The Frieden Trails

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (May 24-25, 2009) -- I arrived in Copenhagen late in a day that started at nearly 7 a.m. at the Stockholm Central Station (my time in Stockholm involved little sleep to begin with). I'd taken the three-hour express train to Goteburg, rushed to the Aeromuseum for my Cold War-era research near the City Airport northeast of town, then raced back downtown and rushed to make my flight to Denmark at the Landvetter Airport on the other side of town. So, I was exhausted by the time I landed in Copenhagen, but since it was my only night there, I got my second wind by the time I got to the hotel -- my hotel room view of downtwon also added to my interest to explore the city. Although I had not originally included Copenhagen in my literary scenarios, I found a couple interesting sites that now I consider interesting and fitting for a part in one of my upcoming novels.

Above: View of the Øresund (the sound) and a row of wind turbines as my flight turns to final for Runway 22 at Copenhagen Airport).

Above: View from my room of Vestebrogado Avenue and the Radhuspladsen square (City Hall square) in central Copenhagen.

Above: Nestled in the heart of Copenhagen, luxurious Radisson SAS Royal is one of the most exclusive designer hotels in Northern Europe and a great example of modernist architecture. The entire hotel from the exterior facade through to the swan and egg chairs in the lobby have been designed by the renowned Danish architect, Arne Jacobsen. Opened in 1960, the 22-floor, 275-room hotel is an architectural landmark of the Jet Age and was Copenhagen's first major skyscraper.

Above: The corner room 1611 is exceptional, offering splendid views of Copenhagen both by day and night.

Above and below: Tivoli (or Tivoli Gardens) is the famous amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on 1843, making it the second oldest amusement park in the world (the oldest is also in Denmark).

Above: Standing 80 m (170 feet) above ground, the "Himmelskibet" is the world's tallest carousel, giving riders in the 12 double-chairs a thrilling ride with stunning views.

Above: A retail/office building on H.C. Andersens Boulevard, facing City Hall.

Above: Copenhagen City Hall (Radhuset) in Rådhuspladsen (City Hall Square) in central Copenhagen. It was designed by architect Martin Nyrop and was inspired by the city hall in Siena, Italy. Construction began in 1892 and was completed in 1905.

Above: A beautiful building in Nytorv square, along the Strøget, the city's long car-free, pedestrian shopping area.

Above: In the same square is the Copenhagen Byret, the largest of Denmark's 24 municipal courts. The court serves a large part of the City of Copenhagen and Dragør and Tårnby municipalities, which total about 400,000 inhabitants.

Above: One of the many beautiful buildings facing the Højbro Plads, one of the main squares in Copenhagen. The square is located at the east end of the Strøget, the city's long car-free, pedestrian shopping area.

---- Travel Essentials Summary (and ratings) ----
Hotels: Radission SAS Royal***** (8.5)
Restaurants:
Bars/Night Clubs: The Old English Pub (8)

All photos and text Copyright © 2009 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.

GOTEBORG, Sweden (May 24, 2009) -- I arrived in Göteborg from Stockholm after a comfortable 3-hour, 1st class ride on the modern X2000 highspeed train and immediately headed to an interesting underground Cold War site in Göteborg, Sweden. This once secret installation is located at Säve Depå, on the property of the current civilian Göteborg City Airport, about 15 minutes northwest of downtown.

Above: Hardened east outer entrance of the underground shelter.

The former military facility is best known for its 22,000 square meter hardened aircraft shelter (HAS), built in the early 1950s to protect combat aircraft from the Göta Wing (F 9) of the Royal Swedish Air Force. An 8,000 square meter shelter is also at the base, though the larger one is currently open to tours by the Aeroseum Foundation. The Swedish Defence Ministry declassified the base in 1999 and in 2008, the Aeroseum became part of the national historical preservation network of Swedish Military Heritage (For a diagram of the HAS, click here; for a Map/Satellite image, click here or here).

