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Go-Kart Races, 1976.  Thanks to Charlie Kuhn for the picture!
I wonder who got to drive the wheel barrow?

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for some photos from Richard Townsend <rtownsend55@gmail.com>. 
He entitled the series "Diego Garcia 1976 during the Reign of NMCB 133". 

april 76 to april 77 pwd aug 78 to oct 78 nmcb 4
robert morris = hinkleymule@gmail.com Citizenship = USA;  Service = USN; Outfit = pwd and nmcb 4
My_Quest = see how many are still alive

Steve Miller <dd.maricopa.az@gmail.com>

I found your website while I was googling Diego Garcia.  Why was I don't that?  I'm not sure but I was on my fifth Corona Light and that may have had something to do with it.  I did leave a story in the archives.

I was there from sometime in early 1976 until 1977.  I had the privilege of being there for the Bicentennial, which, ironically, was under the British flag.  

I am glad that someone is archiving the experience of those of us who were there - there's a lot of history that would be lost otherwise.

Here's Steve's Story:
Outfit = Naval Security Group
My_Quest = To find lost copies of the Fort Chagos Tattler
VT_of_a_Swallow = 2.3 meters per second
My_Warstory = I was the founder and editor in chief of the Fort Chagos Tattler.  We chronicled life on the island from life in the hooches to raking rocks and getting drunk on stale beer.  Our stories were published on a government-owned mimeograph machine much to the chagrin of the command.  While they could have shut us down at any time, they feared insurrection and reluctantly allowed us to continue our pursuit of journalistic excellence - spelling errors and all.
     I came up with a cartoon character called Diego Crab.  He was inspired by the giant coconut crabs on the island, which we frequently tortured or intentionally ran over with the bus that carried us to Fort Chagos.  Diego Crab, like most CTs, was perpetually defiant, his claws up in the air even when he knew he was about to get his ass smashed.
     Something else on my bucket list - as an Extra Class amateur radio operator, I have yet to work a VQ9 station from the USA despite the fact that I worked around the world from our meager club station on Diego Garcia.  I'm not sure which entity I will get first - Chagos or North Korea.
.

1976-1977

Mike Feulner = feulnermf@iwvisp.com

Citizenship = USA; Service = USN; Outfit = public works

My_Quest = huh? too many beers

VT_of_a_Swallow = cant remember still too many beers My_Warstory = I'm the Mike on the left at the 4th of July party. We played Hey Hi The Navy, Ohio, And Sandman. We won a 3 day on island R&R. Never did get of that island. Lived in Mod 25. HAD SOME good drunks. HAD some mean Soccer games. Remember when the Aussie ship , HMAS Morsby came to the island. Going to China Camp for fresh fish and lobster forget what they called them. Shark fishing and getting drunk. HAD to play music to make it through. Lance Mollie if your out there I still have the painting.

Jun 1976--Feb 1977

Tom O'Donnell = odonnell2124@yahoo.com

Citizenship = South Side Irish

Service = USN Seabees; Outfit = MCB 133 D Co.

My_Quest = Find some of the guy's.

VT_of_a_Swallow = Huh?

My_Warstory = First deployment out of A school. What a great adventure. Worked on EM barracks foundations building lots of forms and pouring endless yards of concrete. Worked with a couple hillbillies from Kentucky and Arkansas. First introduction to chewing tobacco. Great guys that took an interest in a city kid. Crew leader was BU 1 Roach who was also a tremendous man. These guy's took pride in what they did. Got moved to the new EM galley as there was a big push to finish the building. Mixed loads of mortar for the block crew and put down a whole lot of quarry tile. Great fun in the seahuts with the coconuts hitting the metal roof and the pelting rain. Listened to Peter Frampton cassette over and over. Every time I hear a song from that album I think of Diego. Loved the outdoor theater, the beach, shelling and snorkeling. D Co was not as fun loving as C Co. A lot of rednecks in Delta Co, whereas Charlie Co was a more free spirited bunch. Made a lot of great friends that I still think of: Floyd LaBrake, Tim Madigan, Chuck Scicluna, Mike Wright, Mike Foryan, Sam Pearson. I liked it as a crude and rough place. No interest in returning. Just not the same.

1976

Randy Phillips = 9201955@gmail.com

Citizenship = USA; Service = USN; Outfit = MCB-3

DG had a profound effect on this young skull full of mush. Overall, a great experience and preferred the sea hut & sand accomadations on the sound side. I regret not playing the fiddle more but I guess the sunburns got the most of me. Bankock R&R was a let down and wished I had gone over to Perth or Melbourne instead.

We should have built the DG golf course it would have been a real feather in Westcott's hat and we could have been running tournaments and serving up coconut crab sandwiches w/ warm beer in the concessions. The only war story that comes to mind is when gunny Cleary took a few of us in the bush w/ the M60 for sport. He said it was to get us ready for specail opps when Siagon fell. I still have problems w/ my haircuts, thanks Sen. Cheif Marion and Giggy.

1976

Paul Hewitt (baby huey) = pbhewitt66@gmail.com

Citizenship = USA

Service = USN

Outfit = NMCB 133

My_Quest = To seek the Holy Grail

VT_of_a_Swallow = Is it a European or African swallow?

My_Warstory = I was on Diego when the sailboat with 2 topless women pulled into the lagoon. I also remember the island going into lockdown because a bone head reporter thought he saw a body in the surf at night. Then there was the incident when two CE's tried to drive their WEPS to the plantation while naked and ran into a ditch and had to run through Chief's country with their willies swinging in the breeze.

1976

Richard Townsend = rtownsend55@gmail.com

Citizenship = USA; Service = USN; Outfit = NMCB 133 "C" Co.

My_Quest = A long lost laugh

VT_of_a_Swallow = Equal to vomiting Schlitz

My_Warstory = Give Ireland back to the Irish. My 45. British Customs never found my recording. It was superior American technology in 1976. My recording was on a cassette tape. Not like finding an issue of High Times, Penthouse, or other contraband. Thank You, Sir, Paul McCartney!

1976 - 1977

Rick Rider (crusher) = rerider53@yahoo.com

Citizenship = USA; Service = USN; Outfit = Mcb5-enloder operator batch plant in charge of dispatch

My_Quest = find friends

My_Warstory = 52 of us got drunk on mojo, on Clark air base. Continue our trip to Diego Garcia for 8 months we lived hard in sea huts and worked six 12 hour days a week. We layed down 77,000 cubic yards of concrete in 8 months. Made good friends with Steve Culberson, Mark Austad, Jim Spoffard, Al teynack, Ron Polson and more. A couple of our wild man Jimmy Vaughn, Owen Westbury and Gregg Johnson kept us humored with their antics (kinda miss it) see ya (Crusher Rider)

1976 Name = Richard Townsend

submit_by = rtownsend55@gmail.com

Citizenship = USA

Service = USN

Outfit = NMCB 133 "C" Co. My_Quest = GRASS! VT_of_a_Swallow = The same as Shlitz being vomited!

My_Warstory = I know you haven't heard from me in awhile. But I did VOTE for you last election! LOL My friend's and I played Softball and Soccer on Coral. We see new pics of the Island and wonder. How many ship loads of top soil did it take to grow grass on Diego Garcia? Is there a penalty stroke on the Golf course if you hit a chicken or donkey? Thanks again for making this possible! Rich

Richard Townsend's Pictures from 1976:

Above: Mike King and Pete Peterson in their hootch.


Above: Party at the Met Office over by the Planation.


55 Gal. grill at the plantation manned by Bu3 Rodema & Bu2 Gooch. Notice the crosscut saw with rag we used to flip steaks!


Fire Chiefs were Richard, Steve Bianco, and Dave Conners because we were Vol. Firemen before we joined.


Here's my favorite: The rat in the band's speaker - July 4, 1976. The Bi-Centenial!

1975-1976

Terry Snyder

Attached is aa photo I took in 1976 while on a 9 month deployment with NMCB-5. The civilian Aussies were blasting the channel to the lagoon and the civilian Taiwanese would follow up with dredging. I was a cook (MS) and in Hotel Company. Another cook and myself were responsible for keeping the reefers stocked outside the back of the old galley. On the way back from the larger reefers (I belive it waass called the "I" site) we would stop and give the Chinese free celery and a few other items. We NEVER ate at the galley after that. The Chinese would come to our hootch in a rusted out minivan, transport us to their camp, treat us to a huge meal (Sauteed Fish etc), a zillion Budweisers then transport us back. Anyhow, prior to a blast, a siren would sound all around the camp. If you were snorkling or swimming in the lagoon, you had 10 minutes to get out. I took the attached photo from the very tip of the island (Officers Country).

     I changed my rating from MS to AW (Aviation Anti-submarine Warfare Operator) upon completion of this enlistment in 1979. I returned with VP-6 (based in Barbers Point Hawaii) in May 1983 for a 30 day detachment (Our Main body was at Cubi Point P.I.) and was pretty much disappointed with the way the place had tightened rules and regs, etc. (In the 70's the only golden rule was, if we were coming back from the club and decided to pass out under a coconut tree, we had better make sure we had aa hard hat on). Also, too many people on the island. In the 70's we probably maxed out at about 700 personnel Seabees, NavCom folks and small dets combined. Mail only came twice per week on C-141's and other than mail the only communications we had with family was by MARS. Also..in the 70's the cheapest beer was Double Diamond, the most putrid tasting beer ever brewed(?). Mix some yeast and water together and you've got Double Diamond. All beer sold was in the older tin style cans too. I hope you enjoy the photo.

