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1989 WestPac/PG/IO Ranger BG "E"

Damon D Ramsey = ddramsey@gmail.com

Citizenship = USA; Service = USN; Outfit = USS Paul F Foster DD-964

My_Quest = Knowledge

VT_of_a_Swallow = (*splat!*)

My_Warstory = Our visit to DG was an unexpected but necessary one for fuel, food, supplies and (other). A good time for some MUCH needed and deserved R&R from 'Operation Earnest Will' (slightly N/NW) and some time to finally get our Shellback Initiation done afterward with no one wanting to shoot at us or shadow us all the time. DG was a welcome paradise of phone calls, new books, magazines, white (not yellow!) sand, floating tables and a good, cheap supply of rum. LOL Love that place and will never forget my "explorations". (We always told security who/what so we didn't get shot!) Fun but short-lived since we had to get back to business. At least "The Wall" fell down later that year so it was all worth the trouble... :)

ex-CTR3 Damon "Rambo" Ramsey, USS Paul F Foster (DD-964), OT02 Outboard Operations "Combat Crypto"

1989-1990
Name = Steven Beckmann
submit_by = steven_beckmann@yahoo.com
Citizenship = USA
Other_Country =
Service = USN
Other_Service =
Outfit = NAVCOMSTA R-Site
My_Quest =
VT_of_a_Swallow = A laden or unladen swallow?
My_Warstory = Still a little blurry. We did have some good times. I laughed hearing references to gutter beers! Those are the TRUE Diego Garcians!
I also remember dodging Coconut Crabs when I had to go up to T-Site! Also hiding in your room when a carrier pulled in! Snorkling, the Turkey Trot! I remember when they built the 2 lane bowling alley and put-put golf! Fun times...

1972, 1981/1982, 1987 to 1995
Dave Fisher, Capt, USMM (Ret.), CAPT (SWO) USN (Ret.) = callsign.BULL@tni.net
Citizenship = USA; Service = Merchant Marine; Other_Service = USNR; Outfit = USS R. E. Kraus; USNS Sealift Antarctic; SS Green Valley, G. Island, G Harbour; MV Jeb Stuart
My_Quest = Here in 2014, would like to go back for one last, short look-see.
My_Warstory = First went in '72 in USS Richard E. Kraus (DD-849) to deliver crypto gear. It looked like "McHale's Navy" then. Returned in '81/'82 in USNS Sealift Antarctic (T-AO-176) with the MSC Near Term Prepositioned Force. Didn't look too much different. Returned again in '87 to the four Afloat Prepositioned Force LASH ammo ships - a couple of years as Chief Mate, the remainder as Master. Dodge now a little more civilized. While there in 1994, sortied the entire APF as Convoy Commodore and CTG-159.1 for Operation Vigilant Warrior up in the Gulf. Technically still a civilian, but assigned under Allied doctrine.
Left in late '95 to command the COMPSRON ONE flagship in the Med. At the time I left (9 yrs on), I was "The Mayor of DGAR," as the longest serving occupant.
Like to go back one last time before I pass, just to see how "my" island is doing. Have lumpia and a beer at the "O."

1987 thru to 1993
Walter Johnson = Waltsrentals@gmail.com
Citizenship = USA; Service = Merchant Marine; Outfit = Man the ship of Alex Bonneyman
My_Warstory = I served under the direction of Mearsk Line Captain of the alex bonneyman when Ronald Reagan president promissed vetran rights for merchant marines spending over 9 month active time there during the Irac and Iran WAR how do i get Vetren rights now that im older i Have no DD214 ?
I was educated in asian orang gas in 30 minutes handed a certificate and later spent two month wondering if i was going to die cause all the tales of this virus was regular to the heat.
But Funny stuf : We did an aft ship refuel with the destroyer and every one walked away while the hose was re coiled from my galley window i notice the the destroyer getting closer ,, the hose had hooked under the destroyer and was towing the cannon into the back of our ship.
It was a pleasure to serve with every i loved when the "Tender" ships came into the dock and i never seen a cocnut crab.

