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 WAR STORIES FROM PARADISE
You have traveled back to 1971!
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!

Date:             Fri, 05 Aug 2005 09:27:22 -0600
From:            "JOHN HUARD SR" <johnhuardsr@msn.com>
     Ted, my name is John D Huard Sr and I served on board the Uss Monticello LSD-35 from 68-72. The reason I'm writing to you is that Ron Whaley contributed a picture to the Vernon County website of your ship passing behind an LSD which I believe to be my ship. I would like to ask him if it is, and if he has any other photos of her that he would like to share with me. I remember our ship arriving at Diego Garcia and wondering why that LST was painted totally white. It didn't take long for us to understand why. If you could ask him if I could contact him, I would appreciate it.
Sincerely, John

Oct 71-june 72
NAME = karl brunner
MY QUEST = enjoy retiremt
VT of a SWALLOW = unkown
E-MAIL = lsbrunner@cox.net
NATIONALITY = usa
SERVICE = navy
UNIT = nmcb 71
RANK/RATE/JOB = EOC ret was EO2 on the rock
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want to Return When the First REAL Club Med Opens
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY =  no planes for 45 days almost running out of beer
 
 
1971 second wave of advance party
NAME = Dennis Vita
MY QUEST = Life
VT of a SWALLOW = all according what kind of Swallow
E-MAIL = kstar04@earthlink.net
NATIONALITY = American
SERVICE = MCB 40
UNIT = B co generator shack
RANK/RATE/JOB = CE 3 Owner of Concrete company
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = I'd Like to Share Precious Memories of Drinking/Fishing/Snorkeling/Sailing on Diego Garcia
MY WARSTORY = Left Davisville flew to Maritaus crossed that island in the back of a 5 Ton to some port and hopped on the USS Charleston,took a short boat ride and docked at Diego.  Watch them unload equipment with Pinky Hamilton, even watched one go over board, Hit the Island and slept in a hammock wrapped in bug netting and always checked my boots before I put them on in the morning.  Loved those C Rats.  Was thrilled to have a Hut when they were finished.  Worked on the desalt barge, of course worked on the three hollers, stirring and burning down at the beach,  Oh did I mention that I also washed laundry too.  finale found a home at the Generator Shack, was there till I left.  I remember Knickerbocker cause he ratted me out a year latter in Subic for painting a peace sign on the top of our Bus.  Remember dying of the heat in the day and freezing at night sitting at out movie theater wearing my jacket.  Remember the flies in the chow tent big and slow moving.  loved my shower, oh and loved the beach.  I do remember the jeep and the peace sign incident.  Does anyone remember the Russian trawlers off our coast and our radio man playing a song for them  Back in the USSR ? Oh I also think that we lost a dozer off the reef, Frankie C from Philly relaid that bit of info to me.  Worked long hrs but had great times.  Oh I forgot to mention I was the guy that fell asleep on watch and forgot to play morning colors in Rosy Roads the year before.  Still remember the captains face and outfit when he told me I was in a world of shit.

october of 71 to may of 72
NAME = Gary Niemeyer
MY QUEST = find some of the guys i was  station with
E-MAIL = garyniemeyer@suddenlink .net   real e-mail garylniemeyer@yahoo.com
NATIONALITY = american
SERVICE = navy
UNIT = MCB one Delta Co. Transmitter Site
RANK/RATE/JOB = CN steelworker
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY =  As many of you that were there at this time we could take r&r in Bangkok.So I figuredsense I was due to be seperated in May.I just didn't want take the 9 hour flight to Bangkok and another 9 hour flight back.Then another 9 hour flight when I left.Some of my friends just couldn't wait to get there.  Well,oneguy I'm mentioning his name bragged about how many of the local ladies for hire for the night.And I told what he might catch.So he didn;t listen to and you know whst he spent 2 weeks in sick bay when gotback.

1971
NAME = Jim Murray, a.k.a. "WOLF"
MY QUEST = Adventure and an endless supply of malted barley beverages.
VT of a SWALLOW = Zero
E-MAIL = james.murray10@comcast.net
NATIONALITY = American
SERVICE = U S Navy - Seabees
UNIT = Headquarters Company - transitman/explorer
RANK/RATE/JOB = Engineering Aid Stonemason Christmas Tree farmer Artist Reality TV guy
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 = I was just looking for the dates of the USS Charleston visit so I could include it in my sea days required for my 100 Ton Masters License with the Coast Guard. If they ever find this site and what you guys said about me, I'm in shit creek. I'm supposed to be a sterling character, but there are references to jeeps, stairs, political artwork and donkeys (it was "Pauline" , but if there was a "Francine" maybe I was involved in an animal threesome), and not everyone understands who wasn't there. I may need to consult my attorney. You can't use the "I don't remember" excuse all the time.
So now that you have my e-mail, (don't gang mail me) send photos and I will send what I have. Just for the record I did win the design a logo contest (Even tho you creeps sucked up my prize of two cases of beer while I was working). Will send that, plus a copy of the Plankowners Certificate designed by Sal Annarumma. Had a great time and a hugh laugh reading your mails. So Fred. sorry about piling empty cans on top of your mosquito netting. You know how drinking keeps people up late. This is almost like AA, but I'm not sorry and I still drink. And Norm, I have to tell you about the time I went camping with Rachel Hunter on "The Real Gilligan's island", Would you like her phone number? It's only a thousand dollars. Yes, I'm still married, Dorothy has a great sense of humor. So check out my site "skipperjim.com" (did I pay that bill?)Also at "bostoncasting.com/skipperjim".   WOLF

1971
My father, FT Calvert, was there in 1971
NAME = Kyle Calvert Grimes
MY QUEST = To find someone who knew my father
E-MAIL = Kyle@igrimes.com
NATIONALITY = American
MY WARSTORY = My father, FT Calvert, was on the 9 man advance team in 1971.  I am looking for anyone who knew him and can relay any stories to me.  Sadly, he passed away in 1994.  Thank you.
 

71-72?
NAME = Scott Brode
MY QUEST = To Share
VT of a SWALLOW = Inversely proportional to the velosity of a puke
E-MAIL = squid6951@myway.com
NATIONALITY = Born & Bred American
SERVICE = Navy
UNIT = Logistics Support Componant (mike 8 boats)
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
MY WARSTORY = After we helped the Bees Build the engine shop for boat repair, I made the sign that stood outside that said "If we can't fix it; You'd best not break it!
I remember the time our En2 drove a rt forklift into the lagoon while trying to push a mike 8 off the beach.
More to come as they break through the haze.

71
Name:  Clyde Bragunier
c/o Scott Bragunier <theblackbadger23@myactv.net
My father served on the USS Graham County and landed with the seebees on Diego Garcia in 71' I found a lot of pictures from there and the GC. I'm writing this email to see if there's a better place to find email addresses from former radio operaters of the GC and just making sure this is the right place to send pictures??? Please let me know ASAP since this is part of a christmas gift. Oh by the way his name is Clyde Bragunier Third Class Petty Officer USS Graham County 1176 radio operator. His claim to fame is that he sent the first radio message from Diego Garcia. I'm incredibly proud of my father and the things he's done in his life so I would like to repay him by finding old friends from the navy and at the same time offering him credit for the radio message! If you can help I would greatly appriciate it. Thanks so much for having a great web site devoted to the GC and DG!!!
 

71-72?
NAME = Scott Brode
MY QUEST = To reconnect and remenice
VT of a SWALLOW = ?
E-MAIL = squid6951@myway.com
NATIONALITY = Home bred American
SERVICE = USN
UNIT = LogSupComp
RANK/RATE/JOB = Engineman,out over 4 as en-3
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 on The Beach
MY WARSTORY = Got to the Rock and got so bummed and so drunk,that I decided that I was going to swim home! Was found passed out,naked on an ocean side beach,with swim fins and snorkle at the ready!
 