Terry Snyder MS3 USN 1975-1979 and AW1USN 1980-1995

Dates_Aboard = May 1976 throug February 1977

Name = Cuno Wiederhold  = treygo@att.net

Citizenship = USA; Service = USN; Outfit = Alpha Company

My_Quest = To dream the impossible dream!

VT_of_a_Swallow = Only my girlfriend knows for sure, oh, you mean the bird.

My_Warstory = My first deployment with 133. Did many projects, but mostly ran a TS-24 scraper to the runway to drop off coral and then to Point Marianne to pick up coral. Delivered coral to the POL site, runway and everywhere else on the rock.

Summer 1976

Name = Kevin T Davis = tebbek@gmail.com

Citizenship = USA

Other_Service = US Army Security Agency

Outfit = 903d Mnt Btl

My_Quest = To remember anything

VT_of_a_Swallow = yesterday

My_Warstory = I attempted to fly around the world Space Available in '76.  Got to DG and couldn't get off for 3 days. I flew in on a Dash7 out of Ankara Turkey. I was a traveling with a an Airman named Taylor? Got drunk and REALLY stoned on some unbelievable weed laced with something and ended up in a hospital in Cheongju, Korea 4 days later.  Does anyone have any idea what I am talking about?

1976

Name = BOB GROSS = RTGROSS@COMCAST.NET

Citizenship = USA; Service = USN; Outfit = NMCB 133

My_Quest = SHARE INFO AND FIND FRIENDS

VT_of_a_Swallow = 100

My_Warstory = Just want to add that I know at least one person in our band pic posted by richard townsend.  Second from left is John Goslin whom I just spent some time with last week.   The guy on the left may be a Mike and the one on the right is definitely a Mike

1976-1977

John Duning <purchasing@downwindmarine.com>

This is John "jd" Duning, ETCM, USN, RET.  I was aboard Diego Garcia from Feb. '76 to Feb. '77.  Ran the Transmitter site for most of that time as an ET1.  VERY involved in sailing while I was there.

     The Diego Garcia Yacht Club that I was familiar with was formed in late Feb. 1976 courtesy of the CEC Captain that was out there with the Sea Bee battalion at that time.  He first taught me how to sail and then made me the sailing instructor when he left.  I passed it on when I left, but evidently the program died shortly after to be resurrected in '79. We had half a dozen Lasers, a Hobie 14, a Japanese knock-off of a Coronado 15 and a British day sailor known as a "Bosun".  I still have my membership card and Burgee.  Prized possessions!

     The mysterious boat in the picture........arrived in Diego Garcia in the fall of '76.  The story was that a Dutch gentleman purchased it sight unseen somewhere in the general geographical area of Indonesia.  Gave his brother some money, flew him out to the boat with instructions to get it "seaworthy" and sail it to the West Indies for complete restoration.  The last port of call before Diego Garcia, the boat reportedly bounced across a sand bar.  Crew chose to keep going.  By the time they reached the general area of Diego Garcia, they declared an emergency....they really were slowly sinking....the Brit Rep of the time granted them entry approval.  They beached the boat to keep her from sinking in the lagoon.  Their choice was to get the boat seaworthy within the week or be flown off the Island.  With no materials and no real skills, the crew was flown off in a C-141.  She was a wreck when she arrived.  All turnbuckles completely frozen.  All standing rigging galvanized and rusty.  Cotton sails that were completely blown out shape wise.  The surprise to me is that there is anything at all left of her.

     I would be glad to share whatever information I may still have in my memory about the Island.  It was a demanding tour, but a very satisfying one.  Led directly to my being able to become a Master Chief, Commodore of San Diego Naval Sailing Club, Commodore of Navy Yacht Club San Diego, and to have lived aboard my Islander Freeport 36 for the past 17 years.

Best regards & Happy New Year,

jd@Downwind

Feb - Jul 1976, May - Sep 1979

Name = Bruce Gomes; swccb14@clearwire.net

Citizenship = USA

Service = USN

Outfit = NMCB 5 both times

VT_of_a_Swallow = no clue

My_Warstory = Was assigned to Bravo Co., 3rd platoon Camp Maintainence. Spent most of the first tour making fly traps out of rebar and screen for outside the doors to the mess hall. Nothing quite like walking past rotting fish heads covered with dead flies on your way in to enjoy a glass of room temperature non-dairy milk.

     The next best thing was watching Jim Ahern nose deep in a lift station trying to jam a fire hose in the pipes to blow out a blockage and seeing a brown trout float right past his nose.

1976

Bob Gross <rtgross@comcast.net.

Hi  I found your site while researching old friends.  My name is Bob Gross and I was an E3 out of bootcamp and then E2 and E3 again.  Ended up as a E3SL (Sea Lawyer).    

    Well I am not sure how much is real or made up, but this is my take on the rock. Those that knew me understood I was Navy challenged.  Could shut up, like my reefer, played music and sea “lawyered” myself out of 3 captain’s mast  Since I only had 4 months to go when we deployed I did not qualify for an early out so I volunteered for the advance party.  Figures I would get choice accommodations and make connections if you know what I mean.

    I remember 30 people busted by the customs man and not an ounce between them all.  (became actual lyrics) You may remember the FTN aka Navy’s A Drag song I wrote about this and played at the 4^th of July party with John Goslin, Dave Conner, Tweed and Mike ??????.  I remember the Co telling me I took a chance doing that but he was glad to see me get out of HIS navy and wouldn’t write me up. I remember telling C Co I was assigned to H Co and getting a rack in one of the Air conditioned trailers.  I told H Co the opposite story.  :)  I remember playing with the USO show and watching movies at the outdoor theater.  I remember trashing the new go carts (by accidental drunkenness)  I remember wrecking the British reps car into a tree.  I don’t remember who was driving. LOL.  Chip Gomache might.  I remember driving the reefer truck to the underground freezers and throwing steaks and shrimp boxes in the jungle on the way back so that we could cook them at the tree house.  I remember a certain pillow party for......oops....that could still get me in trouble.  I remember playing Mickey Mouse on my trumpet over the PA at muster.  I remember trips to the coconut plantation, spearing fish and taking pictures of everything.  I remember not being recommended for retention or re-enlistment during a re-enlistment interview. It was the best of times.  It was the worst of times.  I would not have given up these memories for nothing.

    I still keep in touch with John Goslin and Terry Hart.  Just contacted Michael Reush for the first time ever today.  Still looking for Eddie Costillio, Michael Brooks, Gary Wright and Dave Conner.

1975-1976    1976-1977

NAME = Jim Christie

MY QUEST = Tell some war stories from the rock

VT of a SWALLOW = Can't remember, been a friend of Bill W for 11years 2 months 14 days

E-MAIL = onewayjmc@hotmail.com

NATIONALITY = American, does anything else matter

SERVICE = SeaBees----is there others?

UNIT = USNMCB THREE

RANK/RATE/JOB = STEEL WORKER 3RD CLASS---- passed not advanced to E5 but thats a DG story we won't tell

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Other

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = This is a No-Shit Drinking Story

MY WARSTORY = The time I spent on the Rock was before air conditioning. Before bowling alley, before the chapel, before the gym, before the barracks. Actually before some of you were born. MCB 3 had the pleasure of building some of facilities ya'll now take for granted. Sitting on the front porch of Hobart Hobbit Hooch drinking VO straight out of the bottle, my self Mickey and a few select friends whose names slip me at this time. Hearing the tell tale rattle of a 2 inch long beetles wings, I heard it hit the side of the hooch and dropped down beside me. I picked it up and said "Hey Mickey they flew in dinner!" I bit off the front half and handed the rest to Mickey, as soon as he swallowed I spit mine out, and washed that taste down with some more VO Mickey started choking and coughing and hacking. We almost had to do the hinny lick move to get him cleaned out, it seems he had the back end of the beetle an it opened it's wings on the way down.

  WE were there before the pier and were working out on the causeway in the middle of the harbor, welding pipe. I hear Mickey and Chuck laughing like hell, they are supposed to be rolling the pipe for me as I weld. I look up and they are stark naked, now for DG at that time it wasn't that weird to see some one naked, just not at work. So when I finally settled them down enough to find out what's going on, it seems that they had timed how long it took a jeep to come from the main road to where we were working, and then compared that time to how long it took to roll your shorts back to the uniform of the day from the rolled up rolled down lets get more sun position, to putting your clothes back on they figured out it was easier to just get dressed.

   Passed out one Sat night, "so whats new" Every nite all the guys would laugh at me it the shower, I would say come on it's not that funny looking. Finally on Weds we all got called to sick bay for drug testing and now the Corpsman is laughing at me. I said I thought you weren't supposed to be looking at that.

He said I'm not, I'm looking at your stomach. When you're a Harley rider everyone knows, it seems that when I was passed out Sat someone had written MOTTOGUZZI on the bottom of my beer belly where I couldn't see it with magic marker in 4inch letters. I love telling that to Guzzi riders.

   Working all the way out on the causeway we were far from camp, but when ever they had hooch inspection I got to go back to the hooch in the middle if the day to open my second locker. It seems that the glug glug glug of my making process bothered the inspecting officer everytime. Ya know Raisin Jack is a fine wine in some circles.

