I went to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO) with no expectations, no preconceived notions and an open mind. Of course, I had heard all the criticisms, opinions, and negative media coverage but as always, I wanted to see it for myself and form my own opinion. So after five days on the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, I feel like I have a pretty good feel for the place and an opinion that may surprise many people.
First, I want to state a few facts to dispel a few common misconceptions and misinformation that people have about Guantanamo Bay. The Naval Station has been around since the turn of the 20th century and was not formed as a result of Fidel Castro, The Cuban Missile Crisis or the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Also, the Bay of Pigs was not at Guantanamo Bay-it was in another part of Cuba.
When President Obama signed an order to close down Guantanamo Bay on his first day in office in 2009; he was attempting to shut down the detention center, not the Naval Station. Guantanamo Bay Naval Station will still be around regardless of whether the detention center is ever shut down or not.
Guantanamo Bay is divided into two parts; Naval Station and JTF or Joint Task Force; meaning all branches of the military working together. In order to get onto the JTF side of the island you need a special badge and clearance. I was able to tour the JTF side of the island and see the camps and detention centers from the outside-not inside-I saw no detainees.
Finally, and probably most important, is that according to multiple people I spoke with, nowadays the detainees at Guantanamo Bay are treated better than most soldiers on island. They receive excellent healthcare, food and are generally treated incredibly well: especially as some detainees are some of the world’s worst people. If they were to be held in federal prison, they would never receive the same treatment. Some detainees that have been transferred have begged to go back to GTMO.
Additionally, the detainees abuse the guards. Almost always unreported, detainees are known to go to the bathroom in their hands and throw it at the guards. They are also known to throw their own waste in other manners and spit at guards. They verbally abuse the guards and the guards are expected to basically take it.
Much of this special treatment is a result of the highly publicized and horrific prisoner abuses at Abu Ghraib (Iraq) and GTMO in the past so they are now, seemingly, overcompensating to avoid bad public relations. However, the public doesn’t realize that it goes both ways and again, some of these detainees are accused of and committed the worst crimes ever against America including 9/11 and the USS Cole bombing.
Finally, before I start talking about my actual experience in Guantanamo Bay, I will also state that I worked in One World Trade Center and lost many friends and former colleagues in 9/11. I had hoped to be able to attend some of the 9/11 hearings but the dates didn’t work out.
While I try to be very fair and unbiased in what I am saying here in this article, I have a lot of anger toward the 9/11 terrorists held at GTMO. This is America and everyone is entitled to a fair trial but if they are guilty, I hope they get what they deserve and the families of my fallen friends can finally get some closure.
When you fly into Guantanamo Bay, Cuba there is a feeling of excitement and anticipation that is unlike many places I’ve traveled to. Guantanamo Bay is one of those places that there is so much chatter about that you don’t know what’s what and I was very excited to find out for myself what it’s really like.
You land at the airport on the leeward side of the bay. After clearance, you take a ferry to the windward side of the bay. This is where I met my sponsor, got my rental car and checked into my hotel; which is basically a townhouse called Caravella East located directly across from the elementary school.
I spent most of my first day driving around the island getting my bearings. Guantanamo Bay is not actually an island but everyone on base calls it the island. Obviously, Cuba is an island and GTMO is a bay that is pretty much completely cut off from Cuba and the border is clearly defined by a fortified and monitored fence line.
My sponsor arranged a dinner for me to meet people on the base at O’Kelly’s; which dubs itself as the only Irish pub on communist soil. The food is actually pretty good bar food and the portions are massive. It also acts as a Pizza Hut.
As far as restaurants in Guantanamo Bay, there are a few options. As I mentioned there is a Pizza Hut. There is also a McDonald’s, 2 Subway’s (one in town and one at the airport), a Taco Bell and an Asian place akin to a Panda Express that are both in the bowling alley. There is also a coffee/ice cream place called Caribbean Coffee and Cream or CCC where they serve Starbucks coffee. There are also a few galleys that serve food and a few other restaurants that I didn’t try.
Most local people buy food at the Navy Exchange; which is essentially the downtown. It is also home to a Subway, the bank, credit union, barbershop, and a few stores for clothes, etc. It is the hub of the island and the main lifeline.
Guantanamo Bay is made up of military personnel, civilians and third country nationals or foreign nationals. Foreign nationals, mainly Jamaicans and Filipinos from what I saw and met, do the majority of the menial jobs around the island. They work the stores, restaurants and other jobs equivalent to those. They are housed together and seem to live pretty well on base.
Different groups of the military live in different housing barracks as well. Some are nicer than others and in better locations. Many officers with families and civilian contractors live in pretty nice houses.
I happened to be in Guantanamo Bay during something called the ‘Tour of Homes”. This was actually really cool. Many of the officers, including the base commander opened their homes up for those that bought tickets to come have a look and chat. I personally thought it was a great way to get to know the island and the actual, real people that live there. I really enjoyed it and let me tell you, some of the people on GTMO live very well!
I mentioned I rented a car. A car is pretty much necessary for anyone visiting Guantanamo Bay. While it is a small place at some 45 square miles, it is still big enough where you need to have a car. The speed limit is pretty much 25mph around the island and there are police patrolling the streets.
I felt very free to basically do what I wanted around GTMO. I really had no idea what to expect. I have been on military bases before but again, there is something about Guantanamo Bay. Of course I wasn’t allowed to photograph certain things and there are a few areas that are totally off limits but nothing too crazy.
After my experience, I can say confidently that Guantanamo Bay is a nice place. The military, civilian and foreign nationals that make up the base are all very nice and they live well together in all that I could see. Everyone is exceptionally friendly and was very nice and accommodating to me.
Each morning I woke up early and hiked around the island. There are several hikes or at least variations of the same hikes that you can do. The weather is very hot in GTMO so it’s best to do it early or late. I would always come across people on the trail and we would stop and chat and they’d recommend trails to take, etc.
Guantanamo Bay reminds me of Arizona in a lot of ways. It is very desert-like in that it is surprisingly pretty dry (considering you’re in the tropics); there are a lot of cacti and other dry shrubs plus iguanas all over the place. It honestly looked like Tucson, Arizona in a lot of places. I don’t know what else to say about the weather except it was very pleasant and without a doubt, it was a nice temperature change from Antarctica!
The two highlights for me aside from simply being in Guantanamo Bay were spending a day sailing around the bay and giving a lecture to the high school.
I went out on a small sailboat with my sponsor and some others who had been in GTMO for years and knew the place very well. I say it was a highlight, not for the great sailing because to be honest it wasn’t that great-but for the conversation. I was able to freely ask questions about Guantanamo Bay to honest people who had been there for more than a decade in one case. It was really eye opening and fun at the same time.
It was funny because originally I was supposed to give a lecture to the base that was open to anyone to come and listen and ask questions. I still did that at the Windjammer; which is the events hall on island. However, at the tour of homes, I met a teacher from the high school who asked me to come speak to the high school kids the following day; which was Monday. I happily accepted.
I love talking to kids, both high school and college. I have made no secret that I never traveled as a kid and that study abroad my junior year of college changed the course of my life and opened up my eyes.
I feel like I can really relate to kids and talk their language in a way that makes it interesting to them. It is seriously the most rewarding thing that I do. WT Sampson High School is a unique school, obviously with where it is located in GTMO. The kids are very worldly already in many cases. However, I tried to stress to them how they can do whatever they want and to learn as much as they can and basically showed them that I was no different than them 15 years ago.
In all my wildest dreams, I never thought I would do today what I am doing or have done. It blows my mind to think about it and if I can do extraordinary things then anyone can.
The best thing about it was after I finished talking, the kids had hundreds of questions-literally. I speak to a lot of kids but never have I had a group so engaged and interested. It made me really happy and I was thrilled to stay after and take pictures with several of them and answer personal questions they had but didn’t want to ask in front of the group. It was great and I am grateful for the opportunity.
For me, these will be the lasting memories of Guantanamo Bay: talking to the kids and dispelling a lot of myths and misinformation about GTMO in my own mind and hopefully informing others who read this to form their own informed opinion. People will always have their own opinions about what side of the fence they stand on regarding GTMO. But you must realize this-Guantanamo Bay houses some of the worst people on the planet and does so with the best care possible.
