Nate contacted me via email after seeing my Galeta Island and Navy Coco Solo pages and was excited about seeing the photos of where he used to live and work.  He generously offered some of his own photos, taken during his duty tour for use on my site.  I heard from about 5 or 6 other ex-Galeta Island veterans too belonging to a group who all wrote very nice emails and stated that the photos (taken by my friend Nina who lives in Panama) really took them back over the years.  I enjoyed and appreciated their emails since Galeta Island was a connection we all shared. I hope you enjoy Nate's photos as much as I do.

© NOTE!! ©
ALL of the color photographs on this page and their larger linked photos are personal 
property and cannot be reproduced, copied, or obtained in any manner without requesting 
and being authorized to do so by both the owner of the photos and the owner of this web site.

Original and second location of Galeta Island
Aerial view of old Galeta Island
Galeta Island Antenna Array - second location
Navy Coco Solo and Colon
 
Navy, Pan Canal CocoSolo with CHS and Ft. Randolph - aerial view
Coco Solo across from Colon
Navy Enlisted Housing
CHS on right - class practicing softball on left.
 
NCO & Officer Housing - Navy Coco Solo
Aerial view of Pan Canal and Navy Coco Solo
Rainbow over hangar at Navy Coco Solo
Another view of Coco Solo and Cristobal High School

 
 
Back of enlisted housing row - Navy Coco Solo
Christmas Snowman - Navy Coco Solo

 
 
 
He also sent photos of Gatun Lake, the spillway, and the dams.  To any of you Atlantic-siders out there, doesn't this bring back memories? 
 
Picnic area - Gatun Lake
Far view of the side of the locks
Swing walkway beneath road to get to lock chambers
Partially drained dry lock chamber with boat - view 2
 
Partially drained lock chamber - notice small boat
Cleaning drained lock chamber - view 2
Cleaning drained lock chamber
Panama railroad tracks through Gatun Lake
 
Cleaning drained lock chamber - view 3
Madden Dam, watershed for Gatun Lake - used to maintain proper water levels
Ship leaving Gatun locks
Gatun spillway - near Tarpon Club
Rear view of spillway with the locks in view
 
 
Anybody who lived in the Canal Zone or in Panama, especially during the rainy season, was very familiar with the severe rain storms we would have frequently.  The rains were warm and when it stopped, the air had a musty-type odor to it, sort of like a "jungle smell".  Although those heavy rains would disrupt many activities, one of them that they didn't was sleeping.  Nothing beat sleeping and having the comforting sound of the rain pouring down outside one's window.

Nate took the photos below during one such heavy tropical rain storm from his barracks' window in Navy Coco Solo.  You can see the sheets of rain on the photos and the flooding that was taking place.
 
Rain storm with flooding in Navy Coco Solo
Flooded baseball diamond in Navy Colo Solo
Flooded football field in Navy Coco Solo
Sagging volleyball net in the flooded field - Navy enlisted housing in background
 
Air Force rescue truck coming through a flooded street
Air Force rescue truck going past the barracks
Air Force rescue truck driving away in the flooded street

 
 
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