1989-1990
Name = Everett Lafferty = edlcowboys2008@yahoo.com
Citizenship = USA
Service = USN
Outfit = Communications Center
My_Quest = How are you all doing?
My_Warstory = Just would like to get in touch with the many great people that I met while stationed there I forgot so many of their names, I used to sing at the E-club (Country) and played Basketball Well hope to hear from you.

Oct. 1989 to Apr.1991
Larry Roth = Lroth@stny.rr.com
Citizenship = USA
Service = Tech Rep at NCS "C-Site"
My_Quest = Locate contemporaries of that time
VT_of_a_Swallow = Terminal Velocity means the end = 0 mph
My_Warstory = I was an avid Sea Ox fisherman with about 80 charters during my 18 months.  Many of you who were there for Desert Shield/Storm may remember me as I fished a lot with Col. Terry Burke, (4300 Wing Cmdr) and Cmdr Pete Parsons, (CO NAVCOMSTA)and other civilian friends from the GEODDS Site way out at the S. tip of the island a.k.a "Donkey Land/T-Site. I was friends with just about everyone who hung out at the O-Club and if you played Shuffle board there, chances are I beat you more than once. I took over 20 albums of photos from all over the island and all of our fishing trips. I kept a book of home addresses for quite a few of my friends, both military and civilian while on the island. well thats all for now. since I am now retired in Endicott, NY - I will put a task of adding memories to this page to my bucket list.

27th june 1984 up to 30 th nov 1992
Name = Kaisynaden C. Pillay (KC)
submit_by = kaisy63@hotmail.com
Citizenship = Mauritian
Other_Country = Mauritian
Service = Contractor
Other_Service = FEBROE  &  IPAC
Outfit = COMMUNICATION DEPT BOS CONTRACTOR
My_Quest = wants to hear from friends who had known me .
VT_of_a_Swallow = dont  know
My_Warstory = HAD A VERY GOOD TIME ON THE ISLAND.

July 1989 to July 1990
Name = Weatherly, Michael G = mighty1actual@netzero.net
Citizenship = USA
Service = USMC
Outfit = USMC Security Force Co.
My_Quest = To seek the Holy Coconut Crab of Antioch
VT_of_a_Swallow = It depends, does it have a secret clearance?
My_Warstory = DG was the best time in my life.  The very first day I walked into the barracks, I remember this HUGE sergeant asking my if I "want to go outside and talk about it".  I also used to love sitting on the deck of the Expat Club watching the sunset.  I had the hots for this cute little squid girl at the NAVCOMSTA.  She was the cutest thing I ever saw.  To this day I regret never talking to her.  The toga party at the Brit Club is another fond memory, especially when it was time for the Beer Gutter.  I have yet to find anyone who will try that here at home.  I also used to have a tiny bit of popularity come closing time.  I got NJP and was confined to barracks as the SuperNut, but I was always sent to the Brit Club at closing time in the step van to pick up my drunk and disorderly brethren.  We were always monitoring the squid police and we would hear the call of disorderly conduct and BOOM, I was out the door.  I always got there first, and know for a fact I saved countless careers. After about three trips, I would always arrive to a crowd of Brits, sailors and Marines awaiting my arrival.  I remember I traveled with a little boom box in the van so I could drown out all the shit talking going on in the van.  I also remember getting pulled over for having a senior chief hanging off the back door!  I think my favorite time of day was MidRats.  I really like the quiet of the chow hall just before we went to post.  Of course a full belly always made it hard to resist crashing for a nap in the hooch that we had, camouflaged in the trees by the magazines.  (I personally think that the CO knew about it, too, and that is why my platoon got sent to the post to clear all the brush.)  To this day, I still tell tales about using the Mike boats to go fishing with.  A dozen drunk Marines and a Navy dental tech, and that really cute little blonde Brit Army girl, the same one who borrowed my drinking music tape of classic bar songs and never returned it.  Ah, those were the days.  Unfortunately, I also gained some negative popularity when I got NJP for using acid to clean my rifle with, which ended up eating all the bluing off my rifle.  Everyone gave me crap for that for months.  All in all, I would kill or die to go back there.  I tried, believe me.  I sent applications for every job opening on that island.  I never got a single response either.  I would still go today, too.  If anyone knows of any job openings on the DG, let me know!!!  Hell, I even applied to be a janitor.  That place was like a drug.  I remember how crushed I was when I heard that they closed the Marine Barracks and pulled them off island.  A major mistake.  I have only run into one Marine I served with there, he lives in my hometown, but I would really like to hear from some of the guys.  So, Puto Vander, my roomie, Foster, Hammond, Gary, Ortiz, and the rest of ya'll, if you are reading this, look me up, you will find me on facebook.  Does anybody remember the little fillipino fella who would sell kabobs outside the seaman's club.  Man those were good, that and the lumpia.  I also miss the Hash Runs every calendar holiday, through the mud and the muck, sweeet!  THUNDER PT ya'll!!!!!

