Re: key west beach where the base and "Green Door" were at
Jack, John, Google maps show the school buildings are still there. As are the barracks, galley, and Beach Patio. Look at the southwest end of Key West. It appears the rest of the base has changed dramatically. There is still a some type of structure/flag pole where the main gate was located, but the street is lined with houses now.
Re: key west beach where the base and "Green Door" were at
Paul,
Yeah. had to forego that one in deference to my 107 year old Mother She finally started having health issues this past Fall and passed this past Jan.
I'm hopeful that there will be another opportunity in 2029.
Re: key west beach where the base and "Green Door" were at
Jack, let me know if tracks in the dirt are still there from when Dan Martin and I crawled back from the club to the barracks after a tequila drinking contest. 😂
Re: key west beach where the base and "Green Door" were at
I haven't been there since Feb through June 1972 but if you look at Google Earth, the SW portion of Key West is where the base was. It may be a NAS base now. There is "Straw Hat Beach" on the water below the "Beach Patio Recreation Center...NAS Key West"... Just to the right are the buildings and I think the one directly right, at the bottom was the one with the Green Door. I stood guard for the night shift for about 6 weeks before my classes started. Before starting classes, I used to get up at 0600 and run (way behind) some EOD platoons I was trying to keep up with. I wasn't welcome to run with them.
Then breakfast, then the beach from 0900 to 1500 to work on my tan. Then bell bottoms and chambray shirt while on sentry duty at the Green Door. Eventually passed my classes and I shipped out to NavFac BDA 72-74 then ANT 74-75.
Where will you be staying? The Navy Lodge is several miles (2.75m) east of there at the main gate to the NAS. Much more affordable. I've tried getting time there but they don't take reservations more than a month out. Getting a reservation was so difficult for the Nov-March season (cold up north of there) it wasn't worth the time spent on the phone. But summer is not nearly as difficult getting time there. Good luck and have fun.
