Guantanamo Gazette
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Guantanamo Gazette Vol. 44 -- No. 99 --U.S. Navy's only shore-based daily newspaper -- Tuesday, May 31, 1988 PSD earns excellence awards according to Loeber, was a new system of enlisted and 225 officer personnel and pay assigned there," he explained. Customer service and inspecting. records, processing 600 travel claims per "One test of a good PSD is the absence efficiency recognized "With the previous system, there was month and all off-island transportation of lines, especially in the disbursing office only one award winner each year, so our ticketing. on a payday. Our detachment is that way, during inspections parent command came up with a system by "There is also a branch office on Lee- and the people who work in the offices are which all outstanding PSD's could be ward Point that handles a similar propor- responsible for this performance," Loeber By JOSN JOEL PARKS recognized," he explained. tionate work load for the number of people added. He continued, "They created a points The Personnel Support Detachment system, then decided on a minimum (PSD) here recently received two awards number of points for the award. Unfortu- for excellence from the Personnel Support nately, as it turned out, we were the only Activity (PSA) Norfolk, Va, PSD activity thatearned the required number of Guantanamo's parent command. points." The first award was for the period of "The reason we do well on these in- Oct. 1, 1986 to Sept. 30, 1987, and the spections is our people. We have a lot of second was for the period of Dec. 13, 1986 very good Personnelmen, Disbursing to April 8, 1988. Clerks and travel clerks working here. According to Lt. Michael Loeber, People often wonder what goes on here Officer in Charge, PSD, the first award after 2 p.m., but the customer coming to was presented following an inspection of us with a problem or a request is only the PSD's operations by representatives of beginning of the work. PSA Norfolk. "Many of the people here stay long "They went through all aspects of our after 4:30 each evening justcompleting the operation in detail, checking for customer work so people can have their answers in a service and efficiency. The inspection timely manner," he said. lasted a week and was very detailed," he PNCM BradCook, detachment Master PN2 Louella Barlow reviews travel claims for a new arrival. Travel claims, explained. Chief, added, "The people here are re- flight arrangements, personnel records, advancement exam preparations The reason for the overlapping awards, sponsible for maintaining about 1,800 and pay records are all handled by PSD. (Photo by JOSN Joel Parks) Guantanamo Bay time machine; Dec. 1963 Guantanamania: Hunting for lost pirate treasure Editor's Note: The following article first combers and even fishermen. hiding private loot. Sailors from the U.S. hiding places, hidden bays and uncharted appeared in the Guantanamo Gazette The speculation thatpirates lurked here Naval Base there have searched most of islands, where pirates could meet in safety TuesdayDec.3,1968.Althoughthearticle can be founded on some information them, but some remain ." Some remain! and divide the spoils and prepare for their mentions treasure hunting in the coves and yielded in abit of grinding library work - Speculation is further documented with next adventure." caves of the island, residents are reminded at our own Naval Station library, inciden- evidence that nearby Jamaica was a prime Woodbury, in his book, goes into that many of these places are off limits. tally. George Woodbury, in "The Great home port for West Indies pirates, since the lengthy detail as to how this area was suited Checkwith the SecurityDepartmentbefore Days of Piracy," tells how "The Spanish British were not at all interested in stopping especially to ship repair and camping "scavenging" for lost treasure. colonies (such as Cuba) were not permitted interference with Spanish influence in this ashore at night. Sort of a primitive R & R. to buy any other than Spanish goods area. The whole mysterious story of Port Getting down to the business of treas- There used to be lots of gold in them brought them in Spanish ships. Spanish Royal, Jamaica, once the pirate hangout in ure hunting in Guantanamo Bay, one thar hulls. merchant shipping was wholly adequate to this area, and how it suddenly disappeared should consider perhaps what is the most And there may be, who knows, how meet the demand. The notorious pirate in an earthquake are of corollary interest satisfying manner of hunting: that is, sim- much of it at the bottom of Guantanamo Henry Jennings discovered that it was both here. ply to walk the beaches, trying not to get Bay, lost