If they were to close the detention center, where else will the detainees go? Nobody wants to take them: nations, states or even their native countries in many cases. Look what happened when President Obama tried to close the detention center back in 2009-no countries would take the detainees. Many detainees don’t even want to leave GTMO for fear of what happens to them after they leave.
So while the idea of GTMO may be controversial or appalling to some people, who are often misinformed-it seems to me to be necessary albeit very expensive for taxpayers. That is part of the dichotomy of Guantanamo Bay.
Disclaimer and Acknowledgements: I have no affiliation with the US military or any US governmental organization. I was invited to Guantanamo Bay and entered legally after a background check. I was not paid and I paid all my own expenses including flights, housing, rental car and food. All statements in this article are my words and I was not coerced in any way by anyone. These are my views based on what I saw, experienced and was told from multiple independent sources I came into contact with in Guantanamo Bay.
This trip to Guantanamo Bay was not an easy thing to arrange and there are many people to thank for making it happen. First and foremost, I want to thank my sponsor. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate what you did getting me to GTMO, introducing me to everyone, arranging the lecture and everything else. GTMO will miss you and best of luck on your next endeavor!
I also want to thank the Commanding Officer of Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Captain JR Nettleton for having me at your house, for great conversation and for helping me out with a few contacts. I truly appreciate your kindness and help and I am happy to come back anytime.
very interesting….is a diferent point of view.. im glad you had a great time..
Thanks Emma!
Hi Lee. I might be spending some time at Guantanamo. I really appreciate your article. Can you give any more insight into the culture outside of the base? Such as safety, indigenous neighboring villages… cool things to see and do? I’m trying to gauge whether there is enough ‘life style’ for 6 months. I enjoy small and cultural– but are there also some touristy spots to enjoy water sports, good restaurants, local live music… etc?? Thanks for anything else you can share. Lisa
You can’t leave the base.
Lee .. I have a question. If my buddy wants to visit me .. Will it be a problem ? I just heard that only spouses may visit their significant others.
Lee, I was there right after after 9/11 happened. Was deployed there for what was suppose to be 6 months but ended up being 1 year. My mission was to feed the detainees. What a horrible experience one that I will never ever forget. I stayed in windward loop.
Believe it because it did happen. They threw feces, spat on us and even got call a black bitch in Arabic but there was one there that was a professor out of Indiana that they later found out should not have been there and they released him, he’s the one that told me what the other one called me and yes there was nothing we could do. We fed them a hot breakfast, MRE for lunch that later turned into a hot lunch,dinner then a had to go back out to the camp site to give them a snack. Really? We even introduced them to kool aide yes it was like Burger King, they had it their way. But what I’m really pissed about is that the Soldiers that were stationed there for a year after 9/12 get no recognition like Iraq and Afghanistan. We left our families too.
Every misconception you mention in this post, I had. Thanks for a really informative story. It must have been so eye opening for you.
It was David, thanks!
I miss it. Lived there for 5 years. Just left March of this year.
We lived at GTMO beginning yr ’73 to fall of ’75 and loved every minute of it. Our children are grown and have their own families now, but still talk about how much they loved GTMO too. Great school, pre-school, beaches. My husband and I both became certified in scuba diving and that added to the adventure too. No McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Ice Cream place, Subways. We loved it the way it was. We did go on an R&R to Haiti and Montego Bay, Jamaica while there and we had a floral shop for a short period of time. There was also a Cuban native who was a jeweler. We had Jamaicans that worked in the commissary and other areas on the base. We still miss it until this day.
Damion, We were Blessed to be there for eleven years. It was an amazing place for our children to grow up. Many of things that Lee mentioned are the reasons we loved it. It was like Mayberry with much better weather. The safety and freedom our children experienced were like our parents or we enjoyed. I would go back in a heartbeat. Many Americans (and the world) really don’t realized this side of GTMO, and what a small part JTF has played in its history.
Wow, this is not what I was expecting to read. I had no idea the prisoners were treated so well. I can’t believe they throw their own feces at guards, that is disgusting.
It certainly is but it is very common in Federal prison but you just don’t really hear about it
Inmates in ALL correctional facilities will throw urine and feces at the Officers, it’s called “gassing” and if you ever work in a female facility, they add their monthly blood to the mix. We were told to always keep a spare uniform in our car in case we needed to change after such an assault. Fortunately for us in the U.S., inmates face additional charges for throwing body fluids on us.
Now this is a blog post! Informative and opinionated based on real life experience that most people will never have and a little bit of controversy based on actual events, not biased opinion. Good for you and thanks for sharing. This is the best blog post I have read in a long time and I follow a lot of blogs.
Thank you very much! I really appreciate that Brian!
This is must read! Great stuff, Lee.
Thanks Nick!
Did you speak with any of the detainees?
I did not Sophie…I have no business talking to them nor would I want to
Thanks for the interesting post, I was looking for a first-hand account of what the larger base is like, and got just that. As for your reflections on the detention center, that is fairly irrelevant since you had no access, your opinions seem to be based on base staff, and as you’ve mentioned in the comments had no interest in, either.
That says something doesn’t it? Al it does is show how many people can be fooled. But what about the immorality of incarcerating foreigners without trial? Then torturing them. These nice friendly guards don’t like to tell you their feelings, I know one and she won’t talk. The guards are lowered to the alleged level of the prisoners. Shame on the place and those who serve there.
As someone who lives here, keep your shaming to yourself–we don’t want, need, or truly deserve it. Most people do not choose to come here, the military sends them. And as far as the Naval Station side goes, the service members stationed here have nothing to do with the camps. Like he said, this base has been here for a lot longer than the camps have been here and is part of the Southern Naval Command. The JTF side is completely different, but they didn’t choose to come here either. We didn’t put them in the camps, we didn’t detain them with no trial, and we sure as hell have nothing to do with the foreign policy of countries not wanting them which means that even if we wanted to, we couldn’t shut the camp down. You want us to let them go back to countries that are convinced the detainee’s have betrayed them while here and will kill them, and possibly their families, as soon as they set foot in their home country? Now who’s suggesting inhumane treatment?
Planing a trip to Cuba– my native country -with my older son-in a couple of months-
Can we get a tour of the base? anywhere inside–or we will have to just walk on the outside?
are we allowed to take pictures of the outside area?
Any airlines that will fly from Havana, to Guantanamo?
Will appreciate any info you could give me.
Thank you,
Ramona
This is in response to Brian Stephens who posted on July 11th, 2014. I am shocked by the ignorance of his comment. He clearly knows nothing about the complexity of the situation regarding those being held at gtmo. Many of them have killed Americans and of those released…many of them have returned to the fight and are killing Americans again. And do not judge the guards that walk those blocks. I have walked those blocks for 36 months and I am insulted by your comment….It was not my choice!…nor do I have any regrets…what you read in this article regarding their treatment is accurate.
I agree with you…Lee and his kind seem to be naive to think nothing bad happens there…did he stay with the detainees? Does he know the perversion/torture of the guards…maybe he needs to look at documentaries of the acquitted without any charges after years of starvation, sleep deprivation…
I wonder if Lee would like to be prisoner there (without charges of anything except for some allegations by a poor person who turned you in for $5000 …for example the electrician who served 4 years and the journalists who served 6+ and had to starve himself for 495 days before his case was looked at) years)considering they treat them so well. Lee should be ashamed of writing such junk.
“Lee and his kind?”
What about Saba and his kind?
The kind that thinks that we’re naïve enough to believe that these people are pure as the driven snow? I’m sorry, but a hunger strike is not “starvation” or “torture.” Nice try at making a travel blog a platform for taqquia.
Sorry, if you ran in jihadi circles, you run the risk of capture.
Hey! I really enjoyed this unusual destination post! Very informative.
Thanks Cacinda!
Lee, this is phenomenal. Thanks for sharing from a place that I never really gave much though to. You must envied by the other big travelers.
Thanks Mark…haha ya they came out of the woodwork asking me to help them get to GTMO…I have no connections to give though
Hello lee,WoW thanks for sharing to your expirence about Guantanamo Bay Naval.And i will read also there’s Filipinos in Guantanamo Bay ….?me too,I am Filipino but I’m in hong kong right now!!!take care and god bless you.:)
Thanks Nancy and enjoy HK!