1971-1972
NAME = John Daniel (Dan) Hamilton
E-MAIL = dahtm@yahoo.com
NATIONALITY = USA
SERVICE = Navy
UNIT = MCB 40
RANK/RATE/JOB = Retired. Was Chief at time of service of DG.
MY WARSTORY = I am posting this for my Father - Dan Hamilton - since he does not "do" computers. He was at Diego Garcia in beginning 71-72 and would like to get in touch with some old friends. He currently resides in Jacksonville, AL and if any of you served with him, please let me know how he could maybe get in touch with you.
Thanks,
Danita
 

April-September 1971
NAME = Gary Wahoff
MY QUEST = Touch base with fellow Seabees from that time
E-MAIL = GWahoff@aol.com
NATIONALITY = USA
SERVICE = USNMCB 40
UNIT = Charlie Co., We built seahuts when we first arrived, then manholes  and lift station for new sewer system
RANK/RATE/JOB = BU-2 Semiretired now from civilian work. Couldnt wait to get out back then (as a draftee). Would like to have small doses of beach life now!
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Professional Adventurer Looking For The Ultimate Get Away
MY WARSTORY = As Mcb 40 was the first outfit on DG, it is very interesting how important this base is today.  Apparently we had some people working back then with good foresite. No real story for now, but I do remember the ones recited by others that were there.  The flag pole watch, the CO's steps removed and him falling flat on his face(This would not have happened to CO White, who was well respected.) The COs jeep driven into the ocean at low tide. The "Drive in theatre" during rainstorms. The pissers (55 Gal. Drums sunk into sand) that you had to watch you didn't walk into.  Our patio by the beach outside our hut was great, and Steel worker Brown from Texas made great beans with lots of beer. The old artillery down island. The Hurricane that just missed us.
Hard work and Great Times!!!!
 

1971
NAME = Don Parker
MY QUEST = maybe remember someone from the island
E-MAIL = Dqmanqman@aol.com
UNIT = NMCB-1
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want to Drink A Lot, Cheap
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = There I Was, Passed Out on The Beach
MY WARSTORY = I worked in the maint. shop 4 miles from camp. I have videos, pic's and many memories.
 

Before Bob Hope came to DG, there were The Hilltop Singers!
NOVEMBER 1971
NAME = THE HILLTOP SINGERS *****LINDA*JEANIE*&*TRISH
MY QUEST = LIVE ON IN THE HEARTS OF OUR COUNTRY MEN
VT of a SWALLOW = THAT IS YET TO BE DISCOVERED!!
E-MAIL = HILTOPSNGR@AOL.COM
NATIONALITY = USA
SERVICE = USO
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = I REMEMBERED THAT IT WAS AN OUTDOOR SHOW AND THAT NIGHT, OUR ACCOMMODATIONS WERE HEAVILY GUARDED.  HEE HEE  I ALSO REMEMBER THE BEAUTY OF THE ISLAND.  WE TOOK A WALK THROUGH AN OLD LOCAL CEMETERY - LOTS OF OLD TOMBSTONES OF ALL NATIONALITIES.  I ESPECIALLY REMEMBER HOW NICELY WE WERE TREATED BY EVERYONE.  JEANIE AND I (THE SISTERS) STILL SING FOR SPECIAL OCCASSIONS.  TRISH NO LONGER SINGS BUT IS ALIVE AND WELL.  WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM ANYONE THAT WAS THERE FOR OUR SHOW...

SINGING AGAIN - AVAILABLE FOR VIETNAM VETERAN REUNIONS AND SHOWS. WE WERE THERE FOR YOU IN NAM AND WE ARE HERE FOR YOU NOW - PERFORMING THE MUSIC FROM THE 60's and 70's. Linda and Jeanie Carpenter had a dream to be of service to their country during the Vietnam war. Their dream came true as The Hilltop Singers sang their way into the hearts of the servicemen in Southeast Asia bringing the coffeehouse music to them. I hope you enjoy our website and seeing the pictures from our shows. http://hometown.aol.com/hiltopsngr HILTOPSNGR@AOL.COM LINDA *&* JEANIE THE HILLTOP SINGERS PO BOX  MADISON, TN. 37116-1626
 

1971
Scott Currier <srcgmc@gmail.com>
Landed LST at paradise island March 71
EO1 in Zumwalts "new navy"
Lived in tents but vast improvements-SE Asian huts- like the Hilton
Learned to build a runway out of Coral.
Lots of memories, even have a "MAY 1971" carved coconut.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

1971
NAME = Carl Reid
MY QUEST = Enjoy retirement
E-MAIL = clreid@cafes.net
NATIONALITY = American
SERVICE = United States Navy Seabees
UNIT = Crane operator on the crescent scraper, MCB40
RANK/RATE/JOB = EO3 then
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = Diego Garcia was my second of three deployments with MCB40(69-70 Puerto Rico, 71 Diego Garcia,72 Guam). I am equipment operator 3rd class Carl Reid and I worked with a 50 ton P&H crane pulling coral off the ocean floor to use as aggregate for paving the first runway. I worked with John Ray from Bishop, California. A 2nd class EO in our group was Larry Ray of Elijay, Ga.  Many should remember me as a guitar player from Tennessee who played music almost every night at the beer tent. I remember the night a group from my hut were sitting outside the hut at dark and I was giving a concert. A senior chief (do'nt remember his name) came up and said Reid come on up to the Chief's tent and bring your guitar. Then EO2 Ray, while sitting on a 5 gal. bucket said, come on chief we are off work and he is playing for us. The senior chief said you are in the Navy 24 hrs. a day and I can order him to come up but I am just telling reid to come up to our tent to play. Ray, still seated said that's not fair and if we were not in the service he would'nt stand for the chief's attitude. The senior chief said,"do'nt let my star get in your eyes cause I might just whip your ass". Ray, still seated, said you saying you would take your stripe off and fight me. The chief shook his head yes and Ray came up from the bucket with a violent upper cut right under the senior chief's chin. As he hit the senior chief his eyes rolled back in his head and it sounded as if he had bit his tongue. As the chief was falling to the ground Ray kicked him in the ear. I put my guitar down and grabbed Ray from behind and pulled him down into the jungle. We hid while corpmmen and an ambulance took the chief to sick bay. We stayed in the jungle very late and to our surprise the next morning the senior chief had on sun glasses and his head banaged but he never said a word about the altercation. Ray limped around for two weeks.
     I have pictures of USS Graham County, LST 1176, cocanut crabs, the old WW2 artillery gun, Mike Swift with a sea bass, Mike Tanner, Larry Ray, and pictures in my hut and of the crescent scrapper. I will send them to you later. I would love to hear from anyone who remembers me including Kurt I. Meyers, Dan Taylor, Jack Townsend, John Baker or Dick Suomela. Suomela was the seabee who had a palm tree come through his headache rack and open his skull. He was from Maine and was picked up by a sea plane before we had a runway and was flown to Mauritius. He never cam back after the injury and I have not heard of him since.
Carl Reid at clreid@cafes.net
 

1971
NAME = Fred Cook
MY QUEST = Live long and prosper
VT of a SWALLOW = Warp 9
E-MAIL = gacook@windstream.net  or  fred.cook@windstream.com
NATIONALITY = US of  A
SERVICE = U.S. Navy
UNIT = USNMCB-40
RANK/RATE/JOB = EA3 (then) Civilian 1st Class (now)
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Geo-political Rabble Rousing
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = First things first, this is my current email address. If you were there in '71 with MCB-40, give me a shout!
     Ok, this is the story about illegal drugs, paranoia and limits to patience! One night some "occupants" of H15 were in the lounge smoking a little grass. I guess they got paranoid when they were smoked up because they would play nasty little tricks on the non-smokers in the hut. I came in late that night and started to get into bed and found that "someone" had poured a bucket of water on my bunk. I was tired, cranky and finally totally pissed off. I grabbed the two K-bars out of my locker and threw one of them down the length of the hut, sticking it in the wall near one of the dopers heads. Then holding the other K-bar very offensively, I issued a challenge for (any) one of them to take the knife out of the wall and settle things then and there. I guess the shimmer of cold steel sobered them up because they all immediately apologized, scrounged up a dry mattress and covers and never played any more tricks. What they did not know was that I was actually scared to death that someone would take up the challenge! Actually one of the guys was a pretty good artist when he was high and was responsible for much of the "art work" that appeared on the outside of the building. The two K-bars? One is in my possession even now. The other one got swapped to a swabbie for a couple of bottles of scotch. Hard to believe this all happened over 35 years ago!
 

