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 WAR STORIES FROM PARADISE
You have traveled to 2001!
Entries are posted by the year the writer arrived, so be sure to check either side of the year
you're looking for to find your old buddies, shipmates, and sweethearts!

From Aaron [penaltyvectoring@yahoo.com]
I'm looking to get in contact w/ any air traffic controllers that were on board from 2000-2002.  Pineapple, 4days, Bertram, Shannon, Jew, Bean, Kat...  where are you guys!?!

            AC2 Aaron "OX" Stregles
 

July 2001 to June 2002
NAME = Jon "Bernie" Nicholson
MY QUEST = To live in a place with bars and live music w/in walking distance again
VT of a SWALLOW = 122 mph......if she doesn't sneeze on you
E-MAIL = berndog4u@yahoo.com
NATIONALITY = USA
UNIT = Civilian Contractor (formerly IT Corp)
RANK/RATE/JOB = Got out of gov work last summer.  15 years was enough. Almost found a wife on DG but it didn't work out....but made good friends anyway. Hello to all those Filipinos I left behind
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = I am a Born Liar, and Want To Tell About All The Sex I Had on Dodge
MY WARSTORY = Actually I had no sex on the island.  At least none that I recall. My friggin co-worker met a Navy gal on the plane over from Singapore
and that bastard was set for the next two months.  She had some big ol knockers.

Hey, worse two weeks on the island is when they had a curfew and no alcohol sales after 9/11. The filipinos made bucks selling liquor under the table to
thirsty contractors.

I really liked the bands, specially the first one from PI.  One of the singers got married to another contractor while I was there.  Just before Christmas
there was a band from Bali and rumor was that the little Indonesian singer would give it up for $150. Who knows if it's true.

Miss those late nights at the Fil-Mau and the nights when Luz at the CPO club kept pouring them after closing time.  Also miss kidding around with those
ladies at the Seaman's and Peace Keeper at lunch.

Just remembered when an AF reserve Major (I think) just flew in as part of the OEF exped force. He walks into Seaman's and tells one of the Mariner's to take his hat off inside the club. The guy tells him to screw himself and the Pilot says he's going to tell the manager. The manager over hears and tells the pilot that he's going to have to leave before he gets thrown out.  Good fun, those sailors for hire.
 

Subject:         A great site that killed time for me in the Bag
Date:             Thu, 12 May 2005 12:51:54 -0400
From:           "Jeff Roberts" <jroberts@scientiaglobal.com>
Ted:
I just spent a good afternoon killing time by reading about DG.
I am presently working In the wonderful country of Iraq.
I support the Comm infrastructure rebuild project.
I worked on DG in 2001 as a Diver for about a month supporting the UCT one guys who helped install the subcable off the T building. I did all the dive, cable install equipment install and QA and basically hung out.
DG reminds me of other islands that I spent a good deal of time working at Ascension and less so Wake.
The parties at the afore mentioned sites where as good as the ones I have read about at DG, unfortunately I quit partying like I did in the 80s do to kidney and liver damage from Malaria and probably 10 cent highballs at the volcano club.
If you are in Iraq ping me I am heading up to Talil in near future.
Thanks for the great time spent on your island.
JR
SGI
Field Operations
Baghdad Iraq
 

summer of 2001
NAME = bill shaver
MY QUEST = to stay out of wars
VT of a SWALLOW = ?????????????????????????????????
E-MAIL = mrcanoehead@canoemail.com
NATIONALITY = Canadian
SERVICE = none
UNIT = Worked on H.J.Kaiser
RANK/RATE/JOB =
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY =  this was a surreal place, not even Cuba compares to it! But anyways my time there was somewahat boring and a real pain in the ass, as the people i worked for on the Kaiser, reall assholes you might say From Captain on down!
      But anyway my whole memories are of visiting Seamans club every opertunity, which was everyday as the Kaiser never went anywhere so it was this or fall asleep at outside theater, you know Mosquito cinema!! Along with long talks & big drinks with that redhead from USnavy , can't remember her name, .. strange... she had big hooters you know, quite popular with people on the Bonneyman & J.L. Hauge Jr. Anyone remember who she was & last heard she was being forced off the island by her superiors on the Island as for her behavior was not up to snuff for them, typical squid assholes in charge of nothing you know oh well hope to hear from her some day as she was alively one! Not like some of the others around there
 