Hello Lee,WoW thanks for sharing to your expirence about Guantanamo Bay Naval.And I will read also there’s Filipilipo in Guantanamo Bay…I am a Filipino also….But am in hong Kong right now!!!take care and god bless you.:)
Best written blog this year, no doubt, I never thought anything bad about GTMO except they are keeping the terrorists to gentle there and trial them too slow, I had a friend who almost got killed in 9/11 attack so I have no compassion at all to anyone involved in it and I’d like them to get death penalty asap. Unfortunately misinforming is one of the main reasons why people throughout the world have bad opinions about this and that and basically no matter what some half educated journalist write, there are always 35-50% readers who will instantly take it for granted, like they read it as sheer fact in Britannica ….anyway, I am glad You had a quality time there with the young ones as well….very nice indeed….hopefully I will have some good news by end of this year regarding Diego…
Thanks T…I appreciate that yes I am working the Diego angle but it’s very tough as you know!
Definitely gives you a reminder that GTMO is not all about prisoners and International terrorists (i.e. the kids who live there because their parents are serving in the American Navy.) Very cool story!
By chance, will this visit and some of the contacts you made there help you further along in your quest to get permission to visit Wake Island within the foreseeable future?
Thanks Ray! I am working that angle for Wake as well…Wake is the dept of the interior which complicates it a little bit…I am working on putting a group to go there together in 2014.
Really interesting post and I enjoyed reading it. It’s fascinating to see a side of Guantanamo that you don’t hear much about – which is what life is like for people based there.
Having said that, I still think the detention centre there represents one of the most cruel and unethical aspects of the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
I certainly think people who play a role in terrorism deserve to be punished and I am very sorry to hear you knew people who were killed in 2001. But if true justice is to be served, why does the US need to use a detention centre that is outside the boundaries of US law and not subject to the Geneva conventions? Hundreds of detainees were released without charge after years of awful treatment and many have still have not had a trial. If the US wants to show it is serious about justice, it should be applying the same procedures it uses in criminal cases against its own citizens – accused criminals in the US would not wait years for trials under these conditions.
As of June this year, there are apparently 46 prisoners who are going to be detained indefinitely because they are deemed dangerous but there’s not enough evidence to try them. That’s not how a court should work. If we used this logic for every justice system there would be no presumption of innocence and no need for trials at all. No country’s military should be judge, jury and executioner.
As I say, I appreciate you’re presenting your opinions and experiences from your time there and it is interesting. But there is more wrong with the Guantanamo Bay system than just the treatment of detainees that you’ve mentioned.
Thanks Turtle, I appreciate the detailed comment. I tried to present what I experienced as best I could so others can form their own opinion based on what I saw and was told.
Turtle i guess your right, no country’s military should be judge, jury and executioner. We should just be like the terrorists and torture people, chop heads off, and kill with no remorse all in the name off allah….
Andrew, I’ll assume you’re being flippant to make a point.
This is a tricky issue, I’ll admit that. But by not giving detainees a fair trial and by holding them indefinitely without charge, the US is ignoring the very human rights it is trying to protect and spread around the world. The US justice system can’t let people like OJ Simpson or George Zimmermann go free (even though the majority think they were guilty) because of lack of evidence – and then apply different rules to these detainees. It’s hypocrisy and it devalues all the good work and ethics that happen elsewhere in the system.
The detainees remaining at gtmo haven’t actually even been charged with a crime. They were picked up on the battlefield and designated “enemy combatants” because calling them “prisoners of war” would subject them to the Geneva Convention. Of course they are in fact prisoners of war, and the duration and conditions of their detention is clearly illegal. But there is no court with the authority, enforcement power, and political will to challenge the US on this issue. Those detainees with credible charges against them have been tried and transferred. Those who remain are stuck in legal limbo specifically because there’s nothing they’re accused of doing that is a prosecutable offense.
Turtle, You are correct; the detainees deserve JUSTICE . . . maybe a 9 mm to the forehead.
If you have not walked a mile in our boots; on patrol over there; DON\’T JUDGE.
Unfortunately, we have to.
I still think it should be closed down
Thanks Damon…so does the President!
I have to admit, I have some mixed feelings reading this. Sure, they tell you the detainees are treated quite well, but how do you really know that? How do you know they weren’t just saying what they want you to report back? Sorry, can’t help but be a little cynical on that point.
Otherwise, interesting read on a place that most people will never have a chance to visit and great that you had a chance to talk to the high school kids there. I can’t even imagine being a kid growing up in a place like that.
Thanks Katie and I understand and yes it is a different experience but these kids were awesome and so full of curiosity…it was a real pleasure.
@Katie- I was a kid that grew up there! And honestly I wouldn’t have wante to grow up anywhere else 🙂
It’s really awesome reading this blog- its very accurate in what it’s like there… Although Lee you didnt mention the Banana Rats! Can’t have GTMO’s iguanas without them! I was there 90-94 (i was in elementary school and my brothers were in highschool) and my parents moved back 02-06 so I visited as much as possible. A lot definitely changed in that time- like the food! We used to ONLY have McDonald’s- they even served as the pizza place for a long time.
@Lee- thanks for being interested enough to make it happen and get down there! I’ve always said its my favorite place on Earth, so it thrills me that you enjoyed your time there 🙂
Katie I grew up there I know for fact the detainees are treated better than us
@Katie……I was in the Army for 6.5 years and I did 2 of those years at Guantanamo Bay working in the camps with the detainees as a guard. I honestly hate talking about it at times especially when it comes to those who feel the detainees are “mistreated” because I hate trying to defend myself and my fellow service members who have served there. I know you don’t know me and have no reason to believe my word but I can honestly tell you that the detainees ARE NOT mistreated. I’m a correctional officer still today but I am no longer in the service I work at a federal prison and I can tell you that the detainees are treated WAY better and have WAY more luxuries than the American inmates in our prison system stateside do. I wish more people could have the chance to visit Guantanmo Bay so they can see first hand what it’s like but unfortunately that just won’t happen for everyone. I have a video posted on my FB of a clip from 60 minutes where they actually allowed them to go inside the camp in Guantanamo Bay and it gives a true insight to what the camp is like I urge everyone to watch that video so you can have an inside look at what it’s really like!
@Katie- I can tell you from a first hand experience that the detainees do get treated quite well depsite the circumstances. I can’t imagine if the roles were reversed that any of us would still even be alive. Can you tell me of anyone who would want to get a cocktail mixture of feces, urine, semen, food and who knows whatever else they can come up with thrown at them and be able to not retaliate? Because the soldiers there are getting assaulted on a daily basis and they just drink water and drive on like it’s any other day. It is real easy to form an opinion about a place when you don’t have shit on your face. We cater to the detainees from ordering them special meals to pretty much shutting down the whole facility in order to not make one sound during their prayer times. Tell me again about cruel and unusual treatment?
@Lee- Thanks for your blog, I am glad you got to experience the island unlike most people will. It is truely a unique place and would love to go back and visit.
After deploying to GTMO being a corrections military police officer in the US Army, They are treated better than most soldiers and most criminals in the states.
So how do you know detainees are lying you guys are just puppets of the media whatever cnn tells you,you believe so sad
Wow that is not what I expected to hear you say but I also want to thank you for giving fair information and clearing some facts up. I didn’t realize that they wanted to shut down only the jail and not the base. I had no idea it was separate.
Thanks Michael!
How do you know to believe the people who told you they were treated well?
Jessica, I don’t but I am simply presenting what I was told but it was by several people unrelated to each other and who didn’t know that I write.
Lee, great article. To back up your comments regarding detainee treatment, the ICRC monitors their treatment very closely. Thank you for making the trip to a terrific destination where I worked behind the wire with some fantastic people who were exceptionally professional. Well done. This is 2013 not 2003.
This is probably the coolest blog post I’ve ever read of yours of anyones. Not just because it’s good, which it is, but because nobody else has ever written about it. Although, I suppose that’s why I love reading your site; because you write about and go places nobody else does.