The F 9 Säve fighter wing was commissioned in 1940 and the first rock shelter at was completed in 1942. This is among the world's oldest shelter of its kind (Switzerland and Italy developed these a few years earlier) and was initially used to protect Italian-built fighter Fiat CR 42 biplanes, among other aircraft. At the height of the Cold War in the 1950s, the base was greatly expanded with new, deeper and better protected tunnels, which were used for over ten years to house the SAAB J 29 "Tunnan" combat jets. The wing was decommissioned in 1969.

Above: An aged JA 35 Draken fighter bomber greets visitors at the entrance to the once secret aircraft bunker.

Above and below: Hardened main tunnel entrance with 24-inch thick concrete sliding doors.

Above: I'm standing next to a Saab JA 37 Viggen, a Swedish fighter plane that was ahead of its time in the 1970s/80s. Its double delta configuration is similar to several of today's state-of-the-art fighter aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale and its Swedish Air Force successor, the Gripen.

Above: A Saab JA 35 Draken (foreground) and a Saab JA 37 Viggen (background).

Above and below: Back end of the Saab JA 37 Viggen. The Viggen was powered by a single Volvo RM8 turbofan, which was essentially a licence-built version of the Pratt & Whitney JT8D engine, except that the Viggen engine included an afterburner and a thrust-reverser. The thrust-reverser gave the Viggen near-STOL capabilities, allowing the aircraft to easily handle landing and takeoff on short runways and highways (under 500 meters or 1600 feet). For more information on the Viggen, click here.

Above: The Saab 35 Draken (meaning "dragon") is a second generation supersonic interceptor with a distinctive double delta wing. The fighter aircraft served in the Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) between 1959 and 1974. The Draken was built to replace the Saab J 29 Tunnan and, later, the fighter variant (J 32B) of the Saab 32 Lansen. The indigenous J 35 was an effective supersonic Cold War fighter plane. A total of about 640 Drakens were built. Export customers included Denmark and Finland. In 1985, the Austrian Air Force purchased 24 J 35D s reconditioned by Saab. It was retired from Swedish services in 1999. Today, the U.S. Navy and the Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) use retired Drakens for pilot training. For more information on the Draken, click here.

Above: The west end of the HAS has a rotating platform to facilitate aircraft maneuvering.

Above: Inside the cockpit of the JA 37 Viggen.

Above: A green colored Saab J 35 Draken.

Above: In the cockpit of a J 35 Draken.

Above: In the event of a fire or explosion, these fire resistant curtains were designed to fall from various tunnel section dividers to reduce damage and the speed of smoke buildup.

Above and below: A Saab 32E Lansen is a two-seater attack aircraft that served the Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) between 1955 to 1978. The aircraft was used in multiple roles, including as a fighter, reconnaissance, electronic warfare and even as a target-tug aircraft. Over 400 of the aircraft were built.

Above ang below: The command center in the HAS, which did not include radar monitors, but rather relied of communications with pilots and ground observers to control traffic.

Above: A wall diagram of the entire underground complex, showing the tunnels, command and control rooms, storage and other operational areas.

Above: Part of the concrete passageways leading from the command center.

During the 1950s, the Swedish Air Force built multiple road bases to disperse their aircraft and increase survivability of squadrons. The bases consisted of stretches of main roads and highways constructed to serve as landing strips, with underground fuel tanks, communications bunkers and other necessary infrastructure. During that period Sweden had one of the most powerful air forces in Western Europe, both numerically and qualitatively, and posed a serious challenge for Soviet Air Force planning in the Baltic region.

Above: The Aeroseum displays numerous photographs of what the facility looked like in its prime. In this picture, a J 29 Tunnan fighter is wheeled out of the shelter toward the taxiway in the presence of visiting dignitaries and senior officers (circa 1950s).

Above: This is one of 146 Canadian-built North American Harvard Mk IIB (Sk 16, reg. Fv 16068) that entered service with the Swedish Air Force in 1947. A second batch of variants of the original aircraft was purchased in the early 1950s and were designated Sk 16B and Sk 16C. Although these later models were retired in the late 1950s, a few of the earlier Sk 16A kept flying until the early 1970s.

