When we reported last summer the U.S. Navy planned to move the majority of its fleet to the Pacific, commanders looked eagerly for safe places to host their vessels.
But not until November did the most coveted base in the Pentagon's sights, Subic Bay, give in to allow the return of U.S. Naval forces.
The 7th Fleet called Subic Bay home for years, but the parting was so bitter that even in October, neither side would do more than say U.S. ships "Will be here regularly and are welcome."
Even then with it was made clear: "The US will not return to the bases they gave up in 1991."
An important distinction after a couple decades and here's why.
Like all good break-ups this one had a long an painful history building up.
Subic Bay was not just a port in the storm of WWII, the U.S. essentially took the refuge from long-time host Spain in the years leading up to the 20th century. For over four decades, the Americans called Subic Bay home until 1943 when the Japanese insisted their need for ownership outweighed the U.S.'
The Empire held on to the port until 1945, when it fell with great fanfare to U.S. forces.
It was a homecoming, make no mistake, and the Philippine community lived in relative harmony with U.S. Navy forces until 1991.
But that year, there was a mighty explosion.
One morning six days before the official start of summer in June 1991, Mt. Pinatubo erupted with a force eight times greater tha Mount St. Helen's.
The day turned to night, volcanic earthquakes, rain, thunder, lighting, all delivered by Typhoon Yunya warped the hours.
Dozens died the first day and official nightfall found conditions no better.
U.S. dependents were evacuated quickly and expeditiously, and while the Philippines cleaned up they decide to nix the Treaty of Friendship, Peace and Cooperation that would have granted U.S. forces a 1947 extension on Subic Bay.
By the end of 1992 the U.S. was literally shown the door and not invited back until November 2012.
There may have been a few weeks of pleasant reacquainting, but on January 17, the U.S. ran a 225-foot long minesweeper onto one of the world's most pristine UNESCO reef's off the coast of the Philippines.
The thing about those minesweepers is they're made mostly of pine, and clad in a soft non-
resonating material to keep from triggering mines. They shred apart foundering in the surf.
This would be bad enough, but it turns out the U.S. Navy was also accused of dumping hazardous waste on Subic Bay in November days before their official arrival.
But compared to the USS Guardian running aground at Tubbataha Reef and possibly damaging 4,000 square yards of reef, needed for hard cash income during diving tourist season, the dumping seems like small potatoes.
In the meantime, the USS Guardian flounders, a metaphor perhaps, for faltering U.S./Philippine relations. A relationship both countries desire to offset China's growing presence in the region.
And this is supposition only, but maybe there are a couple Chinese Admirals just laughing their hearts out at the Guardians misstep, but no official word from Beijing on that.
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