Thank you very much! Again, I really appreciate that!
I think you have opened a door and certainly minds with this story. Honest and forthright. I only wish the Times or 60 minutes would pick up your story and let our fellow Americans know what really goes on and puts aside mis-conceptions and un-truths. Good reporting.
Aside have you been to New Caledonia?
Thank you Hampton and yes I have been to New Caledonia…beautiful island! Very expensive too!
Thank You, I was at the Windjammer and You are a truly amazing Young Man, I am happy to see Some one actually took the time to Define GTMO as it truly is…
Thanks a lot!!! Thanks a lot for coming out!
As someone who grew up there since the age of 7 (I’m 33 now, and yes my folks are there still!) I’d have to say this is probably the best thing written by an “outsider” that I’ve seen. Thanks for speaking so highly of where I consider home! And thanks for spelling GTMO right! 🙂
Haha thank you and I was just being honest…I could see why people love being there…I actually miss it.
Thanks for visiting my old home. There’s no place like HTML.
I assume that’s autocorrect but thank you!
Lee, thanks so much for visiting and writing this blog post! I live in Guantanamo Bay and I write a blog to try and help people who are being assigned here or thinking about taking a job here to get a better idea of life in GTMO. Your article is exactly how everyone who lives here feels! The life we get to enjoy here is like a hidden secret!
Would you mind if I linked your article on my blog?
http://www.gtmoadventure.blogspot.com
~Joy
Thanks Joy…it is definitely a secret!
I’m glad you enjoyed your visit to our little Mayberry! Thank you for shedding light!
Thank you!
Hey Lee! I am one of the many high school students that you talked to in the Library last week. It was great and i learned so many fascinating things about the world. Thank you for coming to the school and sharing with us!!!!
Thanks megan…I really appreciate all you guys coming to listen and ask great questions…made my trip!
Lee, as a current resident of GTMO, I thank you for your interpretation of how life goes on here at GTMO. I think you hit every nail on the head with your views. As an Active Duty Army member, I can tell you this is the best duty station in the Army. And you didn’t even cover MWR (Military Welfare and Recreation). Scuba diving lessons at 1/3 cost of stateside, boat rentals, fishing, snorkeling, golf course, just to name a few.
Few those that doubt how the detainee’s are treated, I can assure you that you were told correctly about the detainee’s living better than the soldiers. Detainee’s get Playstations, Flat screen TV’s, top notch medical care. For example; If a military member gets injured and requires an MRI, that military member is flown off island to Jacksonville Naval Air Station (JAX) for the MRI after a few weeks of scheduling and paperwork. If a detainee requires an MRI, they get it done on island same or next day.
Again, I thank you for your post. I hope you have opend the eyes to many that had no idea about the wonderful place I currently call home.
Thanks Scott…I did forget to mention the costs and how cheap it is, you are right. The sailboat rental was like $15 an hour or something minimal and costs of just about everything was very cheap..it was a pleasure to see!
I miss gitmo. Was there from the age of 11 to almost 14. I loved the place and am fortunate to have been there. Great article.
Thanks and I feel fortunate to have been there even if just for 5 days!
Great Article and nice to read a positive article. I think I spoke to you at NAS Jacksonville as you were jumping through hoops to get your ticket to get on the flight. I was dropping off my BF that works on base for the DOD. I am looking forward to going there soon for a visit 🙂 Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hi heather, yes I remember and yes I did finally get on the flight after a few hours delay with paperwork!
I was stationed on Gitmo for a short time after I got back from Vietnam. I was serving in the Marine Corps at the time and short timers were sent there to finish out the enlistment before discharge.Our job was to man the lines between our base and Cuba.I found Guantanamo to be a very nice place. On our down time we loved going swimming in the clear waters etc. We used the Ferry boat to go to the PX and Hospital if need be. Looks to me that things have built up a lot. The one thing that seems to come to mind, was the lecture we got on arrival. We were told of the danger of being out in the sun to long and if we got sunburn to the point we were unable to perform our duty, we would be charged with destruction of government property. Some day I would love to go back and visit and if it ever happens also to see Cuba beyond the military base.
Thanks Wilhelm, I hope you get to go back and yes the sun is intense!
I hope you enjoyed the beaches and the cooking. Those are the two things I miss the most from living there. Thank you for abbreviating GTMO correctly.
haha funny how everyone says that!
Great post! As someone who recently lived in GTMO for 2.5 years, it’s a good feeling when others realize that it’s not a terrible place. I would go back in a heart beat!
Thanks April!
Having been assigned to GTMO twice, for a total of 5 years, I appreciate your accurate, and interesting post. Guantanamo was my favorite duty station during my 20 years in the US Navy. One minor point, you stated that the officers live pretty well. As a retired enlisted person, I can attest that accompanied enlisted personnel live almost as well. Of course, the unaccompanied enlisted live in barracks/dorms that are not as nice as living in a neighborhood home like the accompanied folks. Again, thank you for the great article.
Thanks Joe!
Thank you again mr. Lee for speaking to us at the high school and answering our thousand questions about your travels. You have inspired most of my fellow classmates and have helped me become more aware of our world. Thank you for also posting the most truthful and accurate blog of GTMO I have ever read; I am sad that most Americans and high school students are unaware of this area but you have helped the masses with your observations so again I say thank you! Enjoy your trips (and if you sell your rebel pins I want one lol).
Haha thank you Audrey! I am keeping them for now but will keep you posted!
The author, Maj. Gen. Michael Lehnert, USMC (Ret.), was the first commander of the U.S. detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. He feels the detention center should be closed. I agree.
http://www.freep.com/article/20131212/OPINION05/312120025/Guantanamo-Bay-prison
I don’t think there is a wring opinion on this issue Dave
Very nice. I didn’t get to see you at the highschool for your lecture sadly because I was out at a class requiring me to work. I’d like to say that you hit the points right on for most everything on the base and with the detainees. Your facts are true, a multimillion piece of equipment was brought here for one detainee who had a rare disease. Us Americans can’t use it, but that one guy got to…. Also the military guys have what they call a “splash suit” which is used to block incoming “feces attacks” from
Detainees.
Those stories, though not shocking are quite disturbing
That’s my home!!! 🙂 Thank you for enlightening people on the actuality of it all so much happier to read this then all the articles of people who only talk bad on it GTMO. THANK YOU!!!!
You’re welcome and thank you.
Thanks for doing this. I lived there a total of 4 years and it was the best time of my life. My parents are still there and going onto 10 years on the base. GTMO really is a great place to be at and I miss it everyday! Thanks again!!!
Thanks for the comment Doraima!
Thank you so much for this article! I am glad someone is finally showing the wonderful side of GTMO.
NP Bre!
it was nice reading this. I was stationed jn gtmo for almost three years and I can say I miss it. there is not a place like it that brings people from all around the world together. as for jtf people will think it is inhumane because of things I heard that happened there decades ago. but I am glad you got to go experience some of the island for your self. the water is beautiful on the outskirts, there is iguanas amd banana rats every where. the night life is def something different. thank you for goung with an open mind and taking gtmo in for all it is.
The banana rats were everywhere as well!
What do you mean by “the night life is interesting”? I will be moving there for two years as a construction project manger, but they are giving me a choice of whether or not I want to go.
Hey I lived in gtmo for 6 1/2 years and I’ve gotta say your description was damn near spot on I’m glad you enjoyed my home
It is true, My son was military police there when Iraq war broke out. It’s all true including the christening for all new guards to get an excrement bath! When he first arrived they all slept in a warehouse til their housing was ready. The prisoners had better accommadations and still do……..
That’s too bad but at least it was an accurate description I received!
Thanks Dominic, I appreciate that!
I’ve lived down here for the past 2 years and have a year left here. A lot of people have the worst opinion of this place, I personally love it here. I work at the hospital so I don’t really come into contact with the detainees. Thanks for truly informing people of what our little community is really like!
Thank you Sheila!
