myers@uwmacc.UUCP (Latitudinarian Lobster) (11/08/85)
TC Wheeler informs us that the island of Vieques was unoccupied when it was first used as a Navy gunnery range in 1912. I thought that was a bit funny, because Vieques is not of insignificant size, is quite close to the mainland of Puerto Rico, and because it wouldn't make much sense for 8,000 people to suddenly go squat on an island being used as a gunnery range. Well, TC, Vieques may have been unoccupied in 1912, but it sure was in 1870, when a protestant school and church were built there. See page 41 of *Historia de Puerto Rico*, by Vivas Maldonado. According to the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Vieques was annexed by Puerto Rico in 1854. In 1941, the US Navy acquired about 70% of the island for practicing purposes, making it clear (at least to me) that the Navy did NOT acquire full dominion over the island in 1912. I won't venture any guesses as to why el sen~or Wheeler was making falacious claims...ah, well, maybe just one...maybe it was all the peyote buttons he did as a youth while visiting PR? Por la defensa de la verdad...