1989
Jay Chamberlain,  jchamberlain@hanovereng.com
Citizenship = USA; Service = USN; Outfit = NMCB 62
My_Quest = To Find Kim Turner; VT_of_a_Swallow = 10m/s
My_Warstory = After 20 years heading back there in December!  The best was making mojo and getting the base drunk during the Bob Hope USO tour!

1989-1990
LISA LLEWELLYN SEVERVINO <if you want to contact Lisa, drop me a line and I'll pass it on to her>
Her story and photos are on their own special page:  http://www.zianet.com/tedmorris/dg/lisa.html.

1988 to 1990
NAME = Robert MacFann
MY QUEST = To see who is still kickin.
VT of a SWALLOW = Depends on how much they drink.
E-MAIL = robertmacfann@msn.com
NATIONALITY = American
SERVICE = U. S. Navy
UNIT = Naval Police
RANK/RATE/JOB = MA1-Then Now-SSG, Army National Guard, enroute to Iraq for more fun in the F&#king Sun.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Irritated World Citizen/Communist/Religious Extremist
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = There I Was, Passed Out in the Club
MY WARSTORY = I spent more time investigating vehicle collisions involving the Naval Police Personnel then investigating any crime that occured, which was nil.  Always looked forward to the weekend to get completely pissed at the Brit Club.  Also, enjoyed an occasional boat patrol on the outlaying islands with our Royal Navy counterparts.

1989
NAME = Chris Carter
MY QUEST = To relive memories created there and tip my hat to a place that felt like 20 years, and gave the same in memories
VT of a SWALLOW = red... no green
E-MAIL = carter@esrta.com
NATIONALITY = us
SERVICE = navy
UNIT = Navy Broadcasting
RANK/RATE/JOB = JO3
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want to Return When the First REAL Club Med Opens
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = I am a Born Liar, and Want To Tell About All The Sex I Had on Dodge
MY WARSTORY = The food in Diego was very good as we all remember (except those late night box lunches that the cats wouldn't even eat) but the food was very rich as well.  And because of this, I had incredible amounts of gas - as potent as I've probably ever had.  Well, working at the broadcasting station, I had to entertain myself, so whenever possible, I would fart into the intake of any one of the many AC units and listen closely to the people inside the building accuse one another over the stench they were forced to take a bite out of.  This went on for about 9 months before I was caught, but I'd laugh my ass off every time and I'm laughing now.  I could go on for days with stories of the people and the things we did to keep ourselves from thinking about home.  But I won't, not now anyway.  Thanks Diego.
 

1989-1990
Peter Lingesso <Peter.Lingesso@comverse.com>
Hey, I have a ton of pictures from diego and a few actually have no Alcohol involved.. Anyways, I can scan them if you want them and I'll try to remember a story or 80! LOL
Thanks,
Former SKSR Peter Lingesso, NAVCOMSTA C-Site/R-site 1989-1990 and had a close call while with the SeaBee's in 91, but went to guam instead.
 