As a current resident of GTMO I can say that this is one of the most straight forward blogs I have seen about our daily life down here and the JTF side. For those questioning the treatment of the detainees, let me tell you they live better then a great portion of the US. Also the International Red Cross has been coming here at least 5 times a yr to ensure the fair and humane treatment of the detainees by their own interperators and medical staff. As for having to follow the Geneva convention they do, and until another country decides to talk on the responsibility of housing these criminals if is up to the men and women here to do the best job that they can in the circumstances. When the detention center opened there were over a 1000 detainees, now there are around 150 and believe me none are being held with out reason. It is very easy to judge this pla e unfairly especially with the severely biased new reports that Americans often take for their word.Thank you for your great article, we truely love it here and are very sad to be leaving soon.
Thanks so much Michael for a great comment with good info!
Great story Lee, you certainly have honored the GTMO community with your words. I spent almost 24 years living on the island off and on both as a kid and as an adult. People always ask me if I think the prison should be closed. I always tell them I can’t give them an answer because I am biased. People in the US have the “Not In My Back Yard” mentality when it comes to whether or not the detainees should be housed on US Soil. For myself (and many of the people who posted on here, I see some names I know ), the prison IS in our backyard. We never give it a second thought due to the amazing job the JTF does. I doubt it would be any different should they moved elsewhere. I’m sure you saw all the restrictions that are placed on people due to the prison, imagine how relaxed life on the base would be without them. I miss going to the beach after the clubs closed and waiting for the sunrise, hopefully people can do that there again someday.
Thanks Josh!
Thank you for finally showing the true picture of Gitmo. My daughter has been on two tours of duty there and has said the same thing. We went last year and spent Christmas with them. I love the base and the all the people that try so hard and work there. They have had so much bad press from biased reporters that it is good to see someone tell the truth for a change! Our men and women in the service there work hard and should be thanked by all of us. People say that the prisoners are being mistreated…well, what did they do to our people in Bengazzi…they sure did not treat them the same. There was no special treatment when they killed our own men…no special foodl..no anything…so thank you and God Bless You for helping people see and hear the truth about Gitmo… Merry Christmas..our soldier gets to come home on leave for Christmas!
Well said Patsy, thanks!
What makes you think you’re qualified to speak about the closing of the detention facilities? Did you witness any actual abuse, or are you relying on very biased anecdotal evidence? Your piece would have beernmuch better if you had left your personal politics out of it.
Did you read the story? What personal politics are you referring to?
Lee, your blog just made my day!
I was able to visit GTMO last Christmas and your article is the best and most accurate account of that very important base that I have read. After getting all of the security clearances, my wife Jo and I paid our own way and flew on a commercial airline to spend 14 eye opening days with our son and his family. We also were free to roam the base and talk to anyone. Many of the civilian employees were former military that came back after serving there and retiring. All branches of the military have a presence there and the respect and cooperation between them is an amazing thing to see. It is in reality a modern small city providing its own infracture
Thanks Bob!! I appreciate it!
my son has recently began his navy career and this is his first tour after a school. thank you for the positive report. He speaks of how blessed he is to be at this command. He has no interaction with the jtf side. we look forward to a trip of a life time to visit him next summer.
You will enjoy it down there!
This was my husband’s duty station for nearly three years and a place I called home. Two of my children were born on the “island.” We found it to be a 1950’s Mayberry and living in a fishbowl all at the same time. We wouldn’t trade our time there for anything. Thank you for portraying GTMO as I and many military, spouses and families have experienced it.
Thanks Kristen, I am glad to hear you feel that way!
No Jerk Joint? What I miss most about GTMO is the jerked chicken from the Jerk Joint across from the Tiki Bar. The locals must have been hiding the fun stuff from the travel writer.
Hey Dave, I saw the jerk joint but didn’t make it there! I was told it was good but I only ate dinner out twice because the rest of the dinners were at peoples houses.
Thank you! A lot of people don’t realize what GTMO is really like. I spent almost 4 years there with my family. One of my children was born in GTMO. Some of my best memories were made there, and I still miss it to this day. Thanks again!
Jamie, thank you for sharing.
Sorry my previous comment got cut off.
First let me correct “infrastructure ” . All water is from a desalinization plant and all electric power is generated on base. Supplies are brought from Jacksonville ,FL by barge once a week. The weather and the people that serve their country are amazing. We were able to observe the old prison, that a federal court will not let them remove, even though it has been empty for many years. And compare the new modern area where the remaining detainees are housed. It is a far cry from what is shown by the media. The 60 minute report came as close as I have seen to showing part of the detainee area, but only the maximum security part. It didn’t show the recreation areas, movie theater, snack bar or the other housing that non-violent detainees are allowed to live in. Much better living conditions than many of our homeless law abiding citizens have in the US. Hopefully, the issue can be resolved soon and GTMO can continue to serve the southern Caribbean as a major refueling and resupply port as it has for centuries. Love to go back soon!
Thanks again Bob!
I’m curious if you met Tim Baugh. He is a civilian working for he Navy and runs the marina. He and his family are long time friends of ours and enjoys his job there. He just signed up for not her two years. He talks highly of GTMO, too.
Sorry…spell check…..I meant…. he has signed up for another two years.
The name sounds familiar but I am not sure, Marcy
Thanks Lee for sharing this. I am not American and not Cuban either….I am one of the Filipino’s working in the base and I would say GTMO is my second home. Been working in the base for almost 8 years. Many people is asking me why i keep coming back to GTMO after my 2 months vacation in every 2 years. I keep telling them that GTMO is the safest place in the world. Love the community we had.
Thank you so much again for sharing this
Thanks Wilson and it certainly is the safest place I would imagine!
Thank you Lee for such an awesomeblog about a place that I was able to call home from 2006-2009. Everything you said was right on and I only wish that you could have stayed there longer. I was also wondering if by chance you happened to see the GTMO Mystery Machine. When I lived there, my family bought an old navy brig van that we used for diving and we painted it like the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo. Other than that, great blog and I hope that one day you can go back!
Dylan, someone else mentioned that to me while I was in GTMO but I didn’t actually see it or at least I didn’t know if I did…is it still there?
The Mystery Machine has been parked across the street from the Autoport for the last few months – not quite sure what it’s status is??
*correction, 3 subways…1 at marine hill, 1 at the main NEX, 1 at airport 😉 lol this was a good read!
Thank you for correcting me and thanks for the compliment!
I enjoyed reading about your time there; it brought back memories. With that being said, your last paragraph hit the nail right on the head, it seems appalling, is expensive to run and is 100% necessary. There is much you do not know and even more you will never know. Good luck in your travels, and thank you for your unbiased observations. It takes a great deal to go to a place such as GTMO and be open-minded about what you see and what you hear. Should you go back, avoid GTMO river on Thursdays. The chicken factory upstream dumps chicken bits and it attacks sharks. I found this out the hard way. Cheers!
Thank you and thanks for the comment!
This is the best unbiased report of GTMO I have ever read. thank you for sharing. I was stationed here for 18 months and I can honestly say it was my favorite duty station. The people and atmosphere on the main base are the friendliest people. You hit the nail on head as far as the detainees go. These people are there for a reason. They are not innocent people
. When I hear activists crying they are being treated inhumanly it makes nevertheless angry. These people were terriorists. No other country wants them for this reason. Thank you again.. for the great article
Thanks Gina, I really appreciate it!
Your article captured the spirit of GTMO. I was fortunate to have lived there for 2 years and let me tell you, it was a wonderful experience. I had no connection with the detainees so I can say that it was the most relaxing and calm tour I have ever had with the 20+ years I have been with the military. The most interesting fact for me was waking up every day to the complete silence, well aside from the birds chirping and hummingbirds flying around our shrubs. I enjoyed going to the beach and collecting the never ending seaglass. No matter how much everyone collected the beaches were completely covered the next morning. I will cherish my GTMO time forever. Thanks for sharing your experience with the world.
Thanks Melanie and I saw firsthand how people in GTMO love the sea glass and other items from the sea….it was fascinating as an outsider to see.
Worked at GTMO for 18 mths as a govt contractor. Really enjoyed my time as the unit I supported was very tight knit mix of contractors, military, and govt civilians. The article paints a true picture of how I saw things too. Even though I worked on the JTF side, I never saw the detainees. Think about it — do you ever see prisoners when driving past a federal prison in the States? Didn’t think so. The story about the shit throwing is true. My housemate had that happen twice.