June 2001
NAME = Bill
MY QUEST = To never have to stay in such silly place as Diego garcia again!!!
VT of a SWALLOW = who cares
E-MAIL = mrcanoehead@canoemail.com
NATIONALITY = all
SERVICE = worked on comerce ships in anchorage
RANK/RATE/JOB = Farm Manager in Cuba
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Other
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY =  You know i thought Cuba was a sureal place till My job on one of those ships that sit there & go nowhere , boy how silly a place it was, cheasey food, crummy stories, lousy movies, crummy phone/computer service etc, etc, Except for the island itselfm must have been interesting to see it befor we set up those listening posts.The lives of that comunity were surely ruined for the sake of the USA .
      anyway it was extremly boring all the time 24hrs/day, hope to never see anyone from there again.
      Best part was ship headed to Sembawag shipyard to get fixed & my 2 week stay in Singapoer with girlf friend who workes at Intercontinental hotel , met her in Dubai several years ago.
 
 

2001 To 2002
NAME = Rory O'Reilly
VT of a SWALLOW = I don't know
E-MAIL = rory614@hotmail.com
NATIONALITY = Ohioan
SERVICE = US Navy
UNIT = Metoc...weatherman
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Please Select The Category That Best Discribes Your Interest in Diego Garcia
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Please Select a Title For Your Story, or Select 'Other'
MY WARSTORY = Livin back in good old Ohio now. Had a blast living on the island. Never had a captain and coke until I went to the Brit Club, and its still my favorite drink today! Get memories everytime I drink one. Any you guys from metoc that remember me, write me...I kind of miss the rock.
 

2001-2002
"Benjamin Ledford" <nacho_cheese@hotmail.com>
What an awesome site! I was lucky enough to be in Diego for 18 months with the P-3 bubbas...had the best year and one half of my life (seriously)....looking at your site brought a little tear to the eye, man...anyway, I saw you had the EXPAT club listed on there still, and thought I'd give ya a heads-up that it was no longer alive...the SEABEES had to tear it down when they realized it was going to come crashing down at any moment...the dirty PHILMAU is sitll around though, still providing the usual wild crowds with Salsa and Caribbean style music.  And the Brit Club is massive since I was there...the built a huge covered deck, and tore away the shrubbery behind it (no more sneaking off with the DGAR queens behind the scabby!).  Anyway, wanted to say thanks for bringing me back to the place that time forgot...have a good one.
Ben Ledford
DGAR Survivor Jan01-Jun02

2001-2003 "Axelrad, James R. ET3 (CVN75 CS-5)" <axelrajr@truman.navy.mil>
     I am a former Diego Garcian (08jan2001-08jan2002), and still maintain contact with some friends who work there and some who just got there (and yes I laughed at them, and they didn't get the joke until the day they got their, and the message was VERY rude:), and I just got an interesting article on cable and wireless.  thought you'd be interested.
     Also, while I was there, I ran the islands first bird abatement program (as an admitted cargo pilot, thought you might be interested in the efforts to reduce the problems of cattle egrets on the island) for nine months.
     anyway, here is the article;

     THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT OUR ONLY PHONE COMPANY ON ISLAND .  THIS ARTICLE CAN BE FOUND AT :
     > > WEBSITE:  http://www.maldivesculture.com/maldives_dhiraagu01.html
     > >
     > > The world's worst telephone company
     > > by Grahame Lynch
     > >
     > >  Dhiraagu telecom tower, Hithadhoo Seenu atoll
     > > It is praised by financial analysts for its remarkable re-invention. It
     > > praises itself for what it claims as the world's most technologically
     > > advanced IP network. But it still makes too much of its money via
     > > neo-colonialist monopoly arrangements in third-world countries.
     > >
     > > The company is Cable & Wireless. And despite the rave reviews, it remains
     > > a company that makes money in odious ways.
     > >
     > >   'What is most offensive about this odious company is the way it
     > > uses the monopoly rents of small, poor island nations to subsidise its
     > > loss-making fibre networks in rich European and American countries.'
     > >
     > > Cable & Wireless has a proud beginning, building the first submarine
     > > cables in the 19th century. Not long after, it spread out, taking
     > > advantage of the economic reach of the British Empire to secure itself
     > > telephony franchises in the Caribbean, Central America, the Pacific Ocean
     > > and the British Far East Asia.
     > >
     > > Of course, these days Cable & Wireless gets most attention for its
     > > expansive IP network roll-out, reaching some 84 cities across the world
     > > with OC-192 connectivity.
     > >
     > > But this IP-centric business focus isn't yet profitable. Indeed, as a
     > > business unit, it lost some $317 million in the last financial year.
     > >
     > > Where does Cable & Wireless make its real money? Jamaica, Ascension
     > > Island, Panama, the Falkland Islands, Diego Garcia, and lots of other
     > > places that are (1) small, (2) poor, and (3) suffer the misfortune to be
     > > ex-British colonies.
     > >
     > > Pound of Flesh
     > > Together, Cable & Wireless' island monopolies are home to only a few
     > > million people with limited incomes. But Cable & Wireless certainly
     > > extracts its pound of flesh.
     > >
     > > Indeed, Cable & Wireless made some $298 million in pure profit from its
     > > 'regional businesses' last year, along with another $104 million in
     > > Australia and $425 million from 'discontinued operations' mainly Hong Kong
     > > Telecom.
     > >
     > > For many years, Cable & Wireless made most of its profits from Hong Kong.
     > > And although the British finally handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997,
     > > Hong Kong taxpayers were then forced to cough up billions to 'compensate'
     > > Cable & Wireless for the early termination of the monopoly licence granted
     > > by the British administration in the mid-1980s.
     > >
     > > And what a monopoly it was. Cable & Wireless took advantage of Hong Kong's
     > > small borders to charge full IDD rates for calls travelling as few as 15
     > > miles to neighbouring cities in China and the adjoining enclave of Macau,
     > > where the local telephone company was also owned by Cable & Wireless. At
     > > one point, Hong Kong Telecom was returning almost half its sales in
    > > profits!
    > >
     > > But while the Hong Kong cashcow has been consigned to history, the cashcow
     > > of a whole bunch of former British Empire island nations continues on. A
     > > quick perusal of the ITU's list of international settlement charges shows
     > > that the most expensive in the world are always levied by a Cable &
     > > Wireless property on some island nation. What's more, these countries are
     > > being left behind by Cable & Wireless monopoly rents and refusal to invest
     > > profits back into their infrastructure.
     > >
     > > Enough is enough
     > > Just this past March, five of them in the East Caribbean got together and
     > > said enough is enough. High phone charges and under-investment were
     > > leaving them marginalised from the world economy. So they forced Cable &
     > > Wireless to step aside and face liberalisation. Cable & Wireless was
     > > petulant in negotiations, threatening to disrupt phone service without an
     > > orderly transition. After it agreed to the liberalisations, it spitefully
     > > laid off hundreds of local workers.
     > >
     > > What is most offensive about this odious company is the way it uses the
     > > monopoly rents of small, poor island nations to subsidise its loss-making
     > > fibre networks in rich European and American countries. Its grand new IP
     > > network doesn't extend out to these places - when it is clear those
     > > economies would benefit from being connected to the world's broadband
     > > network. When it does invest in these regions it's the usual eye-rolling
     > > affair - an e-business centre in Bermuda for British companies' offshore
     > > tax haven registrations is one of the few examples it can provide of
     > > 'regional' investment.
     > >
     > > Of course, not all of the profit makes its way back into first world IP
     > > investment. Some $197 million of it was given back to Cable & Wireless'
     > > British and American shareholders in dividends last year.
     > >
     > > The East Caribbean actions of last month should empower other countries to
     > > end C&W's monoploy deals. It may have been all right for the British to
     > > plunder the world's island natives back when 19th century values of
     > > business morality prevailed, but it's clearly not acceptable in the 21st
     > > century. Good riddance to the world's worst telephone company.
 

1996-2001
     NAME = Richard Chase
     MY QUEST = Telephone company
     VT of a SWALLOW = Aleph null
     E-MAIL = rchaseio@yahoo.com
     NATIONALITY = USA
     UNIT = BJS-DG21
     RANK/RATE/JOB = Public Works Director
     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want to Drink A Lot, Cheap
     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
     MY WARSTORY = I noticed new stories by George Laughlin and Harry Johnson, so I thought I'd chime in. Here is my first day in DG, September 1996:
     I had been traveling for days to get there. Anyone who has been there can remember the ever-infamous Paya Lebar rerun, where you show up at the airfiled day after day to get a seat. All I can say is, "Thanks Helen Lee for making all my Singapore stays bearable!" So I finally get a seat on KC-10 (AKA indoor rainstorm). I was dead tired and thrashed from the travelling. I did find a spare pint of Tanduay from PI that got me through the flight.
     When I landed, I went through the standard Brit customs drill, "No bongs, knives, or explosives. ANY video tapes will be confiscated and viewed for pornography!"
     My boss picked me up and drove me to BEQ-8, where the contractors stayed. It was Tuesday night. I noticed that there was a huge party out front of the BEQ.  There was comely Filipina bartende (Helen from Seamen's Club) who kept forcing me to drink. And drink I did. It turned out that BJS used to have a weekly shindig each Tuesday.
     That was my first exposure to DG. I met Harry Swartout, Conrad Matt, Ray Weaver, George Laughlin, and many others that night. I stayed for 6 years and ended up in the local island band. Great memories.
 

