President Nixon’s Private Retreat in the Bahamas GRAND CAY (1972)

President Nixon’s Private Retreat in the Bahamas

Photos by Steve Smith

  

The Main House on Grand Cay Island

Steve Smith was in the Air Force stationed at Homestead AFB from 1970 - 1973. These Pictures were taken at Grand Cay Island in the Bahamas in January 1972.  President Nixon would visit Grand Cay many times during his Presidency as the Island  was owned by a close friend of his Bob Abplanalp, the Owner of PVC Corporation.

Steve was in the Air Force at the time serving on an 11-man Civil Engineering Presidential support team and was for Ground Power Production on all trips the president made to Grand Cay. The team supported The White House Communications Agency (WHCA) and the United States Secret Service (USSS) with backup ground power on the island.

There was a Main House where the President and Mrs Nixon stayed, there were two VIP guest houses, a bunk house for all of the support staff, and a building housing the USSS Command Post (CP) and also contained all of the WHCA communications equipment.

Main House Living Room

Main House Dining Room

Game room in the Main House

VIP Beach House Grand Cay

2ND VIP Beach House Grand Cay

Support Staff Bunk House

 Steve was part of the advance team that went to the island when President Nixon was going to Grand Cay. There were usually 2 ground power and 2 EOD men and 3 Firemen to setup and man the helicopter pad as well as 4 Secret Service men for a total of 11 on the advance team. We were always the first on the island. WHCA usually followed bringing the radio equipment, and the shifts of Secret Service agents would be choppered back and forth from Grand Bahama Island (GBI). It was also during a midnight shift change when Army One crashed and one Secret Service Agent drowned. We were down near the water helping survivors of the crash coming ashore. I was also staying in the bunk house where they were brought in for first aid.            

While Steve was supporting WHCA during the Nixon administration, he would also make weekly trips to the Key Biscayne Compound and monthly trips to Grand Cay for preventive maintenance on their backup generators.