You either engage in life at GTMO or isolate yourself until hour tour is over. There is so much to do during off time — fishing, swimming, boating, diving, snorkeling, gym, softball, soccer, flag football, volleyball, floor hockey, hiking, biking, golf, etc. Met great friends from all walks of life that gave me memories I look back upon fondly. Did we party — absolutely. But with most of us deployed away from home/family on a tropical island, doing work of the nature that the mission at GTMO is, the social aspect was a great stress relief.
Regarding the detention center, I see valid points on both sides. I don’t see a way where the current status quo is going to change. So long as that is the case, I don’t have a problem with the detention center and the legal proceedings being held there.
Thanks Greg! You are exactly correct about the prisoners and sorry your housemate had to experience that.
Kinda surprised you didn’t mention the international office of migration (IOM) or the USCG base here and presence, patrolling the Caribbean keeping the drugs of United States shores. Great article and kids are still talking about you.
John, thanks and I did obviously hear about that but the article was already 2200 words so needed to keep it down where I could! The kids were great and wish them all the best!
For someone who worked on GITMO for five years of my family 150 years of loyal service at this enclave during WW II, the Korean conflict and Viet Nam, it is repulsive, shameful and offensive to read, this blatant attempt to white-wash, dilute and re-write the 110 years of illegal occupation of 45 square miles of Cuban soil against the will of its people.
During Mr. Abbamonte “5 Days expert Cubanologists Tour”, he intentionally failed to include in his extensive and childish article, how the United States Department of Defense expects Cuba to accept $4500.00 a year for these lands and pristine bay. Mr. Abbamonte may have not known or withheld some of GITMO lesser known history, which are as murky and despicable as his sanitized portrayal of hundreds of men in prison for over a decade, who have not been accused, indicted or brought to trial.
For a realistic history on GITMO, please refer to:
Guantanamo, An American History, Jonathan M. Hansen, 2011
Guantanamo The Bay of Discord, Roger Ricardo, 1994
In these books and tens of others, you may learn among other things:
a) Lino Rodriguez, a construction worker on GITMO was murdered by his foreman, thrown into the sea and found by Cuban fishermen on December 7, 1940
b) In September 1954, Victor Salomon, a Cuban employee, was accused of embezzling money. Fifteen days later, his tortured body was delivered to Caimanera, which enraged this community of 8000 inhabitants.
c) Because of GITMO, Caimanera and Guantanamo were turned into the largest Red Light District in Cuba, with hundreds of prostitutes, pimps, sexually transmitted diseases, drug dealers, kick-back, blackmail, rape, violence and deaths.
d) Manuel Prieto Gonzalez, another Cuban Naval Base employee, was arrested in January 1961, accused of being a Cuban government sympathizer, tortured and forced to swallow poison pills. On March 13, 1961, a pirate boat coming from GITMO, open fire with 57-mm cannon on Santiago de Cuba refinery, killing Cuban sailor Rene Rodriguez and seriously damaging the plant.
e) On September 30th 1961, Ruben Lopez Sabariego, another Cuban civil service employee on GITMO, was arrested by the Base Military Intelligence Service. Eighteen days later, US officials notified his wife, that his body had been found in a ditch. Lt. William A. Szili of the US Navy one of the accessory to the crime told a Philadelphia Bulletin reporter, that Capt. Arthur J. Jackson had finished off the Cuban worker with some shots.
f) Rodolfo Rosell, a fisherman from Caimanera was kidnappted, tortured and savagely murdered on GITMO in 1962.
g) US Marines shooting across the border fence, shot and killed in his foxhole, Cuban border guard Ramon Lopez Pena in 1964, Luis Ramirez Lopez in 1966 and wounded Luis Ramirez Reyes, Antonio Campos and Andres Noel Larduet in 1966. Cuba was forced to move its border guards, hundreds of feet away from the fence for safety reasons.
h) In addition to becomin the most important beachhead the CIA had in Cuba, from GITMO, tens of Cubans who were trained in Guatemala, Honduras and Miami, were armed with Russian weapons, dressed in Cuban military fatigue, gathered outside GITMO at Arroyo Blanco, with instructions to unleash an a self-attack on GITMO, to provide the United States government with a similar excuse for intervention in Cuba, as they did after the Maine in 1898, 1906, 1912 and 1917.
Thanks Alberto for your comment and opinion but I certainly did not omit anything intentionally and I certainly did not claim to be a Cubanologist-whatever that means.
Mr, Jones,
The events you reference occurred between 1898-1964. The newest thing you bring up was 50 years ago. Lee is talking about his recent trip to Guantanamo Bay. It is not a historical piece. I lived on the base for 3 years myself, about 20 years ago, and my experience mirrors Lee’s. Also, you may feel $4,500 in annual rent is too little but the Cuban government doesn’t, proven by the fact that they never even cash the US checks.
Hey, I was one of the kids that you spoke to at the school. I’d just like to say thank you. and that you did an excellent job. This really does describe the place spot on, i’ll be forwarding this article to my stateside friends to read.
Thanks Gray!!!
Gray, I would love your insight on life there as a child/ teen? My husband has been there a year, we have visited him, now myself and our children are moving there very soon. My 14 (soon to be 15) year old son is very apprehensive.
Ps to the author, very good artical.
I enjoyed this article! It was very truthful. I did three tours on the JTF side (Detainee Operations) and really enjoyed it. The work was challenging and the good memories will last forever. Made some wonderful friendships there! It really was a great experience.
Thanks Mandy!
What memories you write up has brought back!
I lived there from 1947 – 1949 & again 1953 – 1955… when I graduated from what was then called simply the U. S. Naval Base High School. This was before it got its present name.
In those days the Fleet Training Group was stationed there and the bay was constantly full of every type of ship undergoing training… battleships, cruisers, etc. & etc. For us kids it was a fabulous time of our lives. My mother loved it there. When she passed away my dad arranged to fly to the base and spread her ashes out over the bay. Castro was in power by then but tough Rear Admiral John Bulkelew, the base commander (in those days it was a full base consisting of the naval air station, the naval station, marine barracks, fleet training group, etc.) kept things smooth and under control. It was he that severed the water line from the Yateres River and had the desalinization plant built (right beside the air station movie theater on the seaplane landing),
All of this long before any hint of a detention facility. Thanks for your write up… Hurrah for GTMO!
This is obviously why “GTMO” wasn’t closed.
I was there with the JTF from 2002 until 2008. My family was with me. I think you got it right. In fact you nailed it. I wish you had been able to see the inside of the detention camps and observe the professionalism of our troops. They are first rate pros. I also wished you had been able to eat at the Jerk House and enjoy a red stripe there! You have evoked fond memories! Thanks.
ps….my boys have become very loyal to Belen HS here in Miami but attended Sampson elementary and still think of themselves as Sampson Sharks! They loyally keep in touch with friends from GTMO.
This is a great article. I left just before you came to the island and I can recognize a lot of my friends in your pictures of the high school! I just moved from GTMO this summer and I miss it a great deal.