treasure and some not-so-lost by easy and profitable to bring a captured Henry Jennings, mentioned above, sidetracked by shells and other beach life, 17th and 18th century pirates who suppos- shipload ofEuropean clothes, for example, based in Jamaica. Jennings, known as "he and cruise the coves. edly sailed Guantanamo Bay for safety, to an out-of-the-way seaport of Spanish who lifted the Spanish plate," is credited Our new fleet of glassbottom boats at repairs and an occasional R & R. Cuba and there sell them to the natives." with extensive tapping of Mexican gold the Fish and Gear Locker should yield an Over the centuries, Spain exacted an Woodbury further suggests that "the being carried from Vera Cruz, Mexico, to eyeful of what's below. estimated $8 billion in tribute from its New back of Cuba" was a prime spot for mer- Havana. At one catch, one historian re- As for where to look, well the experts World colonies, and probably $1 billion of chandising loot. ports, he is known to have scooped up over have talked of "coves," "caves" and just that was hijacked by pirates on the high A.B.C. Whipple, in his "Pirates: Ras- 300,000 pieces of eight! plain "over-the-side." And the old ap- seas or sank beneath the waves during cals of the Spanish Main," pinpoints the Other Jamaican pirates, like Henry proach of"Where would I have stashed it?" storms. south coast of Cuba as being "just as good Morgan, "The greatest buccaneer of all," could prove imaginative and fruitful. These lost riches still haunt the imagi- as the Bahamas. Here in countless bays and John Martel, and others were denied tradi- And when you do find your treasure, nation and, to addicts of adventures here in on countless islands, the U.S. Navy ran the tional banking and investment channels, so you will be better off not to call us to brag the Caribbean, nothing is more exciting 19th century pirates to ground one by one; they undoubtedly buried and stashed some about it. Laws and claims on this stuff are than the search for sunken treasure. many of them must have hidden theirplun- of their plunder. The infamous Capt. sticky. So keep your head down, your eyes Exciting and occasionally profitable. der in hopes of getting away and coming Edward Teach (Blackbeard), who would open and your mouth shut. Even if you find Gold coins, reportedly doubloons (wow!) back for it." impress his crew by drinking gunpowder in only an old muddy tire or find "1968" have been found along the rocky shores of Whipple latersuggests the use ofGuan- his rum, also haunted these waters. scratched on the wall of a remote cavern, Guantanamo Bay . even recently. These tanamo Bay: "Near the eastern end of At any rate, there is little doubting that you have explored the cave that sheltered areenticingsamplesofthebrightpossibili- Cuba, in Guantanamo Bay, there are hun- Guantanamo Bay was among, as Encyclo- Calico Jack and his mistress. You have ties awaiting divers, keen-eyed beach- dreds of caves which are made to order for pedia Brittanica puts it, "the innumerable walked thebeach Blackbeardonce walked. counts are taken on a continuous basis, down. Some due to misuse by BEQ This data, together with guidance from residents. Since January we have I [y\ Preventive Medicine dictates when we installed three new washers and four ATA INS H OTLINE spray. Increased rainfall will increase dryers in "C" complex. We had five Q bug activity,.resrpie i actoo Query: I live in the "C" complex at the which are down again. All "C" BEQ. There has been no more than three complex washers that are "down" washing machines working during the have been reported to Public Works When calling the Captain'sHlotlmne, Query:JIs PWDstilspraying for inns- past two weeks and only 25 percent of for repair. We have also ordered 4800, please leave your name and quitoes around the base and in the hous- the dryers are working It's next to some new washers and dryers with an phone number. Anonymous calls will ingdareas? There are a lot of bugs in the impossible for people to be able to get estimated delivery date of July 88. only be answered in the case of fraud, area lately. their laundry done. Can something be The bottom line is we're working on waste and abuseHotline calls will be done about this? the problem, but we can't get ahead published in the newspaper or Reply: We are still spraying for mosqui- Reply: Over the past year a number of of it unless equipment abuse stops. answered by phone to the caller, toes on an as-required basis. Mosquito washers and dryers have been breaking Please help us help you. CAPTAIN'S CORNER BAY NEWS Captain John S. Boyd, USN Caribbean Naval Lodge trimmings, beverages included. Additionally, there Naval Base Commander The Caribbean Naval Lodge, A.F.