  I'll send more later it's good to think of those worst and best times of my life.          <>< Jim ><>

1976

NAME = Simon Palmer

E-MAIL = simonpalmer419@yahoo.co.uk

NATIONALITY = British

SERVICE = Royal Navy

UNIT = British Representative's Cox'n

RANK/RATE/JOB = Then I was a Leading Seaman(Radar). Retired in 1992 as a Chief Petty Officer

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = I'd Like to Share Precious Memories of Drinking/Fishing/Snorkeling/Sailing on Diego Garcia

MY WARSTORY = Went out there in December 1975 and came home in Nov 76. Did a lot of sailing, fishing, drinking beer. There were then about 22 Brits there plus a Seabee battalion and about 200 US fleet sailors. i was vice commodore of the yacht club and spent weekends teaching sailing. The names I remember from my fellow sailing instructors are John Duning (USN), Art Woolf and John Sickler (Seabees) (apologies to the others - it was along time ago!).

     Being the US bi-centennial it seemed there was a holiday about every two weeks! These all involved a BBQ and lots of beer!

     I am curious as to what the place looks like now; unrecognisable no doubt. Then it was still being built.

     If anyone who was there then would like to get in touch we could do some serious lamp swinging.

1976-1977; 1977-1978

The Rick <therick74dg@yahoo.com>

" DAMN! THAT PLACE!!! "

I did two tours there back to back, 9mo. each!  First with a detachment NMCB 74, then with the main body.  1976 - 1977 then AGAIN! 1977 - 1978

Yeah, im sure a lot of people liked it there post circa 1980.  After most accomodations were already built. WITH AIR CONDITIONING!!!  Not to mention A POOL! as in so-called paradise.  But for those pre-post years, we lived in swelltering HEAT! HOT HEAT! and HUMIDITY! in Seahuts.  Nothing but sheet metal banging away on 2X4's and plywood all night.  And that was when there was a breeze.  When there was no breeze or wind, it was worse!

     The buzzing of mosquitoes and, bites, we woke up scratching all day LONG!  Those DAMN mosquitoes had landing lights.  And you call that paradise?  Ask those who had to stand watch, ESPECIALLY THE ARMORY!  You had to wear long sleeve shirts buttoned all thew way to the neck just to make the bites less, even at NIGHT! WITH HUMID HEAT!

     For us/them, I don't think it was such a nice place, even to just visit!!!!

     I want to be DIEGO BURGER, KING!  WITH ARCH PALM TREES... if it still exist? If not REBUILD! and open all night! with donkey walk thru.

     I was also THE RASIN JACK KING! made it by the 10 gal. loads.  Had people saving their empty BOONES FARM bottles to pour it in.  Because when the supply ship came in, half the alcohol was gone already! And YES! I gave it away for free!

     Diego, is that place still under the same management?

HELL YEAH! I GOT A LOT OF WAR STORIES!

" DAMN! THAT PLACE!!! "

Late 1976/1977

NAME = Rob Hermanns

MY QUEST = I seek the Grail (old friends)

VT of a SWALLOW = Which kind?

E-MAIL = Hermanns@fuse.net

NATIONALITY = Amurican

SERVICE = USN

UNIT = CBMU-302 Subic Bay (Detail Paradise)

RANK/RATE/JOB = Did my obligatory four years, and got out in 1979 as a CE-2

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell

MY WARSTORY = Our unit was in charge of the reefer bank for the island, and we had a new guy coming to the island every saturday, and one departing. the arriving guy would always bring a bunch of san miguel with him from subic bay. we would go out on saturday night when the tide was out, and with a flashlight in hand, would catch these huge spiny lobsters. on sunday we'd rip off a mess of steaks from the freezer and have a big ol' cookout. our unit lived in open air hootches right by the lagoon. it was a really great time.

On the Rock 1976

NAME = Michael Reush

MY QUEST = Re-live the bullshit, hook-up with some of the Heads and Freaks only

VT of a SWALLOW = I Forget,  Damn thing dont work so well anymore!!!!!!!!!

E-MAIL = michaelreush@yahoo.com

NATIONALITY = American

SERVICE = USN SeaBees

UNIT = MCB 133 C co.  Handball ct, EM Club , Hot mop ,

RANK/RATE/JOB = BUCN,CA,CN...Left service from Diego to Treasure Island S.F.

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 = Hmmmmmmmm,hmmmmmmmm, is this thing on?  I was one of the unlucky few who got busted for an amount of pot when we first arrived that was as the official record stated "consumed in testing" I thought welcome to Diego Garcia you pricks.  They knew who we were and who to search.  What a joke.  Ive told that story a million times.  I was there when the 4x4 Green Weenie was fasioned, The Micky Mouse theme was trumpeted by Gross,  Caught a guy fucking a watermellon on the ocean side..I cant remember if I actually saw that, but Ive been telling that story for years!Drunk as a skunk at the old em club some asshole non-com we were screwing with says "Theres places for people like you"  I said" I thought we were already there.

     We were hot mopping the new EM club roof and this kid pulled his geogia buggy full of hot tar over the side with him,never saw him again.  Poor guy.  He was a brown nose anyway.So many flies, I remember on my birthday, in November a girlfriend (turned into wife number 1 of 3)sent me some Hamburger Helper, anyway.  Stole some hamburger meat from the galley, had some Mateus wine, sat there and made myself not swat thoes flies which ofcoarse all over.  One of the greatest aclomplishments of my life sitting there for an hour letting thoes pieces of shit crawl over me without driving me crazy.  I drank for the next20 years like a fish. Tell people in AA that we fought the war overseas...........AND LOST!!!!!!!!!

1976-1977

NAME = Steve Culbertson

MY QUEST = I want to be immortalized in this site---or is it immoralized?

VT of a SWALLOW = Before or after it enters the C141 engine?

E-MAIL = culbert316@yahoo.com

NATIONALITY = American

SERVICE = Navy Seabees

UNIT = MCB5 Detachment on airfield runway and parking apron expansion,

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want to Return When the First REAL Club Med Opens

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = There I Was, Passed Out on The Beach

MY WARSTORY = Too many stories to tell but I was there pre-airconditioning until they opened the "nice cool" chowhall 2 weeks before we headed back to the world. I made a lot friends and worked my ass off at the batch plant trying to get that frickin concrete juuussstt riiiight so the builders could just watch the slipform do the hard work. We worked more than we played so we played pretty hard when had time. And hey Mark Austad!!! Leave your frickin email addy if you want to catch up with old buds, ya duf!

Feb 1976 till April 1977

NAME = Joe Datko

MY QUEST = Finding old Rock Critters

VT of a SWALLOW = Depends on how slimey the Milvan beer got

E-MAIL = pro@happyhookbill.com

NATIONALITY = U. S.

SERVICE = NAVY

UNIT = R Site

RANK/RATE/JOB = arrived RMSA left RM3. Left NAVY 1993 as CTT1

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 = The ROCK was my first Duty Station, My A school instructor laughed his butt off when most of our class at RM school pulled orders for the

Rock. Should have seen the Chief's face when the plane load of us stepped of the C-141, and not a Pedtty officer amongst us. So much for the replacements! I got there and found out my luggage got lost enroute! Spent my first week there in DRESS BLUE... Thanks to Jim Davidson for loaning me some clothes!

     Fished, Fished, and Fished. I remember Dave Minnehan RM1 My fishing mentor going instantly sober one afternoon when I fed a #14 tuna hook covered with a grouper head to that HUGE Hammerhead out in the bay. Ole Dave knew I had a big one on and leaned out over the rail of the Mic boat to get a picture and when sober when that shark rolled and opened it's mouth. The critter was 16 foot if it was an inch! Needless to say we cut the line after we got a goot look at it and everyone on the boat decided for me that it was not coming back with us for BBQ.

     I remember watching the BIG rays cruise the lagoon. And the fishing off that old rusty barge was world class!

     While I was there rec services got in these row boats with little 6 horse outboard motors. Mike Niver and I were two of the first to check one out and

hit the lagoon with fishing tackle..what A trip! Mike had never been in a boat that small and we were out half way to Pt Marianne when I noticed this fin

following us. I cut it over and ran full throttle straight for the beach, that fin followed. I hit the shallows then ran the boat up onto the sand. The fin dropped off and Mike and I tried to see what it was and where it was going. We waited a while and after seeing no fin, decided we would head back to rec services. As we were pushing the boat back into the water I notice the anchor line was tied to the bow and in the water... Turns out Mike had  tied it off and not bothered to put it in the boat and the fin chasing us was our own anchor trailing behind us!!!

     The real laugh was in Spring of 77 when the A school instructor that laughed at us over our orders arrived to be our new LPO.

july 1976 to august 1977

NAME = mark w austad

MY QUEST = find guys that were there

VT of a SWALLOW = unkown at this time

E-MAIL = not this time bucko

NATIONALITY = amercian

SERVICE = usn

UNIT = usn nmcb5 diego garcia slip form paving detail RANK/RATE/JOB = eocn at the time made eo3 in rosey roads discharged on early out program in 1978 MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell MY WARSTORY = Actually i have no big story to tell i don't have a very good memory of my time spent on the rock 13 months is a long time we worked from sun up to sun down 6 days a week thats a lot of time in a vietman era multi fueler going round and round hauling concrete for the runway expansion drank a lot of beer and made some good friends maybe i'll meet some thru this site

From:  William Kellerman <WILLIAM.KELLERMAN@asu.edu>

Date:  03 Mar 2006, 03:55:47 PM

Subject:  ON D.G, 6/76 to 8/77

     I served on the NMCB-5 Slip Form Paving Detail from July 1976 to August 1977. On my 3rd tour to Diego Garcia, I was part of the runway extension detail out of Port Huenemi California. Our detail was headed by Lt. Kaniciki. I remember working solid 7 day weeks, over 12 hour shifts for up to four months without a day off trying to meet some deadline. The steady pouring of concrete meant that lunch was eaten on the run with a bull-float in one hand and a sandwich in the other. If it rained during one of our pours the E.O.’s would have to bulldoze tons of concrete into the ocean. I would like to hear from any one on this detail especially Robert Taylor from Louisville Kentucky or Ron (Gramps) Weatherlow, of Calif. We all shared the comradeship of a driven hardworking group of men with varied diverse backgrounds, while our main battalion enjoyed the pleasures of Europe in Rota Spain. Mostly, we built many good memories.

