European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 22, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine Van Tanato boy is the Only . Military Bate in o common of country. Gizmo Small town Usa in Castro s Cuba by Norman Black associated press it is an armed Camp an isolated outpost on the East West Battle line but one that has drilled int unusual complacency under the Caribbean ," Short lot Guantanamo Bay. Is the Only american military base in a communist country. But even its senior military Ohio sri say they re not worried about a cuban invasion and the five do in cubans who Are still allowed to work at the Navy base Here say nobody bothers them anymore when they go Home each night. Capt. John r Condon the base s commanding of ulcer refuses to discuss How Many cubans attempt to flee to America by slipping into Guantanamo. The idea says another officer. Is Don t make Waves. Don t make yourself a Public irritant and Fidel Castro will leave you alone. The approach is obviously working. The Navy can Point to Guantanamo and say its major Day to Day Mission is Leet training. The base s meteorology officer talks with enthusiasm about an upcoming Oil trial watch night to View Halley s Comet with voluntary proceeds from the gathering going to the local Parent teacher association. The daily newspaper recounts a recent Rescue of two sailors who lost their boat to Hurricane kale. There Are taxis and a bus system one stoplight and a Mcdonald s under construction. There s a closeness to the Community that makes it Small town .a.," says master Chiel Tony Summerlin the top enlisted Man on the base. It s kind of unusual to see cuban cities and not be Able to visit them. The initial feeling might be one of isolation. But this is a very close knit Community. Ii grows on  life Here it Good and getting  says it cmdr Rick Fischer the base s Public affairs officer citing a commitment by the Reagan admins ration to provide $40 million in additional housing and Secre atonal improvements. The fiscal 1985 operating budget for he base totalled $44.3 million compared to $25 million in fiscal 1980, it is an unusual Small town however with 14 nationalities represented among the roughly 6.500 military and civilian residents and hero an other reminders that this is not your Normal tropical Paradise. Near the base s perimeter the minefield warning signs Start appearing. Marine capt. Mike Dunnagan. Who has to maintain them says there Are More than 50,000 mines on our  following the . Invasion of Grenada in 1933, during which cuban forces were routed from that Island. Castro began installing minefields on his Side of the tence. No one seems to know How Many the cubans have installed so tar. Driving to one of the Rocky beaches used by military families where volleyball must be played on a Concrete pad because there is no Sand one passes anti tank ditches and special blow holes that Are ready to be armed on a moment s notice to destroy the Road and Complete the system of ditches. Base defense and dependent evacuation exercises Are staged every three months. Along the perimeter Road. Marines Are stationed in tall wooden guard towers built like those used to keep watch for Forest fires. Cuban towers stand on the other Side. Col. . Sam Adams a colourful Tough talking Marine who hails from Center Point Texas says his men hear firing quite frequently at night along the 17.4 Miles of perimeter tence. The cubans shoot first and ask questions later if they suspect one of their own is trying to seek Asylum. The cuban boats cruising the Bay at night will fire on a log much less a swimmer. Every once and awhile he adds a red necked cuban will toss rocks Over one of the fences near the Marine Barracks hoping to hit the Metal roof and keep his men awake Al night. But it looks pretty complacent to me Adams says. It s a Good training  ask Adams How Many tanks he has available to defend the base or How Many anti tank missiles or How Many men and he responds with a smile. Enough to do the  Condon agrees saying i would t be Here m i did t think the base was  the United state took Over the 45 Square Miles of land and water that form Guantanamo in 1903 under a lease negotiated alter the Spanish american War. The lease was formalized in a 1934 treaty that guarantees use of the base in perpetuity unless the americans sunday december 22, 1985 i i to pull up Slakes Guantanamo s isolation began on Jan. 1. 1959. When Castro and his guerrilla Tigglers raised the hat in Havana after a revolution that began in the Sierra Maestra mountains overlooking the base. The Gator wore closed on that Day. And no american has moved through them since. On feb. 6, 1964, two years after the cuban missile crisis. Castro made the base s isolation Complete cutting off All cuban provided water and electricity. Castro receives an annual rent Check of $4.085, but does t Cash it. Over and beyond the base s strategic location astride Caribbean sea lanes there ate other Good reasons for its military attractiveness. Guantanamo offers an Ideal listening Post Tor the Region and one of the Best deep water harbours in the Caribbean. The surrounding Waters and warm weather Are Ideal Lor the intensive work up training that Atlantic Fleet chips need Belore embarking on deployments. The base itself however is not much to look at the area is surprisingly arid marked by iguanas Rock and Cactus rather than Lush vegetation. Reporters Are shown a special fenced in test site near an athletic yield where efforts Are being made to grow grass most of the housing and base facilities Are old giving this Small town Usa something of a Down at hip heels look. Married sailors and officers normally Riave to wait in line for family housing and bachelors can expect a Long dry spell in their social life. What american might find Plain however delights the cuban commuters. Only those who wort working at the base when Castro closed the Gates Are still allowed to work Here and they clearly relish their american salaries and dual Lile As one puts it Resman Henry Cook a 61-year-old who retired nov 21 after working 42 years at Guantanamo wistfully recalls the Days when his neighbors outside the base included military personnel who commuted just like him. I sure wish and Hope that that would happen in the future he says. Those Gates have been closed a Long  Astor Barnes a clerk at the Exchange who has worked Here 40 years says the commuters like the american Way. But we can t say much or we gel in trouble with the government. At least you eat Good  the stars and stripes Page 13