1971 nmcb 133
NAME = ronald edwards
MY QUEST = i was on the Rock
E-MAIL = eragon27@bellsouth.net
NATIONALITY = USA
SERVICE = navy (Seabee)
UNIT = work in the entertainment center
RANK/RATE/JOB = i was a heavy equitment op. but i moved from port hueneme so they put me in the entertainment center
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = Hello Rock I throught in 1971 when I said good-bye it would be the last time we would see each other. I guess not cuz here I am again. I was looking at the Rock & it is lookin really good. i can't belive u got a swimming pool. I help build the put put in back of the radio station.I guess it would be the old radio station. I was at the Bob Hope & the Redd Foxx xmas show. Fuzzy was a good friend but i lost him between then and now so if he has wrote in and u don't mind givin me his email add it would be appercted.When the humame came thru I was wondering about the Rock. cuz when it was high tide half of the island was under water. well i guess I will go for now later instead of good-bye
 

1971
NAME = Keen Noble
MY QUEST = to set the story straight
VT of a SWALLOW = don't know don't care
E-MAIL = nip84061@yahoo.com
NATIONALITY = U.S.
SERVICE = Navy
UNIT = USS Vernon County LST 1161
RANK/RATE/JOB = SN later YN3
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = after reading many posts i can see some memories are a bit off.   The Vernon County was the first ship to anchor at Diego garcia.  We had about 300 CBS and a dozen or so UDT guys.  So for the few of you out there that think the Graham County was first there, you are wrong.
 

1971-72
NAME = Joseph M.Tomko
MY QUEST = Live long enough to be a pain in the ass to my children.
VT of a SWALLOW = Depends if your in a hurry or not.
E-MAIL = not today folks
NATIONALITY = USA
SERVICE = Navy SeaBee's
UNIT = B CO then messcooking and then A co Night shift generator crew.
RANK/RATE/JOB = CECN_CE3
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = This is a No-Shit Snorkeling Story
MY WARSTORY =    one day my buddy Bob and i was out snorkeling and we saw some others out snorkeling in the nude.  About a hour later we saw the doc and a nurse he was showing around putting on their snorkeling gear.  Bob and I kinda looked at each other at the same time and said, do you think we should say something to the doc.  Na!  they'll get the message sooner or later.  Well the next day sure as hell the CO put out the word no more swimming in the nude or strolling to the showers free style. PS:  Bob Clark and myself met after 34 years this last june at the MCB40 reunion in ST.Lewis , Missouri.
 

1971 USS GRAHAM COUNTY   LST 1176
NAME = ROBERT  WILLIAMS
E-MAIL = squiggy96@aol.com
NATIONALITY = italian
SERVICE = navy
UNIT = seaman 1st class
RANK/RATE/JOB =
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = This is a No-Shit Fishing Story
MY WARSTORY = just want to say hey to all my old buddys in the deck dept. you guys may remember me as   PRESCOTT  the name you gave me the 1st. day i came aboard was from new york  with TED  FROST anyone out there give me a email. was in lower berthing left right before the cuba shakedown cruise..BE GOOD ALL  squiggy96@aol.com... JUST TO ADD TO YESTERDAYS 1ST POSTING   THIS WAS THE FIRST SHIP TO LAND ON THE ISLAND AND OFFLOAD SEABEES. SAW A FEW OTHER POSTS THAT SAID THE VERNON COUNTY WRONG!!! WE STAYED AND RAN BACK N FORTH BETWEEN DIEGO GARCIA AND MAURITIUS (ISLAND OFF MADAGASCAR)TO GET MAIL AND SUPPLYS.  OFF COURSE WE BROUGHT A "FEW" CASES OF BEER AND THE PAY $$$  SO YOU HAD SOMETHING TO LOSE WHILE PLAYING POKER "NO HOLD EM THEN" THE TRIPS BETWEEN THE ISLANDS WAS ABOUT 3 DAYS THEN STAY 2 THEN DO IT AGAIN THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT  3 MONTHS  WE WERE ABLE TO LEAVE AS SUPPORT WHEN WE SAW THE FIRST PLANE COMING IN THEN WE HOISTED ANCHOR AND CONTINUED ON OUR "WORLD CRUISE"  PEACE TO ALL!!!
 

71-72
     I was there from November, 1971 to July, 1972. A Seabee with NMCB ONE. I was an E-4 Engineering Aid working with the soils and concrete lab. We did all of the testing for the roads, runways and every concrete pour.
     I was wondering of the tree house was still there? Down the beach towards the gun emplacement. I’m thinking you probably need a Commissioner of Streets and Highways. It was not a whole lot of fun when I was there, extreme temperatures and millions of flies, not enough fresh water to shower and rinse both. We did watch “A Man Called Horse” for 14 nights in a row at our breezy outdoor theater, and drank all of the free formaldehyde beer we could load up. We also had the original “Electric Hot Dog” you could get one 24 hours a day courtesy of the Electricians. (two nails hooked up to 110 and throw the switch)(it did not take long)
    Still, I do have a lot of fond memories of the people I served with.
Jack W. Alexander
jackandkristine@cox.net
 
 
 
 
 

Oct '71 - Jan '72
NAME = Craig Tassone
VT of a SWALLOW = African or European?
E-MAIL = crtasson@vbcps.com
NATIONALITY = American
SERVICE = Navy
UNIT = MCB 1
RANK/RATE/JOB = EO3 back then, World History/Geography teacher now for the city of Virginia Beach,Va.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = As a Geography teacher I always have my High School students try and locate Diego Garcia on a world map. When they give up I end up showing them. Until I show them most don't believe its a real place.
     I left Davisville,RI with MCB 1 and eventually landed on Deigo.  My first job was as a fuel truck driver refilling all the generators but I managed to piss off A company's CPO and ended up on the blasting team.  We loaded holes drilled in the coral with dynamite,tied holes together with det cord, put blasting cap on the det cord, connected the blasting cap to telephone wire, ran the wire up under the huge P&H drag line, connected the wire to a hand detenator then set the whole thing off with a twist of the detenator.
     We did this twice a day (each time the tide went out so we could drill and load).
     I went on R&R to Bangkok with Tim Campbell and two other guys whose names have been long forgotten.
     I left Deigo in January because I started having seizures. I was sent to a hospital in Thailand and was kept there until a doctor witnessed me having a seizure (I guess to be sure I wasn't faking them) from Thailand I eventually made back to the states. The Navy discharged me in October of '72.
     My memories of Diego are of good friends, hard work, and big rats!
 