Above: The Sud Aviation SE 3130 Alouette II (Hkp 2, reg. Fv 02036, Marinen) was one of 13 to serve in the Swedish Navy between between 1959 and 1985. The helicopter was used for liaison, sea survey, rescue and also for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The large bubble canopy gave the pilots excellent visibility. During its service, the helicopter was often deployed on navy vessels, such as the destroyer HMS Småland.

Above: This Agusta Bell 206B Jet Ranger (Hkp 6B, reg. Fv 06051) was one of 32 Jet Rangers acquired in two versions for the Swedish military. Eleven helicopters for the Army were ordered (designated HKP 6A) along with ten for the Navy (designated HKP 6B). These were all built under by Agusta in Italy. The last ones were retired from service in 2004.

Above: A German built MBB BO 105 helicopter (designated HKP 9, reg. Fv 09221 "FC-90") used in the Swedish military.

Above: Spare engines for the Viggen and Draken fighters are visible in this shot along with a Draken fighter aircraft.

Above: A Falcon missile on a stand and a Draken fighter-bomber loaded with three external fuel tanks.

Above: The tail of a Draken, showing the small rear gear, which protected the lower fuselage from hitting the ground during take-off and landing.

Above: The cockpit of a JA 35 Draken.

Above: The nose cone of the JA 37 Viggen that housed the multi-mode, pulse-Doppler Ericsson PS 46/A radar optimized for the fighter/interceptor role. The radar incorporated lookdown/shootdown capability, with a range up to 50 km, continuous-wave illumination for Skyflash missiles.

Above: The tandem wheel landing gear of the JA 37 Viggen was designed in part to better handle rough airfield operations. A similar landing gear arrangement is found on today's Russian MiG-31.

Above: The ejection seats of a Draken (foreground) and Viggen (back).

Above: This Dornier 27 (reg. 53271) first flew in the mid 1950s and was known for its ability to land and take off from short, rough fields and roads. It was used in particular for reconnaissance, transport and parachute jumping. Recently donated to the Aeroseum, it will likely be restored to flying condition in the near future.

Above: The SAAB Safir (reg. SE-AUR) is best known as a trainer aircraft and was sold to more than 20 countries. The SAAB 91A model was the early version ordered by the Swedish Air Force and was designated Tp 91 for its transport/liaison duties. Later versions included the 91B and 91C, and a total of 323 Safirs were built. Prior to being brought to the Aeroseum, this aircraft was displayed suspended in the terminal building of Goteborg’s Landvetter Airport.

Above: This aircraft is a Cessna/Reims 337G Super Skymaster (reg. SE-GMM) used by the Swedish Coast Guard (the Kustbevakningen).

Sweden has operated other hardened mountain shelters, such as F 13 Norrköping, F 18 Tullinge, F 16 Uppsala, F 8 Barkarby, Fällfors and Arboga, all of which were expanded to house Drakens and/or Viggens, and some of the development resulted from consultations with the Swiss Air Force, which operated aircraft tunnels at seven airbases during the Cold War. Although the underground facility in Goteborg is decommissioned, as are all but one in Sweden, a large number of similar facilities are still in operation around the world, including in China, Taiwan, North Korea, Switzerland (Meiringen Air Base), Saudi Arabia, and former Yugoslavia. During the NATO-Serbian conflict, the U.S. targeted aicraft tunnels in Bihac and Pristina, but the air dropped weapons were not able to damage the interior of the Pristina HAS, showing that such aircraft protection systems are still viable if located under enough rock.

Above: One of the shelter's personnel doorways at the east aircraft entrance.

Above: The underground facility required substantial infrastructure to operate and to allow personnel to live inside for extended periods in case of war. This infrastructure included among others ventilation, air filtration, electrical, fuel, oil and gas storage, fire suppression, and water purification systems.