May 1989 thru Sep 1999, 2001, thru 2003
NAME = George M. Laughlin (YA-HOO)
MY QUEST = Citizenship from some place
VT of a SWALLOW = Below sea level or above??
E-MAIL = bubblincrude@hotmail.com
NATIONALITY = USA
SERVICE = USN RET
UNIT = IPAC and BJS until 1999, NFCU fm 2001 to 2003
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY =  One of my fondest years on Dg was back when Capt. Check (CO) and CDR Bob Collard(SUPO), would call me and my buddy, Flightline Freddie to the O Club so we could drink for free all night coz the O's could not play Hosre Collar. That was fun, even when the Marine XO would climb into the rafters and pour beer on us. Another grand time was getting with Jack and the gang and building the Golf Course, then playng it. There was the two years that BJS golfers would play the Brit Party every Tuesday. It started out being a fun once a month deal, for beer and build your own at the Expac afterward, but with the wipping that we (BJS) gave the Brits the first time. The Brit Rep. CDR Gram Niven changed the program to weekly. We even had a trophy at the Club House with the weekly score posted. I'd have to say the we (BJS) won 98% of the time. Grand times at the course. If anyone wants to complain at not having a good time on the island for several years I was the one who brought the EAP Charter to the island and you missed out. Even though the EAP turned into the Dave Burges Fan Club. More stories to come. YA-HOO
 

Sept 2001 to Dec 2001
     NAME = Tom
     MY QUEST = Find out who the pier girl was
     VT of a SWALLOW = i'll tell you later
     E-MAIL = tequilat2003@yahoo.com
     NATIONALITY = Mixed
     SERVICE = USAF
     UNIT = B-1's BABY!
     RANK/RATE/JOB = E-4 weapons loader
     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
     MY WARSTORY = me and some friends were drinking by the cannons on the beach and decided to head back to Camp Justice. with a six pack left of Corona...I decided to stay at thr pier while my friends went back to camp (no alcohol in tent city).  while I was drinking...some gal  popped out of the blue and just stood there looking at the coastline. being drunk..I offered her a back massage...next thing you know...we started messin around on the pier. I would like to know...who this gal was.

28 April 2001-7 May 2002.
     NAME = Doug "Radar" Heath -- Former Det 1, 13AF/CC (PACAF)
     MY QUEST = Single-Handedly Repopulate the World with REDHEADS!!
     VT of a SWALLOW = 24
     E-MAIL = kerplnk5@aol.com
     NATIONALITY = USA! USA! USA!!!!
     SERVICE = USAF (PACAF)
     UNIT = Commander, Detachment 1, 13th Air Force
     RANK/RATE/JOB = Major, Currently stationed on Guam douglas.heath@andersen.af.mil
     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!
     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = There I Was, Passed Out in the Club
     MY WARSTORY = EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT, BAYBEE! haha!
     Too many war stories to tell right now. From the very first landing of the 28 AEW...my dynamic Detachment of 14 souls caught the first 800 troops and 32
     aircraft without assistance. We worked 44 hours straight, along with our outstanding buddies in the BIOT Police (ROPOS ROCK!!!!) and the Royal Marines
     (God Bless 'EM!!!) but we got through it.
     There was some whining by the deployed dudes (seemingly very angry that the "permanent party" PACAF Det had hard-billets downtown--forgetting that we are on a REMOTE for a YEAR there! That was our PERMANENT HOME!)--but they came around and remembered that we were at WAR...except for this one... [editor's note:  There's ALWAYS one - I had one in '87 during ERNEST WILL).
     I digress....a WONDERFUL year on island...became very busy but we as a unified team (AF, NAVY, BRITS, AUSSIES) WE (ONE ISLAND, ONE TEAM, ONE MISSION) did a great job and really shined! God Bless CAPT Lucarelli, and the Brit Rep (CMDR Peters)!!!
     My Detachment was AWESOME! I will always be proud of my AWESOME Airmen!
     Hooo-AAAAH
     Cheers
     Radar

September, 2001
PATRICK EGAN <PatrickEgan@comcast.net>
Dear Sir,
     I was a frequent guest of your club when I flew cargo to DG. I am a C-5 Pilot with the 337th AS at Westover ARB, MA.  I signed up as a member, but don’t have a card! (I vaguely remember giving $20.00, but am not sure what happened after that!) Anyway, I can provide proof that I was there and would like to get a membership card (even if I have to pay again).  Proof would be the form of a verbal reprimand we received from a Colonel that chewed us out for swimming in the pool after hours.... Yah, we were the guys that were sleeping in the gym at the beginning of OEF - before the BUFF guys.  I proudly wear the red hat, and get several looks here in Massachusetts, as to where DG is, but that’s fine.
Respectfully,
Patrick J. Egan Jr.
Captain, USAF
 