 

April or May of 1971
NAME = Ron Wright
MY QUEST = saying hi to anyone who remembers me
E-MAIL = wrighronw@aol.com
NATIONALITY = cau
SERVICE = USN
UNIT = MCB 40 Bravo co
RANK/RATE/JOB = ut3 when discharged 1972   retired - 2000 millwright/supervisor fluor daniels construction
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = i was  in the last wave  of MCB 40 to leave davisville 300 -350 of  us as i reacall trip was long and boring on a maps dc8, davisville -seattle -acnchorage- yakota - clark afb PI to  cocos island  AUS ..boarded the LST 1176 Grham county there, steamed what i remember for 7 days to DG ..I was the one that played music at the em club  and for church on sundays ..only 2  gitaurs on the island . At first  everything was in circus tents - em club , galley ..beer yard was  a guarded fenced in area not far from my hooch (hooches were built just before i arrived  there so no tent sleeping for me)someone mentioned doc felter ..remember him well .i had a 2nd/ 3rd degree burn ..(from mess cooking ) that he attended  to.I'm pretty sure he developed a burn procedure using my burn that's still in use today ..he was great..  the  commander's name was CMDR Urish as i remember.at this time we were not allowed past point maryann , most of us only saw the area around the camp ..which was beautiful , if we would of been there on vacation..i remember the CPO's pascal building being demolished by an angry mob,kissing scenes cut out of elvis movies and  the donkey  ..someone said her name was francine but i think it was pauline not sure..great to remember  those days ..we found out why we were there didn't we 20 years later  camp song  supplied by the plantation manager WE like it here WE like it here you F$%#n A we like it here.... i never recieved a  plank  altough i think i'm a plank holder ..any ideas on how to get one ......... feel free to contact me ......... RON Wright
 

1971
NAME = Clifford Davis
MY QUEST = Find other Storekeepers with MCB ONE
VT of a SWALLOW = Don't give a damn!!
E-MAIL = ouwayne@msn.com
NATIONALITY = AMERICAN (OKIE)
SERVICE = NAVY
UNIT = SUPPLY OFFICE
RANK/RATE/JOB = WAS SK3 WITH MCB ONE WORKED IN THE SUPPLY OFFICE.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want a Job as Far Away from My Wife as Possible
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = I WAS WITH THE ADVANCE PARTY OF MCB ONE TO RELIEVE MCB 40. STAYED TILL MAY 0F 1972. EVERYONE KNEW ME AS AARDVARK.  AT XMAS TIME I WAS THE ONE WHO WROTE TO SANTA TO GET CAPT. OLIVER SOME ELAVATOR SHOES. I AM WONDERING WANT EVER HAPPENED TO SEABEE MAN. HE WAS GREAT!!
 
 

Plankowner "71"?
NAME = "T. J." Martin CS2
MY QUEST = SHipmates remembered
VT of a SWALLOW = Long time gone
E-MAIL = mule_sknr@netscape.com
NATIONALITY = American
SERVICE = USN
UNIT = Supply
RANK/RATE/JOB = CS2 then bakeshop. Retired MSC 1986.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = Browsing through this website, I was reminede that I have a photo album of my DG memories. I even have pics of Doger. CSSN Victor B Toffel (Taco Bell) and I, along with several other "supply types" , Fed the hard working Seabees. When we started on the "rock" my bakeshop was a tent and I made biscuits in a dishpan the first 60 plus days and baked them in field ovens. I remember Em1 "ski"? that hooked up the generator and I "borrowed" Cmdr. Steadleys pettibone forklift to get the mixer off the beach staging area and to the tent city so I could make bread. I have pics of the bread cooling outside the bakeshop tent. I haven't thought of DG in 20 plus years. I did talk to Cmdr. White at a fleemarket in Myrtle Beach, SC a few years ago. He haden't changed a bit in looks in all these years. If anyone remembers me I'd love to hear from you. I live in Sumter, SC now. I'll be more than happy to share pictures of the "seahuts" and a few men of MCB40 pics i have. Bless you for this website.
 

1971
NAME = John Nalley
MY QUEST = To hear from some of my mates
E-MAIL = john_n866@yahoo.com
SERVICE = mcb 40
UNIT = blasting crew
RANK/RATE/JOB = EO3
 

April 1971-July 1971
NAME = Larry S. Martin
MY QUEST = Old Time Tales
VT of a SWALLOW = Going down or comming back up??
E-MAIL = lsm55@pioneer-net.com
NATIONALITY = American
SERVICE = U. S. Navy Seabees
UNIT = MCB 40-Bravo Company-lineman
RANK/RATE/JOB = CE3 on Diego Garcia, discharged Nov. 1973 as CE2, Been a journeyman lineman for 33 years working for power companies in Oregon and California.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell MY WARSTORY = We left Quonset Pt. R.I. on April 10, 1971-flew to the Cocos Islands off the coast of Perth, where we boarded an LST for a 7 day trip along the equator to Diego Garcia, arriving on the 18th of April.  We had some pretty lousy accomodations until we got seahuts built, but most nights we were tired/drunk enough not to notice.  We ate C-rations for the first month, then went to B-rations...even the flies started looking good, and believe me , they covered your mess kit in swarms.  Water was at a premium, so beer was the drink of choice.  We worked 12-14 hour days 6 and 1/2 days a week, and still found time to have fun.  We built powerline in coconut palms (ever seen it rain scorpions?) just try lagging a crossarm on a palm tree!  We set up a big generating station and strung miles of com-wire through the jungle.  I broke my arm in June, and as such, I flew out on the first C130 ever to fly off our little 4500' runway in July 1971.  I never made it back to MCB 40 or Diego Garcia. After getting out of the hospital in Subic Bay, I was rotated to shore duty where I spent the last 2 years of a 5 and 1/2 year enlistment with public works at NavFac Pt. Sur, California.
 
 

1971 - 72
NAME = Craig Tassone
E-MAIL = crtasson@vbcps.com
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = In that eariler life I was EO-3 Craig Tassone of USNMCB 1.  While there I got to blow up a lot of coral. I don't remember having alot of
time for doing anything but blowing up coral!! I got to spend Christmas and New Year (1972) on Diego.  Lt. Crow was "A" company commander.
 

From: "Jerry Montecupo" <Jmontecupo@adelphia.net>
To: <easy501@zianet.com>
Cc: <danphurl@gbronline.com>
Subject: NCMB 71 on DG
Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2005 09:48:01 -0500
   Hi Ted....yes NMCB 71 was on DG...here is one of the posts on the DG website  from the OIC of the detachment. Here is his newest email address...I'm sure  he'd love to hear from you. danphurl@gbronline.com I'm going to forward this  to him also.
I'm the Co Chair of our reunions....our next reunion will be
Lodge of the Ozarks
Branson MO
Aug. 9-13, 2006
Contact me;
Jerry Montecupo
412-373-3096
Jmontecupo@adelphia.net

Thanks for your website work..it's great.

Jerry Montecupo
Oct '71 to June '72
 

March, 71 to August or September 71
NAME = Ronald Whaley
MY QUEST = At this point? I don't have one
VT of a SWALLOW = Uh not sure LOL
E-MAIL = julock@charter.net
NATIONALITY = American by birth Southerner by the Grace of God
SERVICE = USN
UNIT = ACB-2
RANK/RATE/JOB = Was an FA back then NOW? PFC (proud F***ing Civilian)Actually disabled Veteran.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = I had a posting earlier using an old e-mail address. Just wanted to update that with the NOW one. Ok you have it and I must say I loved reading some of these war stories. Brings back some memories I tell ya.  Ok ok I do have a few good stories LOL. Like the boat that came into the harbor
with WOMEN on it. WOW! LOL and the egg fights while unloading ships in the harbor and the been that we BORROWED at the same time. Oh the truck we took for a joy ride around the island while being chased by ? have no idea LOL. So many stories and so little time.
Riding an ole WWII LST through a typhoon was intresting too. Being on the coast of Viet Nam on a ship that glowed in the dark was fun.........NOT........ but
NOT seeing any other ACB-2 folks here is not good. Dang where are you guys?  COME ON NOW.......thats all from North Georgia.
 

From:  peter roberts <toom01@btinternet.com>
To:  easy501@zianet.com
Date:  29 Nov 2005, 04:24:07 PM
Subject:  DIEGO-wot else!
Dear Sir, I flew over Diego Garcia (San Juan) in 1971 - you guys were just building it then.  Some of you were swimming - there were Sharks between you and the beach - we waggled our wings and gesticulated in all kinds of fashions but you just waved and carried on.  I never heard a word about a Shark Attack, guess even Sharks are piccy about who they eat!  When we returned to Base we checked!  We flew over Regularly. In those far-flung days of yesteryear we used an Aircraft that, even today with all the Hi-Tech equipment on board, can not compare. Our mission was Medium Range Bombing from a Missile launching Platform, Search and Rescue, Strategic Reconaissance, Long range Interdiction, where necessary, Photo Recce - there are no Greater Enemies than Friends -, Very Long range Maritime Patrol and at the end of the day Nuclear Attack.  We had the capability to perform all these tasks.  Wot a Bird! I claim LEADERSHIP of DIEGO and in a Totally Democratic way-if I Do Not Get It-I will give in,as long as you Promise to look after it! Kind regards,
A Prospective Politician.
 