Above: one of the two taxiways that lead aircraft from the HAS to the runway.

Above: Remnants of the air filtration and ventilation systems that were vital to the underground shelter.

Above and below: The main fuel facility for the HAS.

Additional Research Links:

Hardened Aircraft Shelters in Other Countries:
Modern HAS system (Switzerland)
HAS system in the 1990s (Switzerland)
Meiringen HAS in the 1990s (Switerland)
Former HAS in Željava Air Base, also known as Bihac Air Base (Yugoslavia)
HAS at Pristina Air Base (Yugoslavia/Kosovo)
HAS for MiG-21/F-7 fighters at Gjader (Albania)
Hualien Air Base large HAS under mountain (Taiwan)
Foluo Air Base on Hainan Island (China)

---- Travel Essentials Summary (and ratings) ----
Hotels: n/a (transit only)
Restaurants: n/a
Bars/Night Clubs: n/a

All photos and text Copyright © 2009 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (May 21, 2009) -- This entry is a work in progress, but here are some pictures for a start and at the bottom a special entry on scene development...

The City

THE DEFECTION - Researching and creating a realistic espionage scene

The following is an example of the research taken to develop a scene for one of my upcoming books. The setting is downtown Stockholm, at around noon. An important military officer from [undisclosed] intends to defect by walking a few blocks from his hotel and at a key moment "lose" his security agent (an unarmed staff diplomat). In position are two operations teams from [undisclosed country] that have been positioned to observe and facilitate the defection and enable the safe-passage of the target to a safehouse near Arland Airport. The pictures show the location of the spotters and other agents, the coordination post at the Radisson SAS Strand hotel and the intended path of the defection target. Encrpyted communications are maintained amongst each of the spotters, the team in Normmalstorg square and the command post at the Strand.

Above: This image shows the target's intended path (red dotted line); the main observation vantage (green); the spotters and their field of view (blue); the tag or "catch" team's location and field of view (yellow) at the Normmalmstorg Square (top left). The pictures below are taken along the route.

Above: North view from the main ad hoc command post, established by the operatives in room 609 of the Strand Hotel. It offers excellent views of the Nybroviken Harbor, the harbor-front street and the south end of Berzelii Park. The image shows the first two spotters and their field of view, offering uninterupted observation of the target's path (red, dotted line).

Above: Eastward view of Spotter 2 (blue) in the cobble-stone portion of Berzelii Park. The image also show the planned path of the target.

Above: Northwest view of the target's intended path (red, dotted line) along the west end of Berzelii Park, toward Berns Restaurant.

Above: Spotter 3 (blue) is located in the northeast end of Berzelii Park with near-perfect visibility of the target northward path.

Above: Berns restaurant and night club on the east side of the target's path (red dots).

Above: The target's intended northward path from the Berns restaurant to the large square known as Normmalstorg (background).

Above: Looking back south at the Berns restaurant area.

Above: At the crossing of Hamngatan street, the team leader will have made a small chalk mark (red arrrow) to indicate to the target the status of the impending plan (a horizontal line means proceed as planned, a vertical line means action is suspended for non-security reasons, and no mark at all means that the operation is off because security has been compromised).

Above: The team leader moves to the other corner of the street after marking the concrete fence post so that he can have a better vantage of the tag team in the square, the van further west on the street, the path from the Berns restaurant, and also Spotter 3 in direct line of sight.

Above: Normmalstorg square offers sufficient movement and distractions for the target to lose his security (something to the effect, "I'll just go in that store over there... I'll be right back"), at which point the tag team would assist with the following:
- tag agent 1 carries an extra coat and cap
- tag agent 2 walks behind target to help impair guard's line of sight (team leader may also assist "brush" guard -- physical contact distraction -- if he's too close). If rain, then umbrellas are ideal additional obstacles.
- when line of sight is broken, tag agent provides clothing to target, both walk out of store's auxiliary entrance and proceed 20 feet to the waiting van.

So this scene, as researched above, will find its way into my manuscript very soon.