 

1989 to 1990
NAME = Vivencio G. Garcia
MY QUEST = Fire Inspector
E-MAIL = gnibciagar9@yahoo.com
NATIONALITY = Filipino
UNIT = NSF Diego Garcia Fire Department
RANK/RATE/JOB = I enjoy my job as Fire Inspector-2 during 1989-1990. I resigned due to family needs and back to Makati Fire Dept.1990-1997 and transferred to Muntinlupa Fire Stn 1997-2004. I work as Fire Marshal in Esso-Chad Africa 2004-2005 and now I'm presently working here in King Abdulaziz Medical City (National Guard Health Affair) Jeddah as Fire Inspector.
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 enjoy my job in the island and also going out to the beach with my friends like Erning Mercado, Andy (Talakitok) Quides and Capt. Silva. They are nice and very good friends of mine. We are pond of fishing, work-out in the gym sometimes we go out in the clubs near the beach watching pretty ladies enjoying with their friends, going to the movie, listen to the Sunday Mass with Fr. Michael and the good things I experience are the sharing of Firefighters during Christmas season, Thanksgiving parties and Birhtday parties in Fil-Mau Club and Down Town picnic area. I like my Fire Chief named Stewart Knight and his Deputy Chief Teddy Reeds and Chief Hobbs, thay are an excellent leaders of Fire Department during that time. I really love to go back in island its very nature specially when you thru the beach you can relax your mind, the wind whispering in the ears like an angels singing for joy.
 

1989-1990
NAME = Mel Ortiz
MY QUEST = Hello to my Brother Jarheads
E-MAIL = cplo@comcast.net
NATIONALITY = American
SERVICE = USMC
UNIT = MCSF Co.
RANK/RATE/JOB = Then Cpl.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = Just wanted to update and say hello to my then XO Lt. Venola (Helmet Head), wondering if he was able to keep "the Beast" serial #666 after leaving DG.To Eddinger (Ruger freak) made me join the NRA when I first got there, I think he got a commission. To Sgt.Major "jumping" John Holmes, 1st Sgt "the Rifleman" Frye, My first CO Major Meade, My last CO Major Scott. All my brothers, Belardes, Stone, Thompson, Melendez, Foster, Weatherly, Vonnenuman, Villim (guitar playing, board breaking jarhead) and everyone who I had the pleasure and honor serving with. Semper Fi.
 

January 1988 To  1999
NAME = Jean Pierre Ramen "ROBIN"
MY QUEST = keeping in touch with people who mean a great deal to me, DG Familly
VT of a SWALLOW = jeanpierre.ramen@parabolemaurice.com
E-MAIL = jpr1369@yahoo.com.au
NATIONALITY = Mauritian
SERVICE = civillian
UNIT = Annex 20 Ac/r department  bos contractor
RANK/RATE/JOB = Senior Sales Executive
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = 1988, there i was landing on Dg 20 00 pm, still young 18 years old going on a journey looking for adventure, first night pax terminal to the
barracks 09 sea breeze village, still cool first time abroad meeting new people had couple of beers and got to sleep for my first day tomorrow, 05.30 am my
nightmare began, walk out to the shower room, man what a shock, surrounded with coconuts trees  with white sands you could barely looked at i say to myself 'where the hell i am ?  second day visit to ADMIN, Downtown, Shipstore, Community bank, and back to Admin, telling my story seems like it was like yesterday, one thing ive learn on DG is to be patience and very understanding, and my patience made me stay 10 long years there, I dont believe it myself, if i have to be grateful its because of people like MR Bob Streegan, where i started to work at tyhe TCN Galley, Mr Faye Parks he was like a dad to me and if im where i am today  its many thanks to Faye Parks, Mr James Billman transportation Director, and volley ball coach even his team always loses to our mauritian team, just kidding, Mr Harry Johnson, Mr Bruce Norris, Jim Pfiefer, William Marioka, BOB Butt,and so many more to all those people i say thanks to all of them, unfortunately we've all gone our seperate ways but i hope that one day if we could all be in an island wide picnic it will be a dream come true, sometimes we do speak about paradise, but dg is paradise for people who know they will tell that hell yes paradise of footprint of freedom white beaches, deep sea fishing like nowhwre else, my biggest catch a yellow fin 95 lbs, almost 35 mins fight with a damn shark tailling, party at the BRIT Club, SOUL Night at the 61 Club, Country night at the turner club, mojo at the beach house and not forgetting those mongolian bbqs at the peace keeper Inn, and last but not least those delicious Pizza at sea breeze village,
i would like to say a few words for CHARLY of the seamens club, we cant go to the seamens club without saying hi to charly.
To all the people ive met on DG, NAVY, MARINES, AIR FORCES, EXPAT, BRITS, PHILIPINOS, Hats off, those were the time now im back home and would like very much to keep in touch  with people who was there and who remember me,
my name is Robin
Mauritian volley ball team captain
AC / R  Dept
Annex 20
my email is  jpr1369@yahoo.com.au
 