 

1971
NAME = Stephen Hurst
MY QUEST = Hear from old friends
VT of a SWALLOW =
E-MAIL = shurst@metrocast.net
NATIONALITY = American
SERVICE = Navy
UNIT = MCB40
RANK/RATE/JOB = EO
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Professional Adventurer Looking For The Ultimate Get Away
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = There I Was, Passed Out on The Beach
MY WARSTORY = I arrived at Diago in one of the first groups, we lived in tents.  After settling in for a couple of weeks its seems our tent had a thief ! Most
of the guys myself included would take our watch's and rings off along with money and other personnal items and throw them under our cotts. Well guys
started missing things. You would wake up the next morning and some of your stuff would be missing. After having a long conversation about all this (over a few beers of course) we decided to take turns standing guard. It didn't take long to find our thief ! The coconut crabs would come into our tent at night and they were attracted to anything shiny and would haul it off.  A couple of guys followed the crabs when they left back to their nest and we did recover some of the stuff but never found all of it.
 

OCT. "71" JUNE "72"
NAME = DAVE CARON
MY QUEST = MAYBE HOOK-UP WITH SOME OF THE GUYS FROM THE TRANSMITTER SITE
VT of a SWALLOW = I DON'T KNOW
E-MAIL = HVACMAN49@SBCGLOBAL.NET
NATIONALITY = AMERICAN
SERVICE = US NAVY SEABEES
UNIT = SW3 TRANSMITTER SITE
RANK/RATE/JOB = STILL WORKING NOT OLD ENOUGH YET TO RETIRE. STAYED IN THE CONSTRUTION INDUSTRY I DO HVAC.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want a Job as Far Away from My Wife as Possible
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = IT WAS A SATURDAY NITE AND WE WERE ALL DOING WHAT EVERY OTHER GUY WAS DOING ON DG ON A SAT. NT.(GETTING DRUNK) WE HAD A DETAIL OF EO's FROM MCB-10 THAT WERE LIVING WITH US WORKING ON THE ROADS. THEY JOINED OUR PARTY THIS NIGHT. WE HAD ONE OF OUR BUCM THAT THE CHIEF WASN'T TO FOND OF THAT GAVE HIM THE SHIT BURNING DETAIL ALL OF THE TIME. WELL THE ONE AT THE JOB SITE WAS REALLY BAD. WELL HE DECIDED HE WAS GOING TO BURN IT DOWN SO HE DRENCH IT IN DIESEL FUEL AND SET IT ON FIRE WELL THE FIRE GOT A LITTLE OUT OF CONTROL SO WE GOT ONE OF THE EO'S TO GET A SCRAPPER PUT THE FIRE OUT. NEEDLESS TO SAY HE WAS SHIPPED BACK TO THE MAIN BATTLION FOR DICEPLINE AND NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN WE HAD TO BUILD A NEW SHIT HOUSE. THATS MY STORY AND I'M STICKIN TO IT
 

I was at Navcommsta Harold E. Holt in 1971
NAME = Hugh Potts
MY QUEST = First Communications Circuit with DG.
VT of a SWALLOW = Somewhere between flying and falling
E-MAIL = hcp551@yahoo.com
NATIONALITY = U.S.
SERVICE = US NAVY
UNIT = None
RANK/RATE/JOB = Then RMSN now Retired RMCS
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Interested World Citizen
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = I Was stationed at Navcommsta Harold E. Holt (fleet center) in 1970-71 and was also present when the first msg came over from DG. I helped establish the first orderwire circuit as soon as the comm vans were set up. We had been in communication with the USS Vernon County as she was sailing to DG. I had an interest in this as my sisters fiancee was an ET2 (Dave Field) on board the ship. It seems that all the guys on the island could talk about on the island was the coconut crabs.....and that they were living in tents. Thanks for the war stories. Hugh
 
 

Subject:         NMCB!
Date:              Sun, 23 Oct 2005 23:26:52 EDT
From:             Mightyfrank270@cs.com
My Name is Frank Mcmullen.  I served with nmcb-1 in the early 70s. I have plenty of pictures and a good menory of that place. I worked in the ham station both in Davisville and in DG. I still have a old deplorement book from one of our tours....The Mightyfrank
 
 

1971-1972 MCB 71
NAME = ALBERT STASKO
MY QUEST = to rember the rock and the great guys there
VT of a SWALLOW = fast
E-MAIL = stasko7@aol.com
NATIONALITY = amercian
SERVICE = navy
UNIT = bu concreat concreat and more f,... concreat
RANK/RATE/JOB = bu3 then
 retaried electrican
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = This is a No-Shit 'How I Put One Over On My Senior Chief' Story
MY WARSTORY = hello
    just want to talk to any one who was on the rock the time we were in the hut smoking a dubbie and the commander of the detachment walked in on us and ...... well if you were there you will rember and lets chat about it.
 
 

October 1971 to May 1972
NAME = P.R. Saunders
MY QUEST =
VT of a SWALLOW =
E-MAIL = saunders48@accnorwalk.com
NATIONALITY = Earthling
SERVICE = Navy Seabees
UNIT = Bravo Company, MCB-1
RANK/RATE/JOB = CE/PO-3 then, College instructor now in charge of corrupting minds
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Interested World Citizen
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = In the spring of 1972, with the war winding down, the navy was anxious to get rid of those of us who had signed up in the late 60's for the Market Time follies. So they announced a three month early out, the only catch was that since we were on the Rock doing important work, those who qualified had a "hold" put on them. Although we were having a great time in the middle of Indian Ocean, working 13 hours a day m-s, and time to get drunk on Sunday, there were those of us, who wanted to go home.
     The company chief of Bravo company approached myself and another CE3 (who was from Dayton, OH) and asked if we were interested in getting out early? We said, hell, yeah! At that time, the Seabees across the world were raising money for the memorial that now stands in Arlington, and every payday, a Chief would standing at the line, with some raffle tickets for us to buy, which we did. Our Company Chief, asked if we would buy $50 of those tickets for a early trip home, we told him that we would buy a $100 worth to get off of the Rock and home. He said $50 was enough. We bought the tickets and true to his word, he made out the special request chit for each of us, and started to walk it through the maze.
     He had success at every level, until he reached the X-O's office. Our X-O was a new guy, who came to the Rock and took Cdr. Johnny Perez's place as the X-O. Prior to his blessing us on the Rock, he had been warming a desk in the Pentagon, and had the pale complexion to match, while everyone else on the Rock had a tan, including the Brothers. Any way when the Chief made it to his desk, "the chit hit the fan," and the brakes were slapped on. The X-O disapproved them, saying in remarks: "these men have no real worthwhile purpose back home, and serve a better role here on the island."
     I kept that chit for years afterward, and looked at it everytime I felt sentimental about the Navy.
     The Chief apologized for what had happened, we told him that it was not his fault, it was the system tha allowed people like the X-O to have positions of leadership.
     Shortly after this, one morning, when we had finished breakfast and were walking over to Bravo Company's shop for work. I stopped the other CE3 who had gotten shafted with me, and asked him, "why are we doing this shit?" He said what shit? I said going to work? What else are we going to do? I said, lets quit! He said how do we do that? I said, we get up every morning, get dressed, eat breakfast like always, and then instead of going to work, we go out in the bush, smoke cigarettes and wait for the company area to be checked, and then go back, take a nap, go swimming, drink beer, or anything else we want to do.
     So for the last three weeks, we were on the Rock, we quit our jobs and screwed off. One day, when I was stretched out on my rack, taking a snooze, the Company Chief and the Leading PO came through, they did not bat an eye, the Chief asked how I was doing, I said OK, and he said, good, and kept on walking.
     Just before I left, the leading PO of our company tried to talk me into coming to Saturday formation, to receive a 'certificate' from Captain Oliver. I told him, no offense, but I don't want anything from this oufit, but a plane ride out of here.
     When it came time for me to check out so that I could get the hell off of the Island, I ran into my platoon chief to get him to sign off on my punch list. He was a great guy and just said, hell, I thought you left weeks ago. I told him, that I had taken some vacation, he laughed and signed the sheet.
     The night before I left, we got wasted and the next morning, one of my hooch mates was shaking me and yelling, you going to miss the plane! I put on my trop whites and grabbed my bag, ran to the MAA office and jumped on the truck. when we were in the air, I crawled on top of the pallet in the back of the 130 and slept til we got to Utapao.
 