Nov '76-Nov'77  again in 79/80

NAME = Jerry Fillion

MY QUEST = Hook up w/ ole buddies

VT of a SWALLOW = No clue

E-MAIL = hrdude46@hotmail.com

NATIONALITY = ex drunken Seabee

SERVICE = Navy Seabee

UNIT = 30th NCR first tour - Rock Crusher Crew in79/80

RANK/RATE/JOB = Got out in 81 as EO2.

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Please Select a Title For Your Story, or Select 'Other'

MY WARSTORY = Good site!  Went to the rock in'76 right out of EO - A school as an EOCA. Assigned to the 30th NCR as Captains driver (Commodore) but he didn't use a driver! Typical Navy planning. Anyway one of the command Master Chiefs got me a job w/ det 62(or was it 74?) on the rock crusher so I could get some clutch time. I remeber names & faces - Tom Doyle, David Crow, Kim Long, Gilbert. When 62 returned in '77 as main battalion I got a job w/ 2nd platoon Alpha as dozer operator on push cat to scrapers @ Point Marriane.

     Came back in 79/80 w/ MCB 40 as 2nd class running the rock crusher. Names of guys I would like to talk to again (no particular order) = Kenny Nunn, Danny Hosher, Terry Blake, Scott Schofield, Roger Palarday, Rick Baptista, Jim (the kid) Kays, Kurt Webber, John Webber, Pete(Mugsy) McGuiness, Brad Jensen, Jay Oldenburg - many others. Don't want to hear from Clay Williams, Scott Hurlbutt, or Master Chief Ahrens (probably dead?).

     If you were on the Rock you know that the only thing to do besides work & drink was to fight each other. I only fought two times my first tour, a guy from 133 & a guy from Pubic works. Fought countless times 2nd tour. I remember dropping a hit of acid (allegedly - I think it was mostly speed)one saturday & going to the EM club. Hooked up w/ Terry, Roger & Scott. I was really peaking when some PW (big guy too)WannaBee stepped on my foot in the head. I was wondering what to do after I asked him to get off my foot & he said "this one?" Grinding my foot into the concrete. I heard this little voice behind me & in my right ear saying "fuck em up!, I got your back". I recognized the voice as Terry Blake & immediately felt "comfort" and knew just what to do. As I was fucking the guy up he kept yelling "somebody get em off me!!" I got 86ed from the club; tried to sneak back in by changing shirts w/ Roger (mine had the guys blood all over it)- Got caught - I think Roger got kicked out too!

Oh well... lots of fun times believe it or not.

1976-1977; Public Works 1978, 1979 CBMU 302

NAME = Mark Gappinger

MY QUEST = No real quest just looking for old friends

VT of a SWALLOW =

E-MAIL = mbgappinger@hotmail.com

NATIONALITY =

SERVICE = Seabee CE

UNIT = Public Works Telephone exchange, AC shop

RANK/RATE/JOB = Got out Aug 79 CE2,

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 = The best thing that happened to me on the rock is that in 1978 I met Jesus Christ.  He changed my whole life and still is very real.

april -dec  1976

NAME = jim newcombe   sk3. nmcb3

MY QUEST = diego wear

VT of a SWALLOW = 55 mph

E-MAIL = buffetjim@juno.com

NATIONALITY = american

SERVICE = navy

UNIT =  MLO OFFICE

RANK/RATE/JOB =  SK3

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 =  HAD MANY GOOD TIMES ON THE ROCK IN 76.  WHAT A PLACE TO CELEBRATE THE BICENTENNIAL.  THANKS AGAIN TO THE FRENCH SAILORS WHO HELPED US GET EXTREMLY WASTED THAT DAY.  SPENT MANY A NITE WITH FELLOW SEABEES DRINKING ANNIE GREEN SPRINGS WINE ON THE BEACH.  SOME OF MY WORST HANGOVERS EVER.  DID RECIEVE LETTER OF APPRECIATION FOR STRAIGTENING OUT THE INVENTORY CARD SYSTEM IN THE MLO OFFICE.  WISH I COULD GET A TEE/GOLF SHIRT WITH THE DIEGO LOGO ON IT.

Subject:         the rock..

Date:             Thu, 28 Apr 2005 11:00:12 -0700

From:            fubsy <fubsy@digitalusa.net>

Hello,

    My name is Michael Field....formerly CTO3 Field......I have pictures somewhere that Ill be looking for......I knew one of your posters...slightly...Mike Mcmaster....we both worked in different areas within Charlie Site..............but I have a question that perhaps  this site could help with..........Im looking for any photograps of John Walker that traitorous SOB from his time on Diego Garcia.....I worked in his field and we were supposed to be there during some of the same time.....I cant recall from 76 or there abouts....I dont recall him being there....and we worked the same field..........Id like to see a photo of that bum from that time frame.....Ive got some stories to write as I get time......tks ....good site btw........mike.

76-77

NAME = George Quigley

MY QUEST = 133 Engineering dept. reunion

VT of a SWALLOW = who gives a rats ass

E-MAIL = georgeq@wrcasteel.com

NATIONALITY = usa

SERVICE = Navy

UNIT = NMCB133

RANK/RATE/JOB = E3 FOREVER

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Other

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell

MY WARSTORY = Got hold of a jeep and went out during low tide to take some frustrations out on some black tip sharks with a few others from engineering. needless to say there was a bit of substance involved, both before and after.Anyhow didn't pay much attention to the tide until we couldn't find the jeep. Had it not been for the antenna we never would have found it. Chief was pissed.

Oh ya and i would like to confirm the first war story listed under this time frame, I was one of the few that would get close enough to that big red neck to try and hold the drunken ass down. Hey Mark

1976-1977

NAME = Dan Sweet

E-MAIL = DSweet118@msn.com

NATIONALITY = US

SERVICE = Navy

UNIT = Navcommsta

RANK/RATE/JOB = RMSN

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell

MY WARSTORY = A good friend on the island, RM3 Dickerson was badly burned trying to use ditto fluid to light a grill about March of 1977.  We heard close to nothing about him after he was medevac'd off the island and I was hoping someone might know how he faired.  This happened about two months before I left DG and I haven't been in touch with anyone since.  He and ETR3 Buffalo and RM's Nolley, Brown, Callahan, Valenzuela, Skager, Karchefsky (Scarf), Matisco, Albert Peralta and many others in the mods made life fun on the Rock.  I worked in Tech Support with RM1 Innis for a couple of months before I left and I remember shit hitting the fan over a missing crypto card, but I don't think I remember anyone named Whitworth.  I do seem to remember someone carrying a briefcase on the bus trip from the mods to the radio site.  It would be helpful to see a photo of this guy.

76-77

NAME = Mark R. Jourdan

MY QUEST = Find folks for a possible reunion.

VT of a SWALLOW = Who cares??????????

E-MAIL = markjourdan@hotmail.com

NATIONALITY = USA

SERVICE = Navy

UNIT = NMCB 133

RANK/RATE/JOB = E-3, E2, E-3 and finally E-4 (got busted twice for pot).  Went back to school, finished my BS, MS, and eventually got a doctorate in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M.

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = This is a No-Shit Snorkeling Story

MY WARSTORY = Got busetd for 3 grams of stems and seeds the day I came on the island.  What an introduction.  Got busted to E-2, 30 days restriction and 30 days extra duty for that one. Of course when you are on restriction, you are not supposed to drink.  YEAH RIGHT!!!  I carried a tube of toothpast and took a swig before roll call.  There was one corpsman that tried to bust me, but the Doc has gone to St. Louis Univ. and we talked about old times...I got away with it...

     There was another time when I took on everyone in my seahut, all 13 men.  Thye would get me down, and I would tell them I was alright and then they would let me go.  I would come up swinging.

     Did a lot of snorkeling, always on the ocean side, which was actually off limits.  Saw shark, manta rays, barracuda, and lots of fish.

JUNE  76 - JULY 77

NAME = Evert J. Scholten

MY QUEST = Find buz and hed

VT of a SWALLOW = Haven't had Budweiser since June 19 1977

E-MAIL = Scholten53@aol.com

NATIONALITY = American

SERVICE = USN

UNIT = Comms

RANK/RATE/JOB = Rm3

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other

MY WARSTORY = It was real and it was nice, but it wasn't real nice..

october 76 to around october of 77

NAME = Dennis D Yordi

MY QUEST = Trying to contact any crazy s.o.b. that was there with me!

VT of a SWALLOW = Haven't the slightest

E-MAIL = airplane@dybb.com

NATIONALITY = American

SERVICE = Navy

UNIT = Crash Crew on the airfield, loaded and unloaded C-141, fueled aircraft

RANK/RATE/JOB = e-3 then e-2 then e-3 then e-2 and so on. Currently I own a excavating company in Cedar Rapids, Ia.