November 2001-November 2002
     NAME = Melissa
     MY QUEST = To Forget the Past and Start a New Future
     VT of a SWALLOW = All Year
     E-MAIL = missyann1@yahoo.com
     NATIONALITY = American; SERVICE = USN Separated; UNIT = NSF/Weapons Dept.; RANK/RATE/JOB = AO3
     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!
     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = I am a Born Liar, and Want To Tell About All The Sex I Had on Dodge
     MY WARSTORY = I am really missing Dodge, had a lot of great friends that I will probably never see again, and alot of sex most bad, a few good, the rest were great.  I mean, come on, that's what it was mostly about right drinking and sex!!!!!  I was great though, I hated to leave though I thought I was ready to go.
 

2001
     NAME = Dave
     MY QUEST = Distance between ex-wife and life
     VT of a SWALLOW = The "Crawl"
     E-MAIL = dgar@yahoo.com
     NATIONALITY = US; SERVICE = Navy; UNIT = METOC; RANK/RATE/JOB = Active duty....for a couple more years.
     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Professional Adventurer Looking For The Ultimate Get Away
     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
     MY WARSTORY = Cultural friendships, Panama, Village parties, island sports, The "Crawl", METOC, Afghanistan, Refocused life, fishing, Yacht Club, Friday night "Meetings", Latino Night......Do your job and enjoy life.....But the greatest gift DGAR produced is my wife...Irais...Life is whole again and Diego Garcia was my saving grace.

January-Mar 2001
     NAME = Jennifer
     MY QUEST = To find entertainment on Diego Garcia
     VT of a SWALLOW = What is a terminal velocity of which swallow?
     E-MAIL = wolfeyes21@aol.com
     NATIONALITY = American
     SERVICE = United States Air Force
     UNIT = 40 Expeditionary Bomb Squadron
     RANK/RATE/JOB = An Airman First Class, still active duty
     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!
     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = I am a Born Liar, and Want To Tell About All The Sex I Had on Dodge
     MY WARSTORY = So there I was... the 6th day on the island... scheduled to spend at least 180 days there, I'd
     fallen into the habit of finding fun after work. Several of my friends had deployed there 4 months before me and
     were well acquainted with the island. Friends I had, I didn't even know were there. Until one fateful night, I
     ran across a guy, and well... yeah, I ran across him.

     So there I was, 6th day on the island, (or night I should say) and found myself in the secluded corner of my
     tent, with my friend.

     And on the 6th day, we had sex.

     And on the 6th day I had sex, and got pregnant.

     I was shipped home after 50 days on the island, leaving my comrades to fight the war without me.

     My daughter is now 6 months old, and beautiful as the island I conceived her on. Wouldn't trade her for the
     world.

     And my friend? in jail for grand theft auto, with a bad conduct discharge.

Tom Freeland <tbfgolf@yahoo.com>
MY QUEST = To seek the Holy Grail and pocket some cash as a contractor
VT of a SWALLOW = Yellow or brown?.............What is your favorite color............Blue no red....AHHHHHHHH
NATIONALITY = U.S.; UNIT = SATCOM; RANK/RATE/JOB = Used to be Navy..now a traveling contractor
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Geo-political Rabble Rousing
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = No stories yet, but plan on being the subject of many.  Updates will be provided on an as happens basis.

Well,.... there is this story, but this one sounds a little to far-fetched for even the most jaded of DGers....
2001-now
NAME = charlie
MY QUEST = To find chicken repellent.
VT of a SWALLOW = Depends how long she's been on island.
E-MAIL = middleofio@yahoo.com; NATIONALITY = American; SERVICE = Navy; UNIT = WX
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want to Drink A Lot, Cheap
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = A buddy of mine that had already spent 12 months on DG was 2 days from leaving.  To keep him from being imbarrassed we'll just call him John.  We decided to get him as drunk as possible and succeeded to do so. Mind you that he was here for 12 months and 12 long months with no action(if you know what I mean).  He said that he was not going to leave here without getting some.  I told him that he could use my room for the night.  When we wnet to pick him up for breakfast the next morning we walked into a room with feathers all over an 12 dead chickens.  Little did he know he did a cock.  For those of you that don't know about the island there are more chickens here than women.  And tons of desperate men.