October 1971 to May 1972
NAME = P.R. Saunders
MY QUEST = to seek light
VT of a SWALLOW = As fast as it takes the shot glass to hit you in the teeth
E-MAIL = saunders48@accnorwalk.com
NATIONALITY = USA
SERVICE = Navy Seabees
UNIT = Bravo Company, MCB-1
RANK/RATE/JOB = CE-3, now college instructor
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = I notice that from the warstories, that if everyone who says that they were there, the morning that the boiler blew in the Desalination barge, and killed Chip Cummings, that it must of been a mass convention.
     Unfortunately, that is not the truth for there were only those who were going on shift, as Chip was coming off shift, when the disaster happened. I was working in the camp power station that morning, we worked 8 on and 16 off, and it was a common occurrence to feel the explosions shaking the building, from blowing up the reef for aggregate. That morning, when the boiler blew, it was louder and closer and the building did not shake. I can remember running towards the direction of the explosion and coming to the barge. The DeSal crew, who slept in the same hut as me, were there, and I walked over to see what had happened. Chip was in the shower area, and he was alive, barely. The long and short of it, was that he had been boiled alive from the super-heated steam that tore through the bulkhead that separated the shower area and the boiler. Chip's skin was hanging loose on him and it came off in your hand if you tried to move him.
     The medics came and took him to the hospital, and after waiting hours and hours for a 130 to fly to the Rock, and flying him to Thailand, more hours, where he was put on a 141 for Japan. They told us that he died in Japan, but all of us, hoped that he had died long before that.
     Chip,  a kid who who had done his tour in the Nam, before coming to the Rock, died as the result of the awarding of a contract to the lowest bidder. No purple hearts, no parades, may he rest in peace.
 

1971
Subject:         Peoples Republic of the shit hole of the world.
Date:              Wed, 14 Sep 2005 15:59:35 -0400
From:             "Patrick Saunders" <p.saunders@ambt.net>
     I was on diego from October 1971 to May of 1972, while with Bravo Co., MCB 1. We relieved MCB 40 who promptly got the hell of there.  My memories and there are many, are a mixture of good, bad and absolutely terrible. We lost a member of our company there in  October of 1971, Charles "Chip" Cummings, who was a victim of the 'lowest bidding contractor ' who built the boiler on the De-Sal barge, which exploded behind the bulkhead, where Chip was taking a shower after getting off the night shift. Needless to say, we hoped, no prayed that he was dead, for while waiting for a C-130  12 hours (we had dirt runway then) from Thailand to come, and return 8 more hours, C-141 from T-Land to Japan 6-7 hours, it was too long. And that it reminded us that anyone of us who got seriously hurt was a dead man.
Patrick R. Saunders
 
 

1971
From:  "66cuda" <66cuda@comcast.net>
Date:  13 Aug 2005, 08:55:53 PM
Subject:  Lt JG D Hurley
To whom it may concern
      My name is Dave Snyder. I was in NMCB 71 attached to NMCB 1 from Oct 71 to June 72 on Diego Garcia (Project Reindeer Station). I have pictures from that time on the island, if you would be interested in them I would gladly e-mail them to you, let me know.
     I'm also trying to contact Dan Hurley who was Company Commander of A Co NMCB 71 on Diego Garcia form Oct 72 to June 71. I found his email address on your web site but it's no longer current. Do you know it and if you do, could you send it to me? He had a profound positive  influence on my life and after 33 years I would finally like to thank him.
Thanks for any help in this matter.
Regards
Dave Snyder 66cuda@comcast.net
 

1971
NAME = Gary J. Wahoff
MY QUEST =
VT of a SWALLOW = It is when the beer gets drunk and going too fast & blows.....
E-MAIL = Mary5w@aol.com
NATIONALITY = US
SERVICE = USNSeabees
UNIT = MCB40 / Built Seahuts and sewerline lift stations and manholes
RANK/RATE/JOB = BU-2
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Interested World Citizen
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = This is a No-Shit Fishing Story
MY WARSTORY = Hot!  Friggin Hot!
Only females on the island were donkeys and natives, on the offlimits side of island.
We had the best hut location... 50 feet from the waters edge.
We built a patio from shipping crates and had some great barbeques and drinking out back.  SW(Steel worker) Brown from Texas made great beans with beer. Great steaks with beer. etc.
We had a walk in outside movie theatre, with benches.  It worked ok even in rain with ponchos.
Once for pre movie entertainment, a pu truck pulled up and a passenger hopped out and went right into a pisser(55 gal drum sunk into sand with screen and oil floating on top of water) next to the truck.
Then there was the captains jeep driven onto the reef at low tide, only to become submersed later.
The Flag guard.
The missing steps at the COs Hut.
(This would not have happened to Cmdr White, only his replacement!)
All in all a great time in paradise!!!
Regards to all!
 
 
 

March 1971
NAME = Rich Summerfelt aka Hawkeye
MY QUEST = Hash over old times.
VT of a SWALLOW = I haven't a clue.
E-MAIL = RICH0789@msn.com
NATIONALITY =
SERVICE =
UNIT = MCB40 - Blasting crew.
RANK/RATE/JOB = EOCN then, Older and no wiser now.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want to Return When the First REAL Club Med Opens
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = I just wanted to update my e-mail address and would like to hear from anyone who was on the blasting crew when I was there.  Hey Boomer!, if you read this, drop me a line, haven't heard from you in years!    Hawkeye.
 
 

Subject:         Been there done thatNMCB 1 1971 Diego Garcia
Date:              Wed, 23 Mar 2005 19:56:05 -0700
From:             "bill heitzelman" <CARBUC@peoplepc.com>
Just wondering if anyone remembered Camp Cummings.  I was standing outside the barge waiting for Chas. when the boiler blew up.  The island never left my mind.  Got to see real beauty.
Bill H
 

