There were two bomber and two fighter airbases and massive aircraft and ship repair facilities.
The high cost of shipping made it too expensive to send these back to the United States.
Above all, there was the pressure to bring the troops back home as quickly as possible.
The Americans saw through the bluff, and in retaliation decided to dump everything into the ocean.
The locals watched in disbelief as hundreds of vehicles were rolled off the barges into the water.
Engine blocks cracked and hissed.
Islanders who took anything, even scrap slated for destruction, were severely punished.
We used to hide and wait for them to throw away this foodlike new tins of bacon and sausage.
New ones, new clothes.
Then his police would report us.
Sources:Cabinet Magazine/BBC/Santo Today