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = This is a No-Shit Drinking Story

MY WARSTORY = I joined the navy on my 17th birthday and was sent to the rock right out of a-school. As you know we were there during the 200th anniversary of our country and there were a lot of celebration on the island. This day started like all the others and we were plastered by dusk as usual. A buddy and I went down by the chow hall to break into the food storage lockers and get some burgers like we always did, but this time we found a triple decker cake that was to be used for the celebration the folling day! Now this cake was HUGE!!! It was on a 4 x 8 foot sheet of plywood and of course we had to have it. We used all of our drunken spy tricks we knew and almost made it to our mod before detection from someone on watch. We Tried to slant the cake away from the watch who was quite a distance away so all he could see was the plywood but the cake slid off the plywood onto the ground. It was panic time and we took off running to our mod a crashed for the evening, tired and still hungry. Maybe a hour later the master at arms woke me up explaining that someone had stolen the celebration cake and he had tracked the thief to my mod with frosting footprints. I explained I knew nothing of the heist but would let them know if I heard anything. They knew I did it but couldn't prove it at that point so all was well till the next day. As I said there was a celebration the next day the captain gave a speech and ask the oldest person on the island and the youngest person to come up and cut the cake! Of course I was the youngest, the captain said something to me about cutting the cake twice in 24 hours. They knew it was me but they must of felt I was already being punished by 12 months on the rock so they never really pushed it too much.....What a year!

October 76-October 77

NAME = Kelly McDowell

MY QUEST = Isn't this the question on "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"? Shit, I don't know. Find a woman who thinks with her brain.

VT of a SWALLOW = I'm not sure. It is relative to whether or not the coconut is from DG or elsewhere. If it's from DG then it  might have rum in it and there fore heavier than those with milk.

E-MAIL = kmac454@yahoo.com

NATIONALITY = Celtic American. I am starting to organize nationally so that Celts can claim the world they rightfully own.

SERVICE = USN (ret.)

UNIT = AFDG 1340 on your AM dial

RANK/RATE/JOB = JO3, retired as a STG1(SW)

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Geo-political Rabble Rousing

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell

MY WARSTORY = I was working as a a disc jockey (hell my balls hadn't dropped yet and my voice was still high) and we had a JO1 who felt that breakfast was a fifth of Chivas Regal over wheaties. He spent most of his days in a stupor and we (the stations ET's and I) decided to put a coconut crab in his mail box (which had a front cover). When he went for his mail, the crab leapt out at him and sent him into DT's that I thought were as funny as hell. I had the shit kicked out of me by two of his friends later that day, but it was worth it. So if your still alive Jerry, I'm sorry. I also found, after we had a visit by a USO show, the JO2 in charge of programming, doing some blond in the television studion. Didn't even give me a chance for sloppy seconds. Asshole.

1976

JIM DRESCHER <ManofTheCrows@aol.com>

Ted,

GREAT page.  TONS of info that I had no idea existed till my son happened on it.   Question for ya tho.  I was there in '76, with NMCB 62 and was part of the block plant crew.  We made an estimated 250,000 block in the 6 months that we were there.  I can only guess that some of the 'new' buildings were built from the blocks we made.  Can you confirm any of this?   Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Jim Drescher

1976 & 1978

Doug McClelland <DougatSFO@aol.com>

Ted,

     I visited Diego first in 1976 or so as part of the USAF invasion, returning for a stint in 1978.  Delighted to find your site!  (I was worried about the tsunami, but found you).

     We first stayed in a hootch that looked like it came out of McHales Navy.  It was even big enough for my whole KC-135Q crew.  Tin roof and real canvas "curtains" you could deploy to stop the rain from coming in through the screened in windows.

     The officers club consisted of half of a "double wide".  Room for a pool table and a bar.  But it was 20 feet from the Indian Ocean, so the ambiance more than made up for the rest of the Spartan existence!

     The airstrip was 8,000 feet long with no parallel taxiway.  We had to let our boom operator out to marshal us through a 180 degree turn at the end of the runway to taxi back to the tarmac.  I believe our group of Navigators created the first Standard Instrument Departure for Diego...

     Great time.

     In 1976 there were only two types of beer on the island, Schltz (that had been warming nicely in a freighter for two months on the way to Diego) and some Coors we brought in ourselves.  With the place being unexpectedly overrun by USAF aircrews supporting SR-71 flights over--somewhere..... we ran out of Coors often and so bastardized Schiltz's promotional phrase and came to note that on Diego Garcia "When you were out of Beer, you were left with Schlitz".

     We actually may have brought in the first woman ever.  She was a crew chief in the USAF and there was a bit of a bureaucratic error.  They posted two MPS with her and got her out of there as soon as possible....

     Anyway-I am applying for the Office of USAF Liaison Officer.  Something that is needed now more than ever as the place threatens to sink under the weight of all the paraphernalia the USAF is now stacking in there.  If that doesn't work I'd settle for USAF Historian, although Liaison is so much more cool....

     I think its OK to be a bit more public, I am pretty sure the Navy found the vehicle we "borrowed" one night.  I mean the key, was left in the ignition, so at 2 AM or so we just figured it was a communal vehicle, and it was at least a 200 yard walk back to our barracks.  Plus we never took it off the island so it wasn't really stealing....

Thanks for a great site!

Doug McClelland, erstwhile USAF Captain, retired in 1978.

1976

NAME = Ken Brusegaard

MY QUEST = I also would like to see the old place once more to see what it looks like now.

VT of a SWALLOW = 120mph

E-MAIL = kennybden@aol.com

SERVICE = Navy

UNIT = Engineering Aide (Office Boy) Make NMCB133 Plagues

RANK/RATE/JOB = EA3

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

MY WARSTORY = Was on the advance party over. Fondly remember to couple of USO shows that actually brought women to the island. Still have the collection of sea shells which required some night time escapades with flash lights into the surf at the south end of the island. At a recent family reunion I found out that one of my second cousin's husband, who is in the Air Force, had been to DG recently. We tried to compare different landmarks from when I was there to almost 30 years later. Didn't sound like much of what I remember would be recognizable now.

     I wonder if the old MARS radio tower that I helped design the foundation for, is still there? Because I had no engineering experience I had the base for it made so huge that I'm sure anyone trying to get rid of it probably gave up.

     Also designed the laundry hut for the enlisted among the old seahuts and the newer modular units that were being brought in to replace the huts.

May 1976-June 1977

NAME = John D. Reed

E-MAIL = snopops@aol.com

NATIONALITY = American

SERVICE = USN

UNIT = Communication Station DG

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell

MY WARSTORY = I remember Diego Garcia for the food. Yes, I thought the food was truly outstanding. 300 different ways to cook roast beef. I remember

picking bugs out of my food. I was a radioman that actually did supply work for the Comcenter because, the storekeeper didn't have clearance to enter to radioroom. Anyways, the American dude in charge down there got the brilliant idea to try and get Mcdonalds to put up golden arches down on Diego. I remember seeing MacDee's response to the request: you got to be kidding. The beer was cold and cheap and I drank lots of it. I played guitar down in that funky outdoor assembly area where they use to show movies. I remember the rain for like eight weeks with only occasional clearing, that sucked. I remember seeing the Russian Bearcat fly overhead, shadowed the island. You could hear the thing an hour before you saw it. And the Russian trollers on the horizon checking us out. Man, Diego Garcia. I got really bored and wrote my folks to send some running shoes and started running. So, I'm running one day down the road going out to the Commcenter and the Captain driving his Nova pulls up along side me and he asked " whats ya runnin' from?" I said "boredom" next thing I know they are staging half marthons. I remember saving lots of money down on Diego, I think I still have some left. Let's go fishin'

1976

"Jim Newcombe" <jnewcomb@pfgc.com>

Subject:  THE ROCK

     Ted,  I was looking at Diego sites when I came across yours.  I served on the rock as part of a detachment from NMCB-3  April-Dec 1976.   I was the MLO storekeeper.  I recieved a letter of appreciation from the commander 30th construction regiment for reorganizing the stock cards to a better level of accountability for each project.  What are the chances of me getting a t-shirt or golf polo shirt from the Navy Exchange?   My house caught on fire in 2002 and I lost all my Diego items I brought back.   Thanks and take  care. [Ed's note:  Can anybody help Jim?]

     JIM NEWCOMBE,  CSR, FOODSERVICE PURCHASING ASSISTANT

     804-484-6271   PHONE

     804-784-0576   FAX

     JNEWCOMB@PFGC.COM

1976

     NAME = Bill Blaurock    "Blue Rock"

     E-MAIL = bill_blaurock@yahoo.com

     NATIONALITY = USA

     SERVICE = USN

     UNIT = Boat Pool

     RANK/RATE/JOB = En3

     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = This is a No-Shit Fishing Story

     MY WARSTORY = We ran the boats to the fishing barge when it was first placed at  the mouth of the lagoon in 1975, On july 4th 1976 we had the biggest drunken party I have ever seen with all the free bear and food you could eat..  The British Governer forbid any of the local bands from playing the "Battle of New Orleans" stateing that the british had never ran from any thing..  My year on the rock was both the best and the worst year of my life.

1976

     NAME = Jim Drescher

     MY QUEST = What???

     VT of a SWALLOW = Depends on how you're using the term 'swallow'.  <hehehehe>

     E-MAIL = ManoftheCrows@AOL.com

     NATIONALITY = Caucasian

     SERVICE = US Navy SeaBee

     UNIT = USNMCB 62

     RANK/RATE/JOB = Married, two children, life has been good.

    MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Other

     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell

     MY WARSTORY = Trying to remember what months it was I was there.  I know it was in 76 tho!  Diego was  certainly one of the places that you never expect to go.  When they opened the door to the jet, I thought who turned on the furnace?!  So many sunburned faces, noses, and ears when we first got there.  Had to be careful.  We went snorkeling right after we got there.  Man, it was beautiful.  Just like one of the Jaque Cousteau shows.  Just floating around, sun on your back, fish all around, was great fun.  Never knew I could sunburn so easily.  And that night, I had midwatch and they wanted me to carry a radio?  Right.  Not on my back tho.  It was my first watch, new to the island, I was near the Leather Shack and I heard some weird sound coming from out there somewhere.  Bout freaked.  Never heard a donkey before!  Thought what the heck IS that?!  Have read most of the stories on here.  We lived in 'hootches' right on the  water.  Was here when they brought in the new 'porta potties'.  Such a relief to take a shower and not have to worry about having weird things in there with you.

     I was working at the block plant when we were there.  We made over 200,000 blocks, they said.  I know it was tough and mindless but sure did build us up.  Then we had a hand in making the new unloading dock. Beer, crabs, chickens, donkeys, fish....was a tropical paradise.  One that I don't wish to repeat, not under those circumstances.  I worked for Special Services running the leather shop there also.  We got to know the Chinese guys that were blasting the lagoon too.  They called me "Mr.  Jim".

     Would like to know if Stu Larson, 'Boomba', Brian Gumpy, or any of the other ones I was there with know about this site.  If you are out there, don't hesitate to email.

FEB 76 to FEB 77

     NAME = STEPHEN NEWBY

     E-MAIL = DRAGON40@WI.RR.COM

     NATIONALITY = USA

     SERVICE = U.S. NAVY

     UNIT = MAIN POWER PLANT

     RANK/RATE/JOB = ENFN

     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell

     MY WARSTORY = From the memory of a 19 year old kid, now 46 years old. I remember Howard Turner, we drank a few together, checkers w/shot glasses as checkers, if ya lost the game ya finished every shot still on the board one after the other. He was just a kid like the rest of us. I was on duty at the main power plant that day, He was one of the crew putting up a pole for an antenna at the fire house out by the Main Power Plant. The cable with the telephone pole suspended snapped, all but Howard ran for the overhang of the fire house roof, he never made it. I remember the guy's from his shop taking up a collection in a coffee can to send to his family. I have spoken of Diego Garcia and of Howard to many people over the years, it was a lonely place for kid to die.

1976

     NAME = EO3 DR STURGILL ''STURG''

     MY QUEST = NO QUEST

     E-MAIL = PEPPERSTUR@AOL

     NATIONALITY = US

     SERVICE = NAVY BEES

     UNIT = RUN WAY CREWNOW

     RANK/RATE/JOB = NOW HVAC MECH. FOR BALT. CO. GOVT

     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell

     MY WARSTORY =  FIGHTING AMONG OURSELVES 1 AND 2 PLT. A CO OUTSIDE OUR HOOCH I HIT MY BUDDY BIG MIKE JONES IN THE EYE TO STOP HIM FROM HITTING CHIEF HOWARD THE ASS HOLE AND BEING PUT ON LEGAL HOLD.  THEY SENT HIM TO THE P.I. FOR TREATMENT WHEN HE GOT BACK I THOUGHT HE WOULD KILL ME BUT HE WAS A HAPPY PUP FOR THE R AND R.

1976-1977

     NAME = PAUL BRIAN THORNBURG

     MY QUEST = TO LIVE HARD PLAY HARD AND DIE HARD

     VT of a SWALLOW = WHO CARES I'LL SHOOT THE SON OF A "B" WITH MY 10 GAUGE

     E-MAIL = PB THORNBURG @ COMPUSERVE .COM

     NATIONALITY = IRISH AMERICAN

     SERVICE = USNMCB ONE THE FIRST AND THE FINEST OF COURSE!

    UNIT = DETACHMENT DIEGO  I PLACED THE POWER POLES AND STRUNG WIRE TO POWER THE ISLAND

     RANK/RATE/JOB = CECN

     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell

     MY WARSTORY = BEFORE LEAVING OKINAWA THE U.S.O. SHOW CAME TO CAMP SHIELDS REMEMBER THE GOOD LOOKING WOMEN THE RUNNER UPS FOR MISS AMERICA.  WELL, YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE 10 THOUSAND SWINGING "D" WHO WANT A PIECE.  i THOUGHT I, NOT A CHANCE.  WELL I PULLED GATE WATCH THAT DAY, UPON BEING PROPERLY RELIEVED I WENT TO THE CHOW HALL AFTER MOST THE GUYS SPLIT.  I PLACED MY TRAY OF DINNER ON THE TABLE WHERE FOUR OF THE WOMEN SAT AND STARTED UP A CONVERSATION WITH A WOMAN FROM CALI. I GAVE HER MY GUARD WHISTLE FOR THE HELL OF IT.  WE SAID OUR GOOD BYES ETC..   TWO MONTHS LATER I'M ON DIEGO FOR A SPELL AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT AT QUARTERS COMES UP SAYING THE U.S.O. SHOW IS COMING TO TOWN.  LOW AND BEHOLD THERE SHE WAS WITH MY WHISTLE HANGING AROUND HER NECK.  I APPROACHED HER AND BOY WAS SHE SURPRISED TO SEE ME AGAIN.  SHE SAID I REALLY GET AROUND THE WORLD QUITE FAST AND OF COURSE I GOT FAST ON THE BEACH WITH HER THAT EVENING.  THAT WAS MY BEST DAY ON DIEGO.  BACK THEN THERE WERE NO WOMAN ON THE ISLAND, COCONUT CRABS, CHICKHENS AND THE ELUSIVE JACKASS...I DON'T KNOW IF WOMAN ARE THERE NOW BUT I WOULD HAVE STAYED IF THERE WERE.

1976-77

NAME = Mike Akre

MY QUEST = To keep the memory alive

E-MAIL = for_strong_winds@hotmail.com

SERVICE = USN

UNIT = NMCB 133

RANK/RATE/JOB = BUCN then, managed to pull BU3 in Scicily, refused the BU2 exam in Puerto Rico ( I had had enough )

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other

MY WARSTORY =     I think of the days I spent on the Island to this day. The bad times I don't remember, (Although I remember walking on the beach, and wondering if it was ever going to end). What I do remember is growing up fast in the 9 1\2 months that i was there. For a 19yr old kid, I knew even then that I was experiencing something that would live with me forever, And It has. My first memory is of Stu Probst, Standing in the bed of a Duece and a half Jump, Rolling down DG 1, Laughing at a busload of recruits leaving the airport runway, And I came to know the runway well, as I spent the majority of my time on Diego, making drainage culverts under the runway. My first day on the jobsite I met Jeff Felker And J.J.Jenkins, Two guys that were alot shorter than me, that I came to call my friend and respect very much. Sally Sears and his bunch of steelworkers were were a real kick to a new gut like me, The time that Goslin, an SWCN sent me for a rebar stretcher was an enjoyable moment! (I was soo green). At about that time I realized that I found a home there, And from then on I knew that everything would work out. There were soo many days after that,,,,,I remember the Mojo, The rain days that were called after quarters (and goin back to the hootch and colapsing, because you were soo damn tired), The chickens that would sleep in the showers at night, No dogs, Alot of cats, 50cent cartons of Lucky Strikes, M&M's by the case (because I got soo tired of the crappy food at the chow hall), shotgunning a sixpack of the rotgut Schlitz Beer And goin to see the latest flick at the outdoor theatre (A movie that was at least 5yrs old), And the people that I remember to this day,,,,,,,,,,Jim Comee, Mike Wright, Jim VanGorder, Mark helbling, Chuck Scicluna, Tim Madigan(Who I went thru boot camp with), Stu Probst, Greg Peacher, J.J.Jenkins, Jeff Felker, Tim O'Connell, And soo many other faces that I can't put a name with. I hope you are all still OK. This is for all the people who paid there dues on Diego Garcia. If my name or any of this brings back a memory, then let me know, We all lived it,,,,,,,,,,Mike akre

4 months in 1976  and 4 more months in 1979

NAME = jim sanker

MY QUEST = perhaps getting in touch with ol buds.

VT of a SWALLOW = what the freek......kind of question......is this? Depends on what your eat`n!

E-MAIL = starvinmarvy@charter.net

NATIONALITY = USA; SERVICE = Navy; UNIT = NMCB-5; RANK/RATE/JOB = Was a BU.First time there,I reported to the battalion right out of "A' school with 4 months left on the deployment.Second rotation a BU2 and a SHORT timer.Only 4 months of that rotation.Then back home.I should have stayed with the Seabees and retired at age 37!Anyone else regret this?

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = This is a No-Shit Snorkeling Story

MY WARSTORY =  Well if I gots to chose a catagory....this one may as well start it...one day my buddy Clay Carvalho decided to chance a snorkel session out off the reef (out by the cannon)at low tide.It was just spectacular but only being able to see whats directly in front of you with the mask on (no periphial vision)I was uneasy.We saw the beautiful colored fish,the coral fish(who chewed the shit and you could hear that under water),we got to about 5 feet of a moree eel,and you could see the teeth on this mother but it never really seemed alarmed.But then I get this uneasy feeling and look behind me and there probably,hell ..I`d guess about 30 feet,is a shark swimming by along the ocean floor.It was then that we decided to get the hell out of Dodge....but one of things I`ll never forget!!