----- Travel Essentials Summary (and Ratings) -----
Hotels: Radisson SAS Strand Hotel***** (8.5)
Restaurants: Pontus (9); JT Restaurant (8.5);
Bars/Night Clubs: Club Opera (9);

All photos and text Copyright © 2009 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (Feb. 10, 2009) – I traveled to Uruguay to continue researching political issues that have a connection to my upcoming novel set in Latin America. As in my prior trip to Uruguay in early 2008 and to other destinations in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela since 2007, I've interviewed key politicians, officials and authors as well as investigated sites relating to my story. For this particular research trip, I spent some time in the capital, Montevideo, and in the trendy resort town of Punta del Este. And it's exciting to see it now, because in this tense election year, Uruguay may be on the verge of a significant political change (to the right). This may be a indication of things to come, especially on the sustainability of current leftist movements throughout Latin America.

Above: The Palacio Legislative (Uruguay's parliamentary or capitol building).

Above: The east side of the Palacio Legislative, facing the newer parliamentary annex building.

Above: Inside the main atrium of the Palacio Legislative, with the ceremonial guard standing at attention in the center.

Uruguay has a mixed history of dictatorship and democracy, coupled with frequent overt and covert foreign intervention. This makes the country a good example of the paradox encountered in my novel, the manuscript of which is now more than half completed. So, during my visit, I met with Senator Francisco Gallinal of the National Party (aka, the Blancos) at the senator’s offices in the Palacio Legislativo (the parliament building) in Montevideo.

The building is beautiful, inside and out, but it needs some renovation. I was surprised to see that security was quite passive, with few guards and a metal detector that didn't pick up most of the metalic items I carried (cell phone, pens, change, camera, etc.) -- was it even plugged in? Anyway, it was a sharp, pleasant contrast to my visits to government offices in Washington, D.C., where security is thorough and annoying. Once inside, the similarities reappear. Hallways and offices this capitol building resembled so many others. I arrived at Senator Gallinal's office a bit late (the taxi driver took me to the parliament annex, even though I had told him the correct address). And there I was, with my notepad and about 20 questions for the Senator, who greeted me warmly in his office (which also needs some renovation and better lighting -- a result of budget cutbacks, I'm sure).

With his legal background, Senator Gallinal has been instrumental in recent legislative developments, particularly with reforms in health care, education and telecommunications. He has served in the Senate since his election in 2000 and has become a vital ally of Dr. Luis Lacalle, the National Party’s leading presidential candidate for the October 2009 elections. This makes him particularly knowledgeable in the structural/institutional development of the country, both from an economic and social aspect. However, his allegiance to the Blancos party and his constituence cannot be questioned. He sees the future of Uruguay very differently than many others I've spoken to in the country, particularly leftists.

Above: Senator Francisco Gallinal standing next to me after our hour-long meeting.

I also interviewed Alfonso Lessa, chief editor of Teledoce (Channel 12), Uruguay's leading television station, where Mr. Lessa hosts a popular weekly current events program. Mr. Lessa’s career in journalism includes being an editor at the country’s top selling paper, El Pais. He has also authored several books, including the acclaimed Estado De Guerra, relating to Uruguay’s legacy of dictatorship and the country’s political developments since the restoration of democracy.

The interview with Mr. Lessa focused a lot on politically important topics relating to Uruguay in particular, and South America in general. Of special interest to me were Lessa’s perspectives on reconciliation with Uruguay’s past dictatorship and the Tupamaro terrorist group, since the press is often a fragile pillar of democracy. It was very interesting to hear first hand the evolving roles of journalists during and after Uruguay’s dictatorship. Mr. Lessa also gave me a tour of the station and let me see the live midday newscast from the studio floor.