88-90
Date:         Fri, 13 May 2005 18:43:10 EDT
From:        Bfbeattie@aol.com
I was the lawyer on the rock from 88-90.    The guy before me was relieved and I got the great news that I was going to Newfounland or DG.   I chose the palm trees over ice.    I was convinced that I would hate it, but as life sometimes is I requested an additional 6 months.   They thought I was nuts.    I enjoyed 90% of the time on DG and still have many fond memories of friends and sunsets.
B F Beattie
 

Summer '89 - VP-6 DET
NAME = LT
MY QUEST = To find the tall female (base admin?) ENS
VT of a SWALLOW = She smiled
E-MAIL = p3av8er@aol.com
NATIONALITY = USA
SERVICE = USN
UNIT = VP DET
RANK/RATE/JOB = LT  - one of the aircrew  ;)
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = My Time There is Lost in an Alcoholic Haze, Help Me Remember!
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = I am a Born Liar, and Want To Tell About All The Sex I Had on Dodge
MY WARSTORY = Hey - anyone remember the tall admin officer (USN) ????
Oh the memories ....
 
 

Jan 89 - Jan 90
NAME = Stephen Fowler
MY QUEST = Trying to move from the east coast to the west coast of the US.
VT of a SWALLOW = 32FPS
E-MAIL = slfowler@myrealbox.com
NATIONALITY = US
SERVICE = US Navy
UNIT = NCS - ADP Security and Safety Officer
RANK/RATE/JOB = An ETC while stationed there.  Six months afer I left I put on CWO2.  Now CWO4 (Ret).
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = This is a No-Shit Snorkeling Story
MY WARSTORY = Great place to be stationed and would have been even better if I could have taken the family.  Loved to go down and snorkle off the beach behind the BOQ.  The only potentially dangerous creature I ran into was a morey eel.  Think I surprised him as much as he surprised me.  Hoped I would see a shark larger then the little ones in turtle bay.  Probably all the better I didn't.
 
 
 
 

1989
NAME = Kay Veitch (Scofield)
E-MAIL = kayveitch@cox.net
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Please Select The Category That Best Discribes Your Interest in Diego Garcia
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = I was on the Boozers team and was an ET2 at R-site.  I don't have that many stories as I don't remember alot of what happened out there.  To many black outs.  I was dating a Brit name Don Veitch and we are now married and have a 10 year old boy and 9 year old girl and live in Phoenix, AZ (recently retired Navy).  Hello to all the boozers!!!  A lot of good times and alcohol.
 
 

Jan 89-90
NAME = Patricio Garcia ("GAR")
MY QUEST = To rid the world of BAG NASTIES
VT of a SWALLOW =
E-MAIL = patricio_gabriel@hotmail.com
NATIONALITY = U.S.
SERVICE = U.S. Navy
UNIT = AIMD Calibration Lab
RANK/RATE/JOB = AZ2 then LTJG now
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Professional Adventurer Looking For The Ultimate Get Away
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = I have plenty of "War Stories", but what I was really known for in DG was I never lost a tug of war challenge.  The stories of the festivities we part took prior and after tug of war and softball games are still "Classified" in the annals of "need to know" catagory.  DG is the Navy's best kept secrete for duty and I would still do it again.  I hope that this gets out to some of my old buddies and I hear from them again.  Take care.
Patricio
 