    Another time was coming back to the hootch after breakfast and found a little coconut crab passing through.Well I had a couple of apples from the chow hall for later that day but got down in the little guys face.He was a little pissed and I stuck one of those apples in his face and he effortlessly mashed it in half.THATS ENOUGH for me I thought.All the rumors about the crab were true as far as I was concered!!And he was a small one.

April '76 - September '76

NAME = Mike McMurran

MY QUEST = peaceful revolution

VT of a SWALLOW = easy:  (x-y) + (xy/z)

E-MAIL = mikemcmurran@aol.com

NATIONALITY = Irish-American; SERVICE = USN; UNIT = NMCB 133; RANK/RATE/JOB = EOCN; presently a lowly junior high school writing teacher.  Recently completed my Master's in Educational Administration - looking for assistant principal job.

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 = Nothing nearly as exotic as the others I have read.  I simply remember playing soccer with the Brits on July 4, 1976 - and remembering, barely (hence the "interest")how it was a memory I would never forget - bicenteniall and all.  I do recall the large number of my friends getting busted for

"seeds" arriving on the island.

1976

NAME = Greg Peacher

MY QUEST = Does anyone remember me being on this Island ??

E-MAIL = lhackney@dominionsc.com

SERVICE = US NAVY; UNIT = NMCB 133 Delta Company; RANK/RATE/JOB = E-3 Builder

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!

MY WARSTORY = I remember:

NO WOMEN ....for 9 1/2 Months, What a DRAG !!

Concrete, Concrete, Concrete

Didn't get to go to Australia for R and R.

Ken York, My good Buddy Aaron Dismuke from Ann Arbor MI, Ski, Dave Allgood, Bird Jerker (B.J), Jeff Felker, Derrell Deskins from West Virginia, Jack Niccum, Radar, Wolfman ( who I met again during Desert Storm).

The "Pink Flight" that left the Island.....

The sun the sand the plantation, drunk Chief's in their chow hall and working in special services at the "so called gym"

Someone please contact me... I am beginning to wonder if I was really there!!!!

Greg Peacher !!!! Anyone, Anyone.....

1976

NAME = John Engel

MY QUEST = To locate a MCB133 cruisebook from 1976

VT of a SWALLOW = THAT, my friend, depends on how fast I'm driving when it hits my windshield.

E-MAIL = nineballchamp@hotmail.com

NATIONALITY = USA; SERVICE = USN; UNIT = MCB 133 Charlie Company; RANK/RATE/JOB = Bu3.......short timer then......firefighter now, working lifesquad for last 14 years as a paramedic.  Gonna RETIRE in a couple years!!

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane

MY WARSTORY = No real warstory here, just faded memories.  Only did two or three months there.  Don't remember what hooch I stayed in, but it was on the ocean side and the waves put me to sleep.  Slept real good till one of those coconuts hit the tin every now and then. As it was my fourth deployment, I had a little bit of experience setting up.  I hurried ahead, scouring hooches for items that would make my stay more comfortable.  I succeeded in procuring the holiest of holy's.  A FAN.  Just a small fan, I cleaned it up, oiled the shaft, and painted it bright yellow.  I drilled a gang of holes in the base, and nailed the damned thing to the rafter above my rack with about three dozen nails.  If it was going to be stolen, the hooch would have to go with it.

     We had good times.  On Saturday nights, we'd check out the the bell and boxing gloves from special services and have boxing matches on the porch end of the hooch.  Draw a big square in the sand, and make WAR.  We had a popcorn popper and would make a couple of dollars for our soda mess.  Lots of beer drinking at the bouts. The Saturday night drink-a-thon and boxing matches. Got to be a popular event too, lots of folks from different companies would come.  Grudge matches were the best. I used to be the ring announcer, used a hammer for a mike, held it head down, figured I'd be able to turn it around real quick if someone tried to start pounding the announcer.  We dug up a big block of lead from the sand, HEAVY thing, looked like a piece of lead they put in a box for a crane counterweight.  Between bouts, we'd have people try to lift it above thier heads....meebee for a free beer.  Only remember Brady and Hammons actually being able to accomplish the feat.  Had a grill made from a 55 gal drum, remember a couple guy's fished, caught "jacks" and sand sharks.  We'd grill 'em, damned tasty with beer.

     Speaking of beer, the WORST beer in the world, Double Diamond.  Cost 10 cents a can at the club.  Still wouldn't sell, dropped it to a nickel.  Now I was always a VOLUME drinker, why pay 60 cents for a 10 ounce BUD, when I could get 14 ounce Old Milwaukee for 55 cents? Well, I think the beer sat too long in the sun in a CONEX box and SPOILED.  I sure the damned swill ended up at the dump.  Prolly something the Brits traded us in a swindle!

     Ahhh...and cannot forget the BIG GREEN WEENIE.  They were ALWAYS trying to slip us the big green weenie.  I cannot remember who our CO was.  I do remember he wasn't well appreciated.  I think he lost his MIND before he left.  I remember a flyer that came out, we had to pull weeds, and pick up rocks one Saturday.  The flyer had a drawing of a rock and weeds.  Also had a drawing of a golfball.  Any rock bigger than a golfball, had to be picked up.  Reeeeeal chickenshit.  At the time I was working over in the sawshop in the C comany lumber yard.  I found a chunk of 4x4 and stuck it in a vise.  Carved a real nice pecker outta the thing.  Head, veins, pisshole, the works.  Cut the shaft off at a 45 degree angle. Painted it OD green.  It was the CO's last night on the island, and in usual form, he spent it at the "O" club.  While the officers were at the club, Brady took the BIG GREEN WEENIE over to the old man's hooch and firmly nailed it above his door.  BM3 Rotundo was the duty driver that morning, picked up the Cap'n and his bags to take them to the airfield.  He said he entered the hooch to get the bags, and the BIG GREEN WEENIE laid on old man's bar, split in two pieces.  Don't know if it was too much alcohol, or the BIG GREEN WEENIE, but Rotundo said the Cap'n was in a real foul mood.

     Wish I could remember who got real drunk one night and stole a forklift.  Seems he didn't like the chow.  Attacked thr reefers with the forks.  One HELL of alot of damage he did.  Got caught too.  I remember my first meal in the chowhall.  Shocking.  You could tell the guys who'd been in the island for awhile.  The place was FULL of flies.  The "oldtimers" just sat there and ate, never minding the flies crawling on thier grub.  The flies would crawl on thier faces, and they'd just ignore them.  Guess if you tried to bat all those flies, you'd not have time to eat much.  Guess we just got used to them.  Remember going up in the line for SECONDS one morning.  Liked the grits well well.  Gimme another scoop of 'em.  Got back to the table, hell, there were HUNDREDS of little segmented white worms in there.  Took 'em back up to the line captain.  He looked at them, and motioned the guy to remove the tray of grits.  I left the line feeling just a bit queasy.  I looked back just in time to see them put the tray right back on the line.

     Can't forget Ron Theriot's boil either.  One evening, he came over and asked me if I could give him a hand for a minute.  Said sure, whadda u need.  He showed me his forearm. Had a boil that looked like the Madderhorn, said it was ready to pop.  Well, we went into the shitter and stood there in front of the sink.  He had me squueze his arm with both hands. Nothing happened.  He said squeeze HARDER.  He was about in tears from the pain.  All of the sudden, the thing let loose with an audible "pop".  I could feel it pop too.  Green SHIT splattered the mirror and the light above it.  He had me do a little more squeezing, and when I was done, there were depressions matching my fingers in the edema surrounding the infection.  Next morning, the thing looked EVIL, the guys talked him onto going to sickbay.  I never saw him again, don't remember if they just kept him there on IV antibiotics, and I went stateside, or what happened to him.  As I say, the memories are dimming.

1976

JACK GOSS, JR. <aeosman@charter.net>

Great Site Ted.  Lots of good photos and info.  The island looks alot more accommodating now then when I was there in 76 with MCB 133.  Diego was my last trip.  I spent 1 year at a Naval Communications Station in Asmara Ethiopia, Then Okinawa for a few months, then Naval Air Station Bermuda.  I was on Diego Garcia for 6 months, left on Thanksgiving Day 1976.  I stayed drunk for 6 months while I was there.  Again, Good Job !  Best Regards, Jack Goss - Johnstown, Pa.

FEB 76-FEB 77

RANZA BATEMAN <Rabateman@yahoo.com>

MY QUEST = TO FIND ANYONE I KNOW  AVIATION FIRE FIGHTERS

VT of a SWALLOW = COME AGAIN ?

NATIONALITY = AMERICAN; SERVICE = U S N; UNIT = CRASH CREW-AVIATION FIREFIGHTER

RANK/RATE/JOB = GOT OUT OF THE NAVY IN 1980. NOW LIVING IN MARYLAND

MY WARSTORY = I was in a state of shock when I first got there. What a mind blower. Thank goodness for the cheap booze and the care packages from home. I was always at the outdoor theatre. I also remember getting my stereo and blowing out a window with a Pink Floyd song.  What a trip...

1976-1977

NAME = Charles E Kuhn <cekuhn@earthlink.net>

NATIONALITY = american; SERVICE = US Navy (Sea Bees); UNIT = Public works; RANK/RATE/JOB = UT CN

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!

