CGAD Sangley Point

By Marty Kaiser

I was XO at Sangley under Don Lucius and Gus Shrode. Don had done ground work to lease land for a 300 foot extension on the North end of the runway at Naulo Point. Wining and dining the Skipper of the CGC Kukui, a Classmate of his, Lucius talked him and his construction crew into building up and extending the runway. I even had the privilege of visiting one of the land owners in a hospital in Manila to get the lease signed. Later the CO of the Loran Station would run the Station Vehicle over the fill to test it for firmness periodically. After several months Gus was ready to test the extension. He had me do that. On our next supply flight as we taxied out over the North end extension the left wheel bogged down at the beginning of the extension. There had been a dense hedgerow marking the original North end and that led to a weak area. I was able to turn the Goat using full power on the Right engine around to the takeoff heading. The left wheel was bogged down near the hub. Shovels to trench out ahead of the wheel, heavy wood planks ahead of the wheel and steel cable around the bottom of the strut. Two ore trucks came from the nearby Acoe Copper Mine at the request of the LorSta CO and six volunteers to lay down on the right wing out near the tip to ease the weight on the stuck wheel. On the go signal the ore trucks pulled, engines full power and we were clear to takeoff as the sun set. Didn’t need the Carabao standing by.