1971
NAME = Richard Scott (Scotty)
MY QUEST = To get Laid!
VT of a SWALLOW = Zero when it hits the ground.
E-MAIL = retencm@yahoo.com
NATIONALITY = Canadian then US now.
SERVICE = USN
UNIT = Snipe on Vernon County
RANK/RATE/JOB = EN2 then Ret ENCM now.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Other
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = Hello to all who were there, operation Reindeer was an adventure that I remember like it was Yesterday.
 It all began in Yoko when we were taken into drydock and painted white, all hush hush no one would tell us what the F*&k was going on. The Chief called me to the shop (A Gang) and said Scotty I need a list of spare parts for all the A/C equip and boats for the next 9 months, now I knew we wern't going to Antarctic as previously thought, little did I know how much work there was in store for us.
      Loading all the equip and causways was a trip, the old Vernon was sitting loaded with the waterline 1 foot beneath the surface, fully loaded now we set sail for Okinawa to load some Buldozers.
      We then steamed to Singapore to pick up the Harbor Pilot and other personel. We still did not know where we were off to but through the Straigts into the Indian ocean we went was real nice plowing alon at our top speed of 12 knots.
      A Russian ship was seen and continued to shadow us the Old Man had told us now we were of to an Island in the Chlegos Achipelligo called Diego Garcia. We searched the hoizon for any sighn of land non to be seen and then all of a sudden we saw something very low on the horizon everyone was topside trying to make out what it was and low and behold there were trees, Palm trees, we steamed around and around the island for the rest of the day, as it became dusk we anchored in the mouth of the lagoon. Outside ofcoarse!
       The next day was the big event launch a boat and head in, with ship following, till we could anchor again so we could splash causways the next day. We all were chomping at the bit to get to the Island but no luck off limits.
       Next day we awoke to see planted on the beach a sighn that said welcome to Diego Garcia, It seems the UDT guys snuck over to the beach during the night and planted the sighn, splashed the causways and the SeaBees took them from there.
       For the next few days I spent running around the Lagoon with the UDT guys blowing up the coral heads, was dam hot in that LCVP but was fun as we got lots of fish when they blew up the coral heads with this M8 hose, the VP was full of it and det cord.
      After the ship beached the equip rolled off and the task began, the SeaBees worked there asses off and in know time had a road and area cleared and tents set up. They had generators running with cables snaking all over the ground. We had to pump Diesel fuel to them via a very long hose to fuel globs set up on the beach seems simple enough, NOT, the hose we had I think was left over from WWII as as soon as we started transfering it blew and what a mess nice big oil slick!
       We finnaly got it pumped offand the SeaBees were happy.
       Thw first night the Captain decided to take the Gig to the Plantation to meet with the Brit-Rep so as usual I was in the crew and we went to the plantation, I rember in the twilight walking towards the place it was like in a strybook all the Coconut trees moon etc. We then went with the brit rep and some of the natives to get some lobster got 95 of them in about and hour, we brought them back to the ship and the cooks cooked them and I ate Lobster till I puked! To this day I don't really care for Lobster any more.
      We had to get underway to another island to pick up a bunch of SeaBees who were flying in to go to Dagar, that Island was Cokoos,(spelled wrong) they landed and we had to ferry them to the ship in the LCVP's they wern't to happy about that but we didn't loose any! Back to Degar off load the SeaBees.
      Then we were off to the Maritus to pic up mor Diesel fuel for the SeaBees, we burned JP5 in our diesels, but the SeaBees needed Diesel as there equip didn't like JP5. Had a little R&R there got drunk got layed caught the clap, as everone else did that went ashore and got layed.
      Back to Degar off loaded the fuel to the SeaBees.
      The relief ships with the heavy stuff arrived off loaded equip and pers. We had to repaint the ship Grey as we were off to Australia for some much needed rest.
       I rember seeing Degar dissapearing over the horizon and that is all she wrote for operation Reindeer for us.
       Forward to 1995 I was a Retired Master Chief Engineman living in the PI and heard about a job at Degar running the power plants, applied and got the job. Flew out of Singapore bound for Degar landed and did not even recognise the place, went searching around for anthing I could remember, alass all changed went to the plantation wasn't the same, stayed there for a 1 year contract working for a civilian contractor made more money in that one year than I did in all of 1971 when I was last there. Went back to the PI and built a new house!
       Moved to Washington State in 1998 and live here today.
 Well enough of my ramblings any one who remembers me and wants to drop me a line feel free to do so.
 Scotty
 
 

February 1971
NAME = Fred Cook
MY QUEST = Live Long and Prosper
VT of a SWALLOW = Faster than a speeding bullet!
E-MAIL = gacook@alltel.net
NATIONALITY = 'murican
SERVICE = USN
UNIT = MCB40 Headquaters company
RANK/RATE/JOB = see previous submissions
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Other
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = Ok folks, this submission is to update my email address so the other MCB40'ers can contact me. Yo Norm, Chris, Ron Swiatek, Chip Hearn, Bill Diamond, etc...... love to hear from y'all.
 
 

1971-72
NAME = Don Parker (DR Parker they called me DOC)
MY QUEST = To share some of the many pic's, videos and stuff from the island
E-MAIL = Dqmanqman@aol.com
UNIT = MCB-1
RANK/RATE/JOB = EQ opp. / Mech.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = I'd Like to Share Precious Memories of Drinking/Fishing/Snorkeling/Sailing on Diego Garcia
MY WARSTORY = I just found this site today. 1-8-05 while checking to see if the island made it ok. I am sooo happy to see this site here. I have so much to say but I'm not prepared today. I will be back with pictures and stories that anyone that was there will remember, although I have forgoted most of the names.(part of getting old)
 
 

1971
NAME = Don Parker
MY QUEST = Share stories
VT of a SWALLOW =
E-MAIL = dqmanqman@aol.com
NATIONALITY =
SERVICE = Seabees
UNIT = worked at the repair shop for all the equipment (gas) and inside working on the beep
RANK/RATE/JOB = I was an equipment operator who worked in the garage.
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 = As I read some of the stories more memories return to my mind that I had forgot. There is too much to tell. Don't know where to start. I have pictures, super 8mm movies and many stories from the island and the r&r in Bangcock. I will be digging them.
 
 

October-1971-May-1972
NAME = Clifford Davis
MY QUEST = Contact any Storekeepers from MCB 0ne ON D.G.
E-MAIL = ouwayne@MSN.COM
NATIONALITY = AMERICAN
SERVICE = U.S.NAVY
UNIT = STOREKEEPER IN SUPPLY OFFICE
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want to Drink A Lot, Cheap
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Please Select a Title For Your Story, or Select 'Other'
 
 

Oct.1971-June 1972
NAME = Jon Rutka, CM3 advance party MCB1
MY QUEST = locate  CM1 RON JERGINS,CMC LAMBERT
VT of a SWALLOW = 1/2 THE velocity of the coconut squirts
E-MAIL = Win44mag@hotmail.com
NATIONALITY = usa
SERVICE = USNMCB-1
UNIT = Aco, did  most of the repairs on the Euclid pans and then parts room, then 2nd shift in the lite equip. shop
RANK/RATE/JOB = Then, just another lost kid,now 55 ,father  of 3 and grandfather of 1, got out in 73,did reserve in Springfield Mas and NAS Brunswick ME.mcb27 reserve
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY =  I was transferred from MCB-10 in Port Humene.Cal to MCB-1 and then sent on the advance party,the DG to releave MCB 40 IN OCT 71.Flew out of Qounset Pt RI,Iremember it was a warm sunny day, thru Elmendorf AK, arrived in a snow storm and had a snowball fight with some of the guys, to japan at nite in the rain, to THAILAND sort of a warm day,not tomany memories at that point, and getting on a c-130 for the trip to DG. Unfortunitely the poilet forgot to turn the heaters before he went thru 25k feet and the flight  for the next 8 hours was spent in the freezing cold. We ripped thru the gear and got dressed in as many clothes as we could fit on. Using the facilities on that plane was interesting  under those conditions. The first sight of the Island was really breath taking ,a short runway and alot of water, it seemed.I remember a bouncing landing and then the rear gate went down ,opening us to 130 degree heat and humidity. Talk about a 100 guys doing a striptease in a hurry.
  The A co sea huts were the next stop...close to the beach I seem to recall. The order of the day was to find fans ,
 from the guys leaving and set up home for the next 9 months, 21days,7 hours amd14 minutes!
  I don,t remember much of  the next couple of weeks , Except for the day the sirens went off, Being one of the new guys ,noone told us what they ment,then 3 minutes later the charges went off and the coral rain began hittting the shop and surrounding area. I spent the next couple of minutes under a euc pan. and getting laughed at by the old guys!of mcb40.
   On the day shift in the heavy equipment shop, it seemed that there were more chiefs than indians, and the adgenda for work seemed very confused. I worked on the Euclid pans for an undetermined amount of time, I do remember the day the  pan went into the pit as the tide came in and that 12-71 deisel swallowed salt water and lunched itself..the eo backed it out of the pond with the rear engine.
i was told to  rebuild the engine  by the cmc and had to find the parts.in the inventory without ordering any thing off island. I remember a heated dispute with the chief and almost coming to blows with a 20 inch cresent wrench..the next day I was in the parts room and out of his jurisdiction....
  Does anyone remember the day that a new window was put in the back of the warehouse???  Moving around the back yard with a crane ,boom extended ..Crash  new window!!!  That was me driving!! I don't recall much joy that day, but at least we got a little more breeze in the back afterward.
  After that , I went onto the nite detail 6PM to 4 AM, CM1 Ron jergens was in the office and CMC Lambert was in charge,I remember nites when we got done early the chief would show up with cases of beer ...I remember one incident where the beer drinking  didn't stop until 1 hour before we had to go back to work...I seem to recall CM1 jurgens sleeping under a weps and when I was conscious, hearing alot of snoreing and the occassional noise of someone hitting a wrench on the bottom of a jeep.
  Seems like another book...I sure would like to hear from anyone who has similar experiences, I lost most of the pictures along time ago. Well more at another time..... Jon Rutka
 
 

1971-1972
NAME = ed mcglinchey
MY QUEST = information
VT of a SWALLOW =
E-MAIL = emcglinchey@winslow.com
NATIONALITY = american
SERVICE = NMCB-1
UNIT = surveying
 

1971
Moses Harrell <mosesharrell@bellsouth.net>
In march i was one of the first seabees from mcb 40 to be their. it was the 1161 graham county not the vernont county to get first...in march 1971 it was the navy of the ship ,udt,acb,mcb,and support staff.              I am a navy saebee from mcb 40 on the advance party and i can tell you the way it hapened . my name is moses harrell 1131 n sally hill rd timmonsville s.c. 29161 e-mail mosesharrell@bellsouthsouth.net.

