature. I am sure you can find a thread or two.

Mike

Thanks I should have used the search first...

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hilippines

Wed Jan 17, 2007 11:51 am

Rob S wrote:Remember John Parker "Setter" telling us that as many as 600 P-38's waiting to be dug up! Also that an actual "Bong Squadron" Lightning already made it back to the US for restoration!

Sadly I think it was pretty well shown that Mr. Parker's information on this subject was unreliable. He could offer no corroboratory evidence, and in the two years since his revelations, no other evidence has come to light. I think that we can safely say that most of the hopeful news concerning P-38's coming out of Clark Field in excellent condition is bunk. That's not to say that things could change in the future... just that the news previously reported isn't likely to be true.

On another note, in talking with Jerry Yagen, I was told that some P-38 wreckage had come to light at Clark Field but it was heavily corroded (which ties in with the Wiki report). Jerry's been involved with the recovery of a substantial number of P-38's in the Pacific Theatre, now located at Wangaratta, so I would have thought he would know well enough about these things.

All the best,
Richard