Saipan, Then and Now

On this trip I was looking for photos to use in comparison to various older photos in a "then and now" webpage.  The photos from the late 1950's and 1960's were taken by my father, Lowell Boothe.  Photos are used by permission or, to the best of my knowledge, in the public domain.  Please contact me about any unauthorized usage of private photos.  

Ladder Beach

 
This wartime photo shows some of buildings of the 500th Bomb Group that had its' facilities in this area.  Photo from the 500 BG pictorial album.
 
Ladder Beach today. Few people live in the area and it's very quiet now.
 
 
Camping, ca. 1960  The ladder can be seen in the background. The ladder was replaced by these steps many years ago, but the name stuck.

Micro Beach

Sue and Gary at Micro Beach, ca. 1960.  In the distance is Managaha .

2005

Marpi Airfield

The fighter airfield on the north end of Saipan was another large complex built in an amazingly short time.  Suicide Cliff is on the left in this aerial shot.
In this view from Suicide Cliff in the 1960's, remnants of the airfield can still be seen. 
Today, roads are about all that's left of the airfield complex that covered nearly the entire coastal plain on the north end of the island.

Air Operations Building

Built by the Japanese at Aslito Airfield, it was used for the same purpose by the American forces at the renamed Isely Field.  Still in use today as offices for the Commonwealth Port Authority, it is surrounded now by the terminal and facilities of Saipan International Airport.  The structure is in amazingly good condition and looks as modern as the adjacent terminal building, with only the massive steel doors and shutters to indicate its' wartime origins.

 

 
 
Saipan, Then and Now- Part 2
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