The monumental work presented here is actually the
culmination of two volumes on the history of both the area and of the base. Part one
covers Columbus' discovery of the bay in 1494 and goes through "modern times" of
1953. Volume two, written in 1964, takes up from there, recounting important events in the
base's first few years as a closed facility, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the
famous "pipe incident."
The History of Guantanamo Bay was written more than 40 years ago, and contains some
now irrelevant information, and even remarks which may be found offensive by some
audiences today. The work is presented unabridged and unedited (except for minor grammar
and spelling corrections) to keep it within its historic context. We would like to thank
the base museum and cultural resource center for contributing many of the pictures and
artifacts which are displayed on this site.
The Public Affairs Staff
U.S. Naval Station
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
The History of Guantanamo Bay Volume I
Foreword, acknowledgements, and Chapter One,
"Under the Spanish Flag"
Chapter Two, "How the Spanish Lost Guantanamo
Bay"
Chapter Three, "Naval Reservation Leased"
Chapter Four, "First Few Years of the Naval
Station"
Chapter Five, "Naval Station Relocated and
Built Up"
Chapter Six, "Between Wars"
Chapter Seven, "Early Days of Aviation"
Chapter Eight, "Marine Corps Activities
(1898-1940)"
Chapter Nine, "Non Naval Activities"
Chapter Ten, "Water Supply"
Chapter Eleven, "Resume of Various Station
Activities"
Chapter Tweleve, "Mobilization and War
Years"
Chapter Thirteen, "Naval Air Station - War
Years"
Chapter Fourteen, "Marine Corps - War
Years"
Chapter Fifteen, "Naval Supply Depot - War
Years"
Chapter Sixteen, "Post-War Years"
Chapter Seventeen, "Recent Times - Base
Expansion Since Korean Outbreak"
The History of Guantanamo Bay - Volume II
Introduction to Part II and Chapter Eighteen,
"Naval Base General Information"
Chapter Nineteen, "Cuban Crisis, October
1962"
Chapter Twenty, "Other Developments: Post-1962
Crisis"
Chapter Twenty-one, "The 1964 Water
Crisis"
Chapter Twenty-two, "Incidents During Water
Plant Construction"
Commands 1953-1964:
Chapter Twenty-three, "Naval Station"
Chapter Twenty-four, "Naval Air Station"
Chapter Twenty-five, "Utility Squadron TEN"
Chapter Twenty-six, "Fleet Training Group"
Chapter Twenty-seven, "MCB Operations at
Guantanamo Bay"
Chapter Twenty-eight, "Naval Supply
Depot"
Appendices:
Appendix A, "Brief of Noteworthy Events and
Landmarks"
Appendix B, "Flora and Fauna"
Appendix C, "List of Commandants, Base
Commanders, and Commanding Officers"
Appendix D, "Texts of United States - Cuban
Agreements and the Treaty of 1934"
Appendix E, "Bibliography"
Additional History of Guantanamo Bay:
Chapel Hill: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow by RP2 Sharon
A. Hay
From "My Memories of Cuba" by John H.
Clifford 1st Marine Battalion, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
We called it Gitmo; by Leo Lawton
The Rock; by Joyce Hughes Mathews, 60-62 resident
"The Battle of Cuzco Wells" by Capt.Caleb
L. Jones, USMC
"Memories of GTMO in the Early 70s" by Jack
Scott
"Navy Kids remember Life at GTMO in the 20s"
by Harry DeVoto Jr.
If you've got a story about Guantanamo Bay, its history, or life
here during your tour of duty, we want to hear from you! Send your story (and scanned
photos if possible!) to us and we will add it to our collection.