During my stay in Punta del Este, I had the pleasure to interview Dr. Augusto Durán Martínez, a law professor and legal advisor (Prosecretaría de Presidencia) to former Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle (who is now running in the 2009 elections). Dr. Martinez has extensive experience in international law, human rights and constitutional law. We talked at length (mostly in French, which Dr. Martinez speaks very well) about Uruguay’s political problems and issues facing the continent as a whole, among them complex matters relating to MERCOSUR, the OAS and relations with Argentina and Venezuela.

I also had an extensive discussion in Montevideo with Dr. Alphonse Max Emanueloff, one of Uruguay’s most experienced journalists and political observers. With his background as editor of the daily Ultimas Noticias and other publications, and with his insights into the turbulent years of the dictatorship, Dr. Emanueloff shared his candid views on the Uruguay’s historical left-right political struggles and the failures of the current governing leftist coalition, the Frente Amplio. He has authored numerous books on politics and international relations since receiving his doctorate in political science in the U.K., after which he moved to Uruguay and served as a foreign correspondent for various publications in South America, the U.S., Africa and Australia.

more info and pictures will be uploaded soon.

----- Travel Essentials Summary (and ratings) -----
Hotels: Hotel Casapueblo (8.0)
Restaurants: Bungalow Suizo (8.0); SOHO (9.0); Napoleon (8.5)

All photos and text Copyright © 2009 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.

PANAMA CITY, Panama (Jan. 3, 2009) -- Part of my trip to Panama was focused on the Canal. It serves as a setting for my third novel, The Serpent's Game, as well as an aerial photography book that is about 30% complete. More info soon...

----- Travel Essentials Summary (and ratings) -----
Hotel: Bananas Village Resort Isla Grande (8.0); Radisson Decapolis (8.5)
Restaurants: x (x); x (x); x (x)

All photos and text Copyright © 2009 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.

Colon, Panama (Dec. 30, 2008) -- Well, some people prefer a white Christmas and New Years, sipping egg-nog and watching tree lights flicker, while others opt for blistering heat-filled holidays loaded with literary research objectives. Just as I did last year, I headed south. I arrived in Panama at 3 a.m. to start my research for two novels and focused part of my time on collecting information on the country's former U.S. military presence, a footprint that remains quite evident throughout central Panama today, even after all the U.S. troops have gone.

FORT GULICK AND THE SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS

My first stop was at the former Fort Gulick, near the northern town of Colón. Fort Gulick used to be the home of the infamous School of the Americas (Esquela de las Americas), known best for its anti-communist training programs and sometimes referred to as the "school of the assassins." Today the base is a refurbished residential area and hosts the Melia Panama Canal Hotel, in the same building as the former school, where I stayed two nights for my research.

Above: I'm standing in front of an abandoned barracks at Fort Gulick, a former U.S. military base in the Panama Canal Zone, just south of Colón. Other barracks nearby have been renovated and turned into multifamily residences.

Above and below: The former Fort Gulick's main building that once served as the School of the Americas, and prior to that, as a hospital.

Located near the Quebrada Ancha portion of Lake Gatun, Fort Gulick was built to accommodate increased troop levels in the Canal Zone during the Second World War. Between 1949 and 1984, Fort Gulick became the home of the U.S. Army School of the Americas, where 29,000 military personnel, mostly from Central and South America, underwent training in various fields, including jungle warfare, counterinsurgency, interrogation techniques, and combat communications, among others. The former hospital served as the School of the Americas' headquarters building (Building #400). A U.S. Army Special Forces Group was also stationed at Fort Gulick since the 1960s.

Above and below: Inside the former Building #400, the main building of the School of the Americas, as it appears today -- as a luxury hotel (today the hotel is in need of additional renovations).

On September 7, 1977, the U.S. and Panama signed the Panama Canal Treaty that governed the gradual transition of U.S. territory in the Canal Zone to Panamanian control, which would be finalized in December 31, 1999. Under the Treaty, the U.S. retained control of various defense-related sites, including on the Pacific coast: Corozal, Albrook Air Force Station, Howard Air Force Base, Rodman Naval Station, Camp Semaphore, the Cocoll housing complex, Forts Clayton and Kobbe; and on the Atlantic/Caribbean side: Galeta Island, and Forts Davis and Sherman. There were other installations that were shared during much of that transition period, including on the Pacific side: Quarry Heights, Fort Amador, Curundu residential complex, Gorgas Army Hospital, Naval Station Rodman-Fort Amador, Summit Naval Radio Station, Chiva Chiva, the Empire Range, and, on the Atlantic/Caribbean side, Fort Gulick.