Lee
It was my pleasure to meet you at the LA TCC luncheon. I greatly enjoyed reading your blog on GTMO. Those of us that travel the world write about what we experience, we see, and the people we meet. Politics aside you described your experience, what you saw and the impression it made on you. I applaud that. I attempt to do the same in my blogs. World travel has certainly changed my outlook on life and the world. It is a shame that your critics have not been to all the places you have visited and experienced what you have experienced in your travels. Good luck on your next trip.
thank you for sending as up date of gitmo, as we miss it dearly. hay they have a subway sandwich place , now all they need is a doughnut shop
Wow, i thought this was bland and written on an elementary school level. Can no one but myself see this article as the joke that it is? Where is there any description of personal thought or any kind of emotional narrative?…This is just a bare boned schedule of his itinerary..”i got off the plane..i got on a ferry….i got in a rental car..i drove around the base…What was he seeing and thinking and feeling is what i wanted to know?! I didn’t read at any point that this place got into his heart or his head. He mentions every cookie cutter restaurant on base, and then says…there are some others..but i didn’t try them…um..aren’t there Subways and Starbucks and McDonalds and Pizza Hut in the states? What makes those places so special and worth mentioning?…I personally think people who have never been to Gtmo would would rather hear about the galleys and the local cuisine than what is there to eat than the canned restaurants of everyday America.But what can you expect from a man who didn’t travel ANYWHERE til he reached adulthood??? Did he mention the beaches or the wildlife, taste the seafood, or eat it fresh off of his own fishing line? He did mention his rental car several time, was he paid to sponsor the base car rental company? I mean come on…he even took a picture of his rental car…are you kidding me? And as for transportation, isn’t there a bus? And nobody was offended by this statement? “Foreign nationals, mainly Jamaicans and Filipinos from what I saw and met, do the majority of the menial jobs around the island. ” How degrading to the Jamaicans and Filipinos who thrive there, and do not consider their jobs “menial”… ARIZONA?????Arizona isn’t anywhere near an ocean….and I have been to Arizona….again, where is the likeness? Sorry, I don’t see it except that both grow cactus..Arizona does not have trade winds…He went sailing…but it wasn’t the sailing that was the best part(he was probably bent over the side rail quite seasick for a good part of that time). Talking to kids about himself was the highlight of his trip to GTMO…hmm, why am I not surprised? Referring to the housing,…”and let me tell you, some of the people on GTMO live very well!” What does that mean and how is that a positive statement about GTMO? I can just hear it now to a liberal civilian without a clue thinking”and who’s tax dollars are being spent so some people can live well in GTMO?” I do not understand how this rudimentary article could at any rate even poetically describe GTMO outside of the detainee camp in the proper light. Generic, boring, i would never want to visit Gtmo after this article…everything that is good and wholesome about this island becomes processed and canned in this article..It is something like i said in the beginning of this article, a 3rd grader could have thought up and put to pen and paper…except, with more excitement and wonder! BTW, how did this anonymous blogger get an opportunity to masticate my island with his menial perceptions anyhow?
My wife and I just returned from visiting our daughter at GTMO over Thanksgiving. She is a Public Affairs Officer there (probably you met her). I share your EXACT feelings about GTMO. It was the most unique trip we’ve taken and GTMO wasn’t what I expected either. Very nice people, unique surroundings, and some relaxing opportunities to boot (went snorkeling three times!). GTMO is grossly misrepresented by the media who want to sensationalize everything. We too saw JTF area and it’s just what it is: A detention facility. Nothing more. Nothing less. The base on the other hand, is just a base….with the exception that you go “off-base” like you can just about anywhere else. GTMO is NOT what it’s portrayed to be.
Lee, I enjoyed hearing about your visit. I am glad you helped dispel myths. My family is Cuban so I am aware of the truths you helped clarify. But what I did not know was how life is at GTMO. I had never read any account of what it is to be there, live there, etc. Thanks for sharing.
@Erika Riordan,
What a rude comment.
YOUR island? Pftttt.
This article was written to explain his vast experience here in a nutshell; not to provide us with a descriptive essay about “glistening waters”, “breathtaking sunsets”, and non essential extended detail that we don’t need to read.
Also, about the restaurants. Those ARE the only restaurants here. The others are also regularly seen in America with the exception of 1 or 2.
“According to multiple people I spoke with, nowadays the detainees at Guantanamo Bay are treated better than most soldiers on island.”
The government has long held that prisoners were being treated well, when human rights organizations were proving otherwise. The current “assurances” aren’t reassuring at all, considering the history of this place and the people running it.
“Especially as some detainees are some of the world’s worst people.”
That is a strong statement, considering these people are being held without charges. Calling them “the world’s worst people” is hardly accurate if the government can’t summon up enough evidence to charge them with crimes. Not to mention hundreds of these prisoners have been released due to this very reason, after being wrongly imprisoned. The world’s worst people are those who arrest others without cause, refuse to charge them with crimes, deny them their rights to a trial, and ship them abroad to be tortured.
“If they were to be held in federal prison, they would never receive the same treatment. Some detainees that have been transferred have begged to go back to GTMO.”
If they were held in federal prison, they would have received the right to a fair trial and they would have already been sentenced for a crime. This isn’t the case with GITMO. I also doubt all those suicide attempts and continuous hunger strikes occurred because nobody wanted to leave the place.
Lee,
Thank you for your article, did you have a chance to go off base? i so are the people friendly towards Americans?
Mike
A good read but frighteningly unbalanced. A bit like Fox News. These people have been held without a right to trial. If they have behaved badly I’m not surprised. Wouldn’t you if you were held without having a fair trial?
It’s heartening I live in Britain, by no means perfect. But the people here would not stand for that. It’s a shame a lot of Americans don’t have a balanced view and just lap up what the government/army says. I still live in hope though…
I served in GTMO Naval suppy depot 1966 to 1968. I enjoyed my youth there and I am looking for my friend and basketball coach Doc. Ridley a Navy Dentist on the base.
Hello. I can read comments from different persons and they own experience in Guantanamo Bay. But what about a view from one cuban emigrant who was living there for almost 7 months? Well that is me. And because my english is really bad I can’t express really how I feeling about this military base. But something is sure. GUANTANAMO BAY IS THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE IN THE WORLD. And Lee your description is very good and I agree with everything that you said. But is difficult and impossible write all the amazing to be there in just an article. And for that ones who think the prisoners there are abused. I told you something. I was one for almost two months before the USA give me the protection. And you can be sure anyone in Cuba and in many others country want to be there even as a prisoners better than in they own house. Guantanamo for me are the bigger and grateful remembers of my life. Is a place full of wonderful peoples, it is the only piece of land in my Cuba where you can breathe freedom. My son, my husband and I we are proud for can be there, and we all have good remembers from ours fishing, pool time, baseball games and the great school and teachers where my son studied for 6 months and instead of removing the base. Should be extend into the rest of the Island. The bigger dream of my family and I is get the citizen in the country where we are living now (two years and a half since we leave Guantanamo) to apply and try to get a job there. Will be amazing can be in the Base again. This time to work, get a good life in my own country and remember amazing times spender there before. Thanks Lee for this grate write of my beautiful Guantanamo Bay. And sorry for my english.
My dad was in the Navy and served as XO of Fleet Training Group. We lived there from 1970 – 1973. As a young kid, it was a pretty cool place to live though we did feel like we were missing out on somethings going on back stateside. I have longed to return to Gitmo and have hopes that one day I will be able to go. I would love to take my wife and kids and show them where I lived. Looking at Gitmo on Google Earth, I was able to recognize and remember an awful lot. I brought up some really good memories. Thanks for the article.
Thank you so much for writing this!! My son…who is in the army reserves and just graduated from basic training last week has already received orders to go here. I really appreciated your informative article!
Thanks for this article…my son is a part of a reserve unit headed there as well. Good article to give him a sense of what to expect and good for a nervous mom too!
Nice to see and hear about the changes to the “old neighborhood” I loved that place when i was stationed there before transferring to a Destroyer on the gun-line off the coast of South East Asia.
Lee,
I spent five of the best years of my life there.
I wish I could go back. I caught lots of fish, met lots of really nice people and learned a lot about different cultures (Jamaican a Filipino).
Good on you for telling your story.
As a civilian on the post, are you allowed to travel to any other parts of the island?
Lee,
A fine article. I was there for 3 weeks in May and June of 1964. We were on flight crews and stayed at the Naval Air Station.
It was Hot. I had the coldest water in the shower, hitting under my arm and it still was sweating, the ocean was real tepid. Also, little A-4 jets did an exercise north of the Air base. Flying over us and dropping probably very small or fake bombs.
I would like to visit now, and see the rest of the beauty of this place I don’t remember. Thanks to your article I have been able to do that here.
I enjoyed reading this. I have always been curious about GTMO and wanted to visit, but never got the chance. However, I did visit Cuba in 2013 and saw Havana and some of the western part of the island including Pinar del Rio. It will be interesting to see if base personnel will now be allowed some limited contact with Cuba now that we have an embassy in Havana as of a couple days ago. We’ll just have to wait and see.
I miss GTMO I lived here for 3 years. I would jump at the chance to go back!
Hi Sonja. I got orders to deploy to GTMO for a year in “the very near future”. I am 68W/E4. I was wondering if you can tell me what I should expect from GTMO. Living conditions (based on my rank), daily life, what to watch out for, internet, communication (if any), etc etc.
