Panama at the former Howard Airforce Base

It's a spooky, ghostly feeling seeing the jungle and all its creatures reclaim an abandoned military housing area and hospital on what used to be Fort Kobbe and Howard Airforce Base, Panama.

[@kurtjimenez]

Thanks for this video! I was one of those ghost kids running around back around 1998. I've often wondered what it would be like to go back and see it, thanks for the share!

[@AngelGonzalez-zl8mg]

That is so sad! I spent years and years working at HAFB. Such a beautiful place back then. I did expect that was going to happen given the conditions of some of the other facilities that were turned over back when the Panama Canal Treaty was signed by President Carter. That was one base that in my opinion should have never been turned over.

[@mbn5582]

It's so sad to see. We lived there from '85 - '89 and it was so beautiful. Pity no one has seen fit to restore those beautiful homes!

[@edgardomunoz2688]

Sadly all old Panama Canal Zone buildings are in poor conditions because Panamanian goverment basically abandoned this areas. Many old towns and stations are phantoom places.

[@Dejaelvicio507]

They didn't let me in, I hope they restore it and it continues to be what it was before.

[@Dejaelvicio507]

You kept everything clean, now they don't do or let it be done.

[@bobbijoREV3.10]

I was there in 1988 😁

[@G_PTYNicolasCMP]

@@edgardomunoz2688 you guys realize that private companies bought most of the base´s land and were selling each house up to 1m?

[@Vinegarissweet]

I used to live in one of those homes when I was 9 or 10 yrs old 😩

[@cesarquintero1980]

Woww, awesome, so you are not here in panama anymore, right?

[@claytonbrannon3060]

I was there from 1965 to 1967. A paradise here on earth. Shame it is all gone, just happy I got to experience the place.

[@GathKingLeppbertI]

Born in '65. These quarters are amongst my earliest memories. I got my head stuck between the stair banister rails not once, but twice! I got out the second time cuz I was scared Daddy would whip me if he had to get me out again 🤠

[@boomersnflyers5520]

Hey Brother! Very vivid and fond memories of living in the duplexes on Howard AFB. Sad to see it all overgrown.

[@rhammond2152]

I was there....late 80s. Just great housing and everything kept up to date.

[@bobbijoREV3.10]

Me too … in 1988

[@CraftsByBobbyJo]

So sad…I was stationed on Fort Clayton from 95 to 97 and I played softball on Howard Air Force Base every weekend… Thanks for sharing

[@bobbijoREV3.10]

Hey I’m a Bobbi Jo too! 🤣and I was on Howard in 1988

[@sams568]

We were stationed at Howard from 1994 to 1997. I was assigned to the 640 AMSS. My daughter was born at Gorgas Army Hospital. Burger King was in a food truck parked on Ft Koby. Used to eat lunch at Rodman NAS. Great fishing on Gatun lake, big ole peacock bass. Used to cut through the jungle to get to work.

[@noreengentleman4077]

This is heartbreaking to watch, we lived as a family on the last house at the base of the hill up to the hospital.I roamed those streets with my little son,spent endless hours at the pool and hanging out in the hammock downstairs in the patio in our house..I would chop off a bunch of bananas or a pineapple with a machete whenever i needed one. Even though the houses were a bit old fashioned by American standards, i really loved my house and enjoyed my time in Panama so much. I have so many great memories of my life there,the people were so friendly and kind and i would love to go back there again. Its so sad to see those lovely house going to ruin. We were one of the last families to leave in 2000, just before it reverted back to Panama.

[@bobbijoREV3.10]

I was there in 1988 Jan til the coop broke out, then I had to leave & go back to HAAF in Savannah. The houses there are better than regular US Army on post housing (at least back then)

[@bobbijoREV3.10]

PS - I climbed that hill you speak of every day. There are 140 steps at the very top of it. I liked to watch the aircraft land below me (C-130’s and Blackhawks)

[@atribecalledcookies4]

Hah, we lived at the last house at the base of the hospital hill too, behind the bus stop. Good times, loved it there , with the maid's quarters at the base of the house. We had banana trees lining the house, that huge mango tree out back, coconut trees out front lining the streets.

[@CemeteryShop-yg6gi]

I lived in the new base housing in 1969. I think the area we lived in was brand new, though I’m not certain of it. It was adjacent to Farfan Park, my go to source for the best mangos I ever ate. Howard was fun. Before that we were in La Chorrera, dad moved us out right after the coup of 1968.

[@MrJW-jf3ue]

Wow, so sad . I was there from 1983-1985. Young airmen having a great time!!!

[@OldJedi100]

Did you get a pic of the hospital?

[@oscarwildeghost]

The clinic is an abandoned wreck now.

[@GathKingLeppbertI]

@@oscarwildeghost Those people stabbed me as a baby! Course they also shoved a fishbone down my throat.

[@thelandofmisteroz]

Thanks for the upload!

[@oscarwildeghost]

I was stationed there 40 years ago, Howard and Albrook were two of the best bases in the Air Force. Howard was a beautiful base. There are some good pages on Facebook for the base and the 24th Security Police Squadron with lots of photos. Shame to see it like this, almost all the buildings are gone now except for the flightline hangers, gas station, Security Police HQ and a few small buildings. All the barracks, main buildings and almost all the housing by the chapel is gone. Vera Cruz beach is now a resort. Albrook is all private housing and the Russian Embassy is there now, lol.

[@GathKingLeppbertI]

I swam at the beach when they had shark fencing and alert system. I recall I opened my eyes underwater for the first time there. We were stationed at Howard so Daddy could get Jungle Training. He came back safely from VN thank GOD.

[@DallasCityGurl]

Dang, looks like that British company that bought the larger mobbed hill has stopped cutting the grass.

[@RarekevykArchive]

Bro I spent Christmas here when I was little :(((

[@BudTristano]

1970s for me. I had many friends that lived in that housing.

[@tiltingatwindmillsorhowdav2086]

Please comment if you saw me there, especially if you knew Colonel Baxter

[@wandamartinez1561]

😔

[@bobbijoREV3.10]

I was there in 1988

[@elidadegracia3469]

Total abandono monte y todo se ve ahi que feo se ve eso