1971 Arrived in second wave the Advance Party
NAME = Norm Freeman
MY QUEST = Confesion - to finalize the rest of the story
VT of a SWALLOW = roughly equal to the speed of a fat dogs flatulance
E-MAIL = FindLiveInHim@aol.com
NATIONALITY = USA
SERVICE = Seabee
UNIT = NMCB-40
RANK/RATE/JOB = EA3 then  civillian now
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Geo-political Rabble Rousing
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = I found this web site last night, my curiosity about DG was inspired by a new employee at work who as a former SeaBee was at DG in the later years. I greatley enjoyed the the war stories especialy those from my shipmate Fred Cook and others from 40. I'm sure that the other members of 40 fell as I do that the visitors in the later years whinning about the "hardships they had to endure and then go back to their room" should have been with us.
I traveled to Diego on the USS Charleston LKA built in Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. Which we boarded in Maritaus after flying from Davisville. On arrival at DG we ( EA's) were reunited with the EA's who had left ahead of us on WW II LST's EA3 Frank Ring, EA2 Bob Fotune, EA2 Ron Swiatek,EA2 Chip Hirn - which led to a few beers over sharing our travel adventures.
     For the first weeks it was tent city,sunburns,waterbuffalo showers and unload ships to get materials ashore, while we started mission projects at the same time. During this intial start it seems the ACB Chief we called "Cromagnum man" had an area leveled off for his tent and managed to knock out the only British Coastal Geodedic monument on our side of the island.
Life was hard work and hard drinking till the runway was completed and the first C 130 landed and only the Air Force could forget 4 months of mail.
Now to the good stuff.
     Fred's russian rations story was  100% true but reason for the story goes back as far as Gulfport, hurricane Camille, and PT Smith who I'm sure everyone remembers. To make a long story short homr town girl friend going out on you - ask buddy to find out- he writes yes and good to- going to go AWOl PT gave me advice keep girl till you are getting out so you can have some one to party with on leave because with military haircut in outside world you dont have much hopeetc. YADA YADA. This I did and it was great advice, on last leave before deployment I went through breakup and felt free at last everything was falling into place just as planned. Yoeman Robert Friend after I told him story ( he was from extremely wealthy family ) manages to use his position to communicate hame and have his family send flowers etc. and gets girl freind back for me. Murder is a capital offense so when the opportunity presented itself the " russian Rations work nicely.
     Fred mentioned H-15 the Command Center was it ever. It was the operational arm of " The Fantom F----r Of  Fighting Forty" This was a position passed down since the days of 40's commisioning. It was always one individual who held the position to carry on the responsibility of making sure the commanders of 40 (from the rank of chief through Captain and can't trust the first class) knew the iron fist of military discilpine could not be closed tight. I will not name the individual but will give him the credit for prnaks he instituted. Many of the war story's I read were as a result of his leading the blind ( drunks ) to accomplish his goals.
     Among these are the removal of the Captainds steps,and parking the jeep in the lagoon.
     The classic was the Peace Symbol on the E pennet - the mission to steal it was the original intent but when it was brought into H-15
an un-named individual EA3 Murray placed the peace symbol on it in white paintstick and by a unamimous vote it was replaced on the flag pole. The only mistake was it was to perfect a job and the EA's were suspected and had the start of a bad reputation from then on.By the way contrary to other mentions of it is red with a black ball it's in my garage beside the Delta Co flag that missing.
     Chief and officer hunt was a great game the FFFF started - remember the 3 holers whenever the sun was down and it was pitch black any officer or chief taking a dump was prone to be be smacked in the ass with a board by opening the rear door it seems this became contagious and many others claim to have done it.
     H-15 itself has a little story, there is a picture in the MCB 40 cruise book where it is painted battle ship grey with white naval shadowed letering. It was painted this way as a result of the un-named EA3 Murray. One night after every one alse had fallen asleep and to many beers? he decided to paint the formula for LSD and NAZI swastika on it. A Sea hut is 19 ft wide the formula was 14 ft long. This was discovered as we fell out for peronell inspection soon after the reinstituting of the military after completing the runway. The inspection party was livid to say the least. The ass chewing strted with Captain Urish and was carried out in best of naval tradition by EAC "Smokey" Sisson. The bottom line was we were given 24 hours to have the hut painted in a military manaer. This was carried out to the letter including stealing an 8000lb anchor with chain that was run into the hut through the screen. On reinspection the inspection party seemed to swell as their faces turned a beet red ( maybe they were out in the sun to long) Smokey did make us return the anchor. The part that always amused me was that each time they inspected directly behind them was " Pissing Rock" painted in 8 inch high letters and they never saw it, thry were to busy having strokes over the H-15.
     There are so many more story's but this is to long now so I'll save them for later.
     My last muster in the USN was at the Seabee Club at Davisville when the FFFF appointed his sucessor, I learned a lot from him and am sure he was involved in some way with the movie Animal House. Hope he reads this and contacts me.
Fred Cook I'll try to email you and if you don't hear from me
please contact me
EA3 Norm Freeman
 
 

was there may, 1971 to november, 1971,,,,,,delta co. mcb 40
     NAME = ron sendobry,,,,,,bu3,,,,,delta co.,,,,,,mcb 40
     MY QUEST = to shoot the shit with ron henderson and allen murch regarding diego garciaa
     VT of a SWALLOW = not what it used to be!!!!!!
     E-MAIL = ad6564@aol.comco
     NATIONALITY = connecticut swamp yankee
     SERVICE = navy out of davisville rhode island
     UNIT = delta co.,,,,,,,,poured concrete, concrete,,,,,and more concrete,,,,,for almost every goddamn building on the island,,,at main base and down near the runway,,,,,,also was on the "crash crew" for when the c-130's started coming to the island,,,,,had to be at the runway one hour before and for one hour after the planes landed and took off
     RANK/RATE/JOB = bu3 on the island
     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
     MY WARSTORY = have lots to tell,,,,,not much time at the moment,,,,,but i do know who drove a jeep out onto the outer reef, and remember the crapping contests on the steps of the co's hooch, the chow hall tent with all the flies,,,,the widespread diarhea,,,,the fantastic snorkling,,,,the old ww2 british guns,,,,,and the monsoon season,,,,,helping pull a bee, who was close to passing out due to the heat, out of concrete and putting him in the shade of the tool trailer,,,,,screeding,,,,floating,,,,and steel troweling concrete by hand for months until some power screeds and whirleybirds were found in the supply area, all packed up!!!!!  some good times, good memories, good men on diego garcia,,,,and a hell of a lot of work done!

march 71 to dec 71
     NAME = DOUG BRAND
     MY QUEST = birthdays, bah, old enough to know better, young enough not to know
     what to do with it
     VT of a SWALLOW = mac smack
     E-MAIL = animal3350@hotmail.com
     NATIONALITY = usa
     SERVICE = usn seabees nmcb40
     UNIT