MY WARSTORY = Not really a story so much as a inquiry. I went to A school and was stationed in Diego Garcia with an Electrician named Howard Turner. We worked together in the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration shop. We actually had a lot of close calls while working together, An electrical explosion at t-site and a couple of others I won't bore you with. Howard fially lost his life at the Public Works site next to the fire house. I was told they were going to name an enlisted mans club after him. I saw a reference to the Turner club. I miss Howard a lot!

CE Kuhn

1976, 1979

NAME = pusser hill

MY QUEST = perhaps i'm crazy but one more visit would be nice

VT of a SWALLOW = they didn't fly very fast in the brit club

E-MAIL = pusser@ntlworld.com / ahill25540@aol.com

NATIONALITY = brit; SERVICE = navy, royal of course; UNIT = brit rep's chef

MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want to Drink A Lot, Cheap

SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other

MY WARSTORY = I still have the zipo i won at the '76 party!  From the '79 i still have the headache.  I would just like to say thanks to all you yanks that treated me to the headache!!

1976

NAME = Charles "Slick" Richmond

E-MAIL = currdog@arn.net

NATIONALITY = American; SERVICE = USNMCB Five; UNIT = Asst Supply Officer, Disbursing Officer, Food Services Officer; RANK/RATE/JOB = I was a brand new ensign out of Supply School, used to be an HM3. Did my 4 and went back to grad school to get my masters so I could chase cows for a living.

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 = Does anyone remember the Air Force Veterinarian they sent over to shoot the donkeys with the tranqualizer gun? I was his escort as my college major was Animal Science and I knew something about donkeys. We never did get one to go down, even though we kept upping the dosage. We finally gave up.

76, 79 and 82

CLAUDE BLACKSHER <cab0557????>

MY QUEST = lots of brothers

VT of a SWALLOW = stops at a blabe of an eo

NATIONALITY = american; SERVICE = seabees; UNIT = nmcb4 det d.g., nmcb4 main body, pwd transportation

RANK/RATE/JOB = eocn, eo3, eo2 then

MY WARSTORY = the attact of the coral head only the few few bastards that where there will remember this time.  it was on my last tour there when the whole island thought we were being attact from the commies (thanks to the fleet tweets).  thats when sugar knew that they screwed-up by taking the batts. off the island.  only the the few that where there that had come from batts. had the chore of deffending the island.  and as snafu as it was there the fleet got a bleep of a coral head at low tide.  a short time after that sugar sent i a marine corp unit to take care of its fleet(airdales) and ladies.

May 76 to May 77

MIKE McMASTERS <mcmastersm@earthlink.net>

MY QUEST = See if I can find anybody who remembers Seahut 59 or Mod 45

VT of a SWALLOW = Depends on how hard you gulp!

NATIONALITY = U.S.; SERVICE = U.S, Navy; UNIT = Charlie Site; RANK/RATE/JOB = CTT2 - Didn't retire.  Found a better gig in 83!

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 = I choose this title because when I was there "the Club" consisted of the front porch of Sea Hut 59!

Anybody recall the great checmical warfare exercise of April 76?  This event took place at "The Marina" such as it was, and was held on the occasion of the first wave of Classic Wizard (Charlie Site) of as it was better known Fort Chagos, rotating back to the world.  Any way this grand evening was capped by two events which I can recall.

1.  Somebody decided that the best way to keep the "mojo" supply going was to uncork liquor bottles, and rather than take the time to pour the booze in, just chuck the bottle in and it will take care of itself! It did!

2.  Yours truly engaged in a session of "Shark" wrestling.  Actually, it was a palm frond in the water, but hey it looked like a shark at the time.

This whole tale was documented in the "Fort Chagos Tattler" and lives on in infamy.

1976

EARL SIMPSON <esim357@aol.com>

UNIT = NMCB133 B Co Maint; RANK/RATE/JOB = UT2

     I arrived with the advance party to relieve the battalion on station.  Ran into a guy I went to A school with (Dick Lang).  Partied a bit then got down to business.  Camp Maint. was a trip nothing worked very well including the galley boiler.   It did not take us long to find none of the safety interlocks were operable, we fired it and blew half the tubes in it.  Luckily they had an old Desalination barge in the bay that had the same boiler on it so it was balls to the wall swappin it out.  I've heard from Steve Stillwell and he remembers the process.  Keep the spirit up.  Sounds like a tropical paridise now when I was there they were still dredging the harbor to make the island wide enough for the air field, I do believe we got the first real crash truck while I was there and it was stationed at B Co. Maint.

1976-1977

GENO HOSKINS <Genga Ra@aol.com>

What is Your Quest?  To see if I can hear from some of my old shipmates

What is the Terminal Velocity of a Swallow? It couldn't be over 1200 feet per second, my shotgun doesn' t go much further than that.

SW3 Hoskins (Seabee) yup.  Since my tour of duty on Diego, I've been married twice. I have one boy,seems he's caught on to some of the mannerisms I brought back with me from Diego (Still with me after all those years). I often find myself thinking about the rock from time to time.  I would like to do some more correspondence from you.  By the way, is that big ol'e hammerhead shark still hang'n around there?

1976-1977

STEVE CULBERTSON <sculb@1st.net

I was with a detachment from NMCB-5 to build the airport parking apron and extend the runway 3,000 ft. I was an EO3 and ran the central mix concrete plant.

Your site has brought back alot of memories of a place that will be in my thoughts forever. It looks like they are trying to keep the place in some resemblance of the beautiful paradise it was back 22 years ago. The military finally did something right?

1976

BILLY MITCHELL <BMTCH@aol.com>

Were you ever on Diego Garcia?  June-Dec '76

      USN MCB 133 '73-'76; Under One Club 2-time Island Softball Champs; Board Member Dogface of the Week Club; I never brought home the first puka shell from DG.

Comments:  Great Site! Look's like we missed the really big parties.

Greetings:

     I'm Billy Mitchell, a former Seabee and Diego denizen. I was there June to December 1976 as an enlisted laborer. I finished my 4 year hitch while on Diego and rode "de plane" off to Clark. In those days, 141's visited on Wednesday and Sunday.  P3's and an occasional cargo ship were the only other traffic.

     I work as parts manager, computer guy, accountant and whatever at an FBO in Jackson Mississippi at Jacobs Aircraft, Hawkins Field. I have several friends from the 172nd 141 group at Thompson Field who have been to DG also.  I can appreciate your comments about the Royal Marines.  While on a deployment to  Roosevelt Roads Puerto Rico, the HMS Minerva made a visit. The Marines entertained themselves by playing rugby on the asphalt parade ground.  My friend, Dave Atchison (www.atch.com) and I invited them to the Seabee's EM club and had a great time. They detested American beer, but Boone's Farm wine was fine as long as we strained it through a sock and drank it from one of their boots.

1976-1977

MARC JONATHAN HANEY <MJandfamHaney@webtv.net>

What is the Terminal Velocity of a Swallow? I would like to refer that question to my friend TIM [editor's note:  Marc wins the Cleverest Monty Python response award!]

Were you ever on Diego Garcia?  April 1976 to April1977

     I was an E3 on DG. I worked in special services, lived in a plywood hut on the beach and we had a one legged chicken that used to curl up and sleep on any available butt it could find. I was in charge of a warehouse where we kept merchandise for the hobby shops. The enlisted club was on the other side of the building. On Sundays I was duty manager and ran the bowling alley and had Mondays off. I have tons of slides and prints and what maybe the only copy of a Bob Hope visit to the island [nice try, TIM, but he came out again in 1987 too]........

1976-1977, and 1981

ALLEN PALMER <OLDSEABS@aol.com>

Ted - I know about the Rock.  I was there two time a total of 18 months, and my Dad before me in  1972 with MCB 62. I was there in 1976-1977 with MCB 133 and back again in 81 with MCB 62.  What a place!  A cross between Gilligan's Island and Alcatraz.  But like you, I loved it there and would go back if I could.  My SEAHUT was on the ocean side right by the ocean, and right out the door of the 1st Class Club. What a time in my life.  The Brit Club was just an old building beside the road when I was there.  I would bet that Leisure Palms is gone also.  It was a miniature golf course and small place to buy beer and cokes.  It was next to the old ball field and the gym.  Our shop was right next to the parking apron by the run way.  They used to park the KC-135s almost in our shop.  I met a Brit there with the same last name as me and I spent a lot of time in the Brit Club, but then it was just a little place on the side of the road about half way to the runway.

ALLEN PALMER CM-1

Richard Townsend's Pictures from 1976:

Building the Peacekeeper Inn.

Above:  "C" company NMCB 133. EM CLUB & GYM Work Crews.

Above:  Mike Wawer, Jerry "TWEED" Brady, and Billy Hammond

Concert on July 4, 1976.  Bob Gross on guitar in the green aloha shirt.  Anybody know the rest of the guys?

Above:  Dan Mooney

Above:  Richard Townsend himself!

Above:  Tim Mundy.

Above:  Mike King and Pete Peterson in their hootch.

Above:  Party at the Met Office over by the Planation. 

55 Gal. grill at the plantation manned by Bu3 Rodema & Bu2 Gooch. Notice the crosscut saw with rag we used to flip steaks!    

Fire Chiefs were Richard, Steve Bianco, and Dave Conners because we were Vol. Firemen before we joined.

Here's my favorite:  The rat in the band's speaker - July 4, 1976.  The Bi-Centenial!