SUBIC BAY : Anchors Aweigh

A U.S. Navy honor guard will haul down the flag for the last time at the Subic Bay Naval Station on Wednesday as part of the planned withdrawal of all U.S. forces from the Philippines. The final few hundred sailors and Marines will move back to the adjoining Cubi Point Naval Air Station until they too leave on Nov. 24, ending more than a century of U.S. military presence in the country.

Subic, once one of America’s largest and busiest overseas bases, will be turned over to Philippine officials, who hope to turn the sprawling facility into an industrial park and tourist attraction. So far, however, no major investors have committed themselves to moving onto the site. Subic was the primary logistic, maintenance and training support base for the U.S. 7th Fleet. Among those who will mourn the passing are more than 1,000 Philippine base workers who get their final paychecks this week.