In the mid-1980s, control of a portion of Fort Gulick was turned over to the Republic of Panama, which renamed it Fuerte Espinar, and the School of the Americas was moved to Fort Benning, Georgia. The U.S. retook control of the base following its 1989 invasion of Panama. At the time of the invasion, Panama's security forces based at Fort Gulick were made up of the Octava Compañía de Infantería (Eighth Infantry Company), with 175 troops.

Above anb below: The pool and carefully manicured foliage was added when the building became a hotel.

Above: Aerial view of the former School (now the Melia Panama Canal Hotel) as I flew over the area on January 4, about ten days after staying at the place.

Above and below: Aerial views of the base.

Above: The west entrance linking Fort Gulick to Colon was controlled by this U.S. military checkpoint (Building #330). The north entrance (not pictured) led to the Boyd-Roosevelt Hwy.

Above: The former residence of the base commander and other top officers (four buildings in all in the area known as Cronkhite Loop). The homes have stunning waterfront views on the other side.

Above and below: The base's former theatre, which along with the nearby bowling alley and adjacent oversized pool, offered military personnel a luxury not available to the average Panamanian in those days.

Above: View of the main base road leading to the former School.

Above: The principal power and engineering facilities for the former base.

Above: Former military housing has been transformed into residential units, some as single-familiy and others as duplex/triplex. Most of the inhabitants are upper middle class, given the cost of these refurbished homes.

HOWARD AIR FORCE BASE

Above and two below: An aerial view of Howard Air Force base, including its aircraft hangars, maintenance buildings, housing facilities and other installations. I took the photo while flying directly above the former Rodman Naval Base.

With the conclusion of the Cold War, highlighted by the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, the United States military was trying to redefine it's role in Latin America while attempting to preserve it's former influence. Many in Congress and in the military were crafting a new primary focus to maintain influence over the continent: counter-narcotics. It is no coincidence that at a time when U.S. voters were increasingly looking for a peace dividend, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, to invade Panama and overthrow former ally General Manuel Noriega. It has only recently become clear that part of the long-term objectives of the invasion was to legitimately initiate renegotiations of the Panama Canal Treaties. Senior U.S. officials wanted to keep their military bases from transferring to Panamanian control, as the agreement had stated. In particular, U.S. officials wanted to maintain Howard Air Force base as a center of power projection for the region, albeit publicly calling its mission an anti-narcotics campaign. However, the political establishment in Panama was able to thwart U.S. policymakers by soliciting the support of human rights groups, other Latin American political bodies and, to a lesser extent, discouraging any U.S. support from neighboring countries.

BILBOA, CLAYTON AND AMADOR AREAS

Above: The Panama Canal Administrative Building sits atop Balboa Heights, at the foot of Ancon Hill. This picture was taken during my final approach to Galebert Airport (formerly Albrook Air Force Station).

Above and below: The Panama Canal Administrative Building.

amador and causeway

in amador

ALBROOK AIR FORCE STATION

RODMAN NAVAL BASE

Above: The former Rodman Naval Base (below, right) was a key U.S. military facility until it was turned over to Panama in 1999. This picture was taken as I was flying south past the Miraflores Locks.

OTHER FACILITIES

Above and below: The Panama Canal Zone Penitentiary was operated by the U.S. military until 1999.

----- Travel Essentials Summary (and ratings) -----
Hotel: Bananas Village Resort Isla Grande (8.0); Radisson Decapolis (8.5)
Restaurants: x (x); x (x); x (x)

All photos and text Copyright © 2009 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.