Thank you.
Nice blog! I was deployed to Guantanamo Bay with the US Army’s B Company, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion in the early 1990’s, when Haitian migrants were brought to camps on the Windward side (McCalla Field). It was an enjoyable experience! They had an outdoor theater, beer was cheap, the Cuban Club and Jamaican Club were fun, we got cited for snorkeling with out a dive flag, great secluded beaches, incredible sunsets, I scraped my knee on brain coral – itched for three months ;(, iguanas and banana rats were everywhere. One of my favorite deployments.
Does anyone have an advice on how to get a sponsor in order to visit GTMO? I am a retired U.S Army with an ID card.
Any suggestion would be highly appreciated.
To my knowledge the only way is to be invited for something or someone who lives there. That’s how I got invited-by the Navy.
Thanks for the info. It looks like I won’t be able to enjoy that part of the Island.
Hello Sir,
I’m Thamer from Saudi Arabia, I’m traveling to Cuba this December, I want to know is it allowed for Saudis to visit GTMO, but not the detention centre “Prison”. I’ve read that, “Hotel Islazul” in Guantánamo City may be able to arrange tours to GTMO for around $40. Is it right? I’ve a valid US-visa , I’ve visited US twice.
Thanks.
I appreciate the info that you shared with your trip blog. I was trying to find the size of the GTMO area. I was thinking some refugees could be maintained there, instead of in the States. Including temporary tent communities, do you think 10,000 refugees could be supported between the 2 facilities?
Dear Lee:
Great article.
My name is Alejandro Rodriguez ([email protected]) I´m Spanish who born in Cuba and I´m trying to open a construction business in GITMO but I don´t have any information to do it (to work inside and outside the base).
I have an small construction enterprise in Castellon de la Plana, near Valencia and certainly I want to be close to Cuba (not inside for 10 years minimum) to help its reconstruction. The base looks as a good place to live and work for a while.
I have two questions.
1.- You were trying to prepare a group to visit the site. ¿Did you were successful on it?
1.- ¿Do you know how I can contact Cuban residents inside GITMO? (Ex: Cuban Community Center?,.., I can´t find the website address)
Best regards
Alejandro
(34) 964724648
A handful of former GTMO detainees are now living comfortably in Uruguay. The pothead ex-president Jose \”Pepe\” Mujica received them.
Send them to N.korean,F… em.
How I love to read your article. I have been to beautiful destinations with my anti jet lag buddy, jetLAGFX http://www.jetlagfx.com/. I find Cuba an interesting place to visit with.
Post#45-Dec-24, 1971 great view,if you were there you know what I mean. 18 yrs old then, 63 now, do ya remember,4 of us went to Jamaica,now you remember,Red you had the the big bags walked right on board nice move, So if any of you Jarheads still around I live in Boston.E-Mail
Every interesting .wondered what it was like now. I was there for about 30 days in February, March 1971 .tad from the uss lexington as a duty driver.
Enjoyed my time on the rock and at NAS GTMO from 1976-1977. Great scuba diving and fishing.
Also, figured out how to play the golf course, too. During my time we had no rental cars, McD’s or Subway.
We had the Jamaican restaurants and NEX. People drove hand me down Gitmo specials…1957 Rambler.
Good times…one of my favorite bases.
Hello Lee. Nice article.
I enjoyed your article, and seeing many of the pictures brought back some memories of when I was stationed at GITMO from 8/73 to 8/74. I was a Marine stationed with Company L, Marine Support Battalion/Naval Security Group, and I worked at the intelligence intercept facility located on John Paul Jones Hill. GITMO was much different place in those days, but I have to say that I enjoyed my tour of duty there. The base sporting programs and swimming and scuba diving were out of this world. I’ll never forget
GITMO!
I will be in Cuba from June 18-26th and will be visiting the Guantanamo Cuban side, is there any chance to visit the US base? Do I need amy permission? What is the regular prodedure? We are 2 Mexicans with US visas. Please advise
Thanks
I was stationed there on a floating dry dock (afdl-47) in 1957-58. Loved it and the duty and food was great. Great memories!
I noticed a few posts below yours is a gentleman Jim Demo. He is looking for shipmates in the same time frame.
How silly of m ne, Lee. I was so excited that I might possibly be able to link these \\\\\\\”2\\\\\\\” guys that I paid no attention that they were the same name. Please delete both messages
Hey do the soldiers share rooms with the females? And are they aloud to have sexual activities with each other?
Hello and thanks for the article. My mother is from GTMO and I have family there. I’m thinking about going with my cousin in Dec when she visits her father. My mother never taught me Spanish so I’ll be lost without my cousin. If for any reason I’m separated from my Cuban cousin…Can I go to the base for assistance? My father retire Navy in the mid-70’s. Thanks
All things being said, gito in the early 60,s. Was a drunken party…when ships pulled in, they had gutted trailers(cattle cars) that carried the ship sailors to the bunch of bars their..mixed drinks were 10 cents, at happy hour, they were a 5 cent..you could get blower away for a dollar…sex was available at the motor pool where the Cubans worked, for another dollar…it was a good liberty port..
I was stationed aboard the AFDL-47 back in 1957/58 and often wonder as what happened to all my shipmates.
Was stationed at GTMO Dec. 75 to Dec 76. Was attached to VC-10. We had 8 or 9 TA-4F’s or J’s and 2 S-2’s. We flew out of NAS Gilmore and trained surface ships as simulated hostile aggressor aircraft. The airfield was surprisingly new those days. Having moved from the “short field” on the main side. Like how you compared the weather to Arizona. I was to learn 4 years later it was a lot like Yuma. Border fence and all. Would I go back? Sure if you paid me.???? Retired in Jax FL. Many of my GTMO shipmates a short drive away.
So Americans could not visit Cuba but there was an american base there?
For like 100 years
Good account, spent 6 months there my self with JTF agree with need to keep detained there for the safety of all people of the world.
Hi Lee
I\’m heading to Cuba in April and want to really challenge myself and explore the unconventional areas for a typical tourist. I\’m an adventuress, a traveler, so GTMO sounds fascinating to me. I understand it was incredibly difficult to enter in the first place, which makes me sad, do you know of any other ways or sponsors that could help with having a wander?
Cheers
Just came across your article…my daughter was born there in 1993, she had to be flown to Miami Children\’s Hospital, as she was a preemie and they had no medical care for preemies there…the corpsmen at the hospital actually made a ventilator for her until a medivac flight could come get her! GTMO looks so much different now than when we lived there, Granadillo Court I think was the street name, it was the last neighborhood before the minefield started…definitely made me appreciate the freedoms we have in the US! Hearing those mines go off was a noise I will never forget…thanks to your article, I can now show her where she was born!!
Thanks that’s nice to hear!
I was born in gtmo bay . Lived the first 6 years of my life there . I always think it’s funny that when people ask where was your first plane ride to . I grin and say America . I’ve always had interest to visit as an adult . My brother was there for 2 years as a civilian contractor . I really injoyed the artical . Thanks and happy travels .
I was in Guantanamo in 2006. I went with a circus to perform. In 2013 i made a documentary about the experience titled “Guantanamo Circus”. It is now available on Amazon Prime. If you want to see Gitmo through the eyes of a clown. https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07P6FF9YW/ref=atv_dl_rdr
Lee, thanks for sharing all this info! I just accepted a job in VA and will be traveling down there on a monthly basis. After reading about experience, I’m looking forward to my trips!
Wow man. This was really cool to read. I lived there a few years after this article was written. It was really cool to see another persons perspective. It must have been great to visit. The island is so small that everyone knows everyone else. It’s a very tight knit family. I miss it. However, it was kinda ridiculous because it’s so small and cramped. I miss it though. It’s very different from where I am now I’m Alaska haha. Thank you for writing this article. I really miss this place. It’s a little porta back in time from a place that I will never get to return to.
There are many hidden places around the world that are cheap and beautiful.
Thank you for this post and your tips, I’m planning for Cuba next year, is it really safe?
Pretty! This was an extremely wonderful post. Thanks for providing these details.