Phillip Allman - Military Retirees

First published 1980 by Schenkman Publishing Company, Inc.

Published 2017 by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

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Copyright 1980 by Schenkman Publishing Company, Inc.

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Allman, Phillip H.

Military retirees in Central America and Mexico.

Bibliography: p.

Includes index.

1. Retired military personnel United States. 2. Americans in Central America. 3. Americans in Mexico. I. Title.

UB443.A44 301.44 4 79-19777

ISBN 0-87073-826-7

ISBN 0-87073-825-9 pbk.

ISBN 13: 978-0-87073-856-2 (hbk)

ISBN 13: 978-0-87073-825-8 (pbk)

The courtesies and assistance extended by many persons representing various organizations and institutions during residence in Central America and Mexico contributed immeasurably in the collection of data. In Guatemala, those individuals especially helpful were Ing. Jose Lopez Toledo of the Office of Geographic Studies, Ministry of Public Works; Col. (Ret.) James Norman of the American Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Romeo Routhier, Adjutant of the American Legion post; Mr. Alexander Gregg of the Inter-American Geodetic Survey; Col. Hook and Sgt. Richard Allen of the U. S. Defense Attache Office; Maj. Richard Gillespie of the U. S. Military Group; and Dr. Terry McIntosh from Florida International University. Assistance was given to me in El Salvador by Lt. Col. Rodriguez and CWO Schonstron of the U. S. Defense Attache Office, Mr. Al Holbum of the Inter-American Geodetic Survey, and Mr. Robert Hoffman of the American Chamber of Commerce. Ed Rosenfeld, former owner of the Costa Rica Grapevine published weekly in San Jose, Costa Rica, and a newly acquired friend during the February 1976 earthquake in Guatemala, expedited my activities in San Salvador by giving his time freely as a guide around the city.

Credit is due the Departments of Army, Navy, and Air Force, and the Marine Corps; the Retired Officers Association, especially to Col. (Ret.) Minter Wilson; and the Army Times Publishing Company for much of the general and statistical information on military retirees. Mr. John Beach, editor of the Harrison Post, Fort Harrison, Indiana, was helpful in obtaining statistics on Army retirees and Professor Joseph Kuszai, Department of Graphic Design, Michigan State University, provided technical advice and assistance during the preparation of the typeset copy.

The recent severe winters experienced in the United States, combined with escalated fuel prices and other unattractive conditions such as higher taxes, inflation, crime, urban decay, etc., have forced numerous American retirees south to more climatically favorable and economically amenable areas. Many have ventured into foreign lands in search of these amenities and some have established retirement residency in the nations south of our international border. Among these adventurous retiree migrants are significant numbers of American military retirees who have histories of extensive foreign travel and residence during their military careers. This book is about that migrant group and its settlement in Central America and parts of Mexico. It examines the places where these migrants have settled, determines why they have chosen those specific places for retirement, describes their characteristics, explains how the migration takes place, and discusses its consequences. Also, it provides a brief history of United States military personnel in foreign areas, with emphasis on the relationship between their frequent relocation and their propensity to migrate after retirement, and describes the world distribution of the 1.2 million members that comprise the military retiree population.