("GAR")1989-1990
"Kenneth Clare" <clare_k@comcast.net>
I stumbled upon your marvelous web site while seeing if "my old stomping grounds" suffered any damage from the Tsunami that has wreaked havoc in Indonesia, Thailand, and India (12/26/04).  I couldn't find any information (I'll continue to search).
     I was there in 1989-'90 as a Preventive Medicine Technician, fresh from PMT school in Oakland, California.  In our Public Speaking portion of the school, I decided to give an oral presentation on my first duty station:  Diego Garcia.  When our class received its orders; when the OIC read my duty station out, the older members in my class laughed and smirked, so my initial thoughts were not that great.  After doing my research (pre-web), I was a little more informed; that I was going to a desolate navy outpost.
     As I sit here reflecting on the amazing time I had there (your write up is so true), I wish I had listened to my CO (whom I took care of for about a week or so while he was ill) when I was selecting my next tour.  He asked me if I would extend my tour for another year.  People pay dearly for the chance to go to places like Diego.  I got to go for free, and got paid for being there!
     Your website brought back so many memories.  I still have the photograph of the 365 pound marlin we caught there.  Hell, the tail is still probably tacked on the tree with all the others; ours was put at the top for being the largest yet!
     Though I have long since lost touch with the ship-mates, marines, Brits, and the TCN's whom I proudly served with for such a fleeting time, this web site does great justice to those wonderful memories.  Yep, I'd definitely go back!

1989
NAME = MR1 Steve Rieman
MY QUEST = Enjoying Retirement
VT of a SWALLOW = When It Hits The Window
E-MAIL = sdrieman@cox.net
NATIONALITY = USA
SERVICE = USN
UNIT = USS ACADIA
RANK/RATE/JOB = MR1 (sw) Ret.
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 wading in on the OCEAN side (even though they said NOT to) I held her gently around her waist. She looked over my shoulder (toward the sea) and said "Oh LOOK a shark". I turned and saw not ten feet from us, a VERY large shark. I did the Jesus walk all the way to the beach. I knew I didn't have to be faster than the shark, I just had to outrun the girl. Feet bloody from the coral, I hobbled to the bar. DON'T SWIM ON THE OCEAN SIDE!
 
 

1989  1995  2000
NAME = Steve Hysell
MY QUEST = To find some old friends
VT of a SWALLOW = xxxx
E-MAIL = stephenhysell@yahoo.com
NATIONALITY = American
SERVICE = USN
UNIT = NCTS
RANK/RATE/JOB = Will retire in about a year and wanted to get in touch with some great people
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = I am a Born Liar, and Want To Tell About All The Sex I Had on Dodge
MY WARSTORY = I wanted for a long time to hear from some of the guys I used to hang out with. Hopefully you guys see this and send me an e-mail.  I tried to get in touch with Keith Kovac but had no luck.  I'm in Virgina right now so send me an e-mail and I will get in touch.
Steve
 

89-90
NAME = Richard Venola
E-MAIL = popelando@hotmail.com
NATIONALITY = US
SERVICE = USMC
UNIT = XO, MCSFCo.
RANK/RATE/JOB = VSI'ed in '93. Have worked and lived in CA/NV/AZ. Had a tragic marriage (never try to rescue trailer trash) and am recovering from a severe back injury.
MY WARSTORY = Actually, I wrote a book about the place but haven't been able to get it published. It's a about a hypothetical terrorist attack on the island and the MPF fleet. If I can come up with the scratch I'll have it Vanity Published and hawk the damned thing on the net. Yes, the characters are loosely based on some traits of the people I knew when I was in the Corps (Hats off to the boys in Fallujah!). But as time adds perspective and a rich patina to my memories, it is more the missed opportunities and the fabulous levels of social interaction which come to the fore. It saddens me that most of what was wrong with the island had to do with the fatwas of "Airman Derson" and his fascist principles and French Penal Colony leadership style. A lot of good people left the Navy because of that moral slagheap. DG was the only place in 13 years where I saw seditious grafitti at a military base and all of it was directed at him and I didn't have to write a word of it. On that note, kudos to the Royal Marines who routinely put dead crabs and fish in the undercarriage of his official K-car. But then the dark was replaced by light. Capt. Wilson was one of the finest true gentlemen I have had the honor to serve- in and out of the military. Also, Maj. Richard Scott was a prince among men and a fine leader who understood how to get the best out of all of us. Bless him for his patience and his true wisdom (Sorry, Sir, for all the silver bullets you had to use to protect me). Thanks to Mrs. Goodcrime and Kathy from Comm. who made the pasta and the laughter and thanks also to both of the brilliant Patrol Det. commanders who led the merry pranksters and the zero-dark-30 cat-shots from Melanoma Beach into the lagoon. Mostly, thanks to the Marines who reliably stood their posts, shift after mind-numbing shift, with quiet professionalism and who didn't gripe or whine about the bizarre directives which routinely came out of NSF HQ during the first half of my tour. Because of their calm competence I was able to spend a lot more time joy riding in the Brit air cushion vehicle, crushing crabs on runs to the plantation and dribbling Tabasco sauce (and occasionaly, stomach contents) on the crabs below the Ex-pat Club (as well as designing fun training). Marines- thanks for making the live fire at the Ex-Pat a success and for the enthusiasm which finally allowed us to beat the Brits at tug-o-war. Too, hats off to the Brit Marines for handing us our ass in almost every competition- it kept our heads from getting too swelled up. Thanks to Cpl "Sick Pat" Eddinger for beating the Brits to the Club- in the bread truck! A find memory is of the time when our ebony mountain of a short-timer staff sergeant wandered over, drunk, in his pajamas, to the the weight-lifting competition and entered at the last minute to keep the bench-press trophy from going to the RMs. And thanks to Sgt. Vonneumann for breaking that lippy squid's face- it needed breaking. Finally, thanks to both the Brit Reps for standing up to the encroaching tendency of the US Navy to restrict its personnel in suffocating ways. The Brit Reps during my tour had widely varying styles but in the end they were "the right sort" and both contributed to the overall enjoyment of the island. If you knew me, let me know what you are up to. The people made it fun.
 

1989-1990
     NAME = Mel Ortiz
     MY QUEST = To return to D.G. and do it all again
     VT of a SWALLOW = zero when it hits the windshield
     E-MAIL = mni536@msn.com
     NATIONALITY = American
     SERVICE = USMC
     UNIT = MCSF Co.
     RANK/RATE/JOB = CPL then, civ now
     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 = Drunken escapades with my brother Marines at the Brit Club or any place where there is a free beer.  hash runs, standing in line at the mess hall for pancit, take out from Diego Burger, chasing (begging) after navy women at any location and raising and lowering the colors every morning and night.

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

1988 May to Jan 17 2000
NAME = Harry Johnson
MY QUEST = To say Hi to all my old friends still there
VT of a SWALLOW = Who cares
E-MAIL = fuelman808@yahoo.com
NATIONALITY = American
UNIT = Fuels Manager for Febroe, IPAC, BJS, DG21LLC
RANK/RATE/JOB = I'm Ret. Navy E-8 Aviation Boatswan Mate. Worked with a lot of good people on DG both Military and Civilian.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Other
MY WARSTORY = All the years I was there I was happy and content. I met and fell in love with a very lovely lady I hired in 1989 and married her in 2000 Feb. 14. We both worked for the Contractors and she left in 2001 May. I had a heart attack there in DG. But the great folks at the NSF Clinic put me on a plane to Singapore and while in route after take off I Died but the Flight Nurse and Flight Sergeon brought me back so after three months of extensive care at Singapore I was allowed to travel to my home in PI and from there to the US to continue my care at NNMC Bethesda Hosp. My wife and I are living in the States now and hope All is well in DG. Other than Bob Butts I was the second Old timer still on the Island from the Febroe Days. That's my story gang and believe me if I could return to DG doing the same job as I was doing I would No question about it. Good Luck to all of you over there. We still have relatives working on the Island so we are still in contact.

I did two tours, from 1989-1990 and again from 1999-2000
     NAME = Burl Paugh
     MY QUEST = A real San Miguel, the kind from the Philippines
     VT of a SWALLOW = Who cares?
     E-MAIL = paugh38@yahoo.com
     NATIONALITY = United States American
     SERVICE = Navy
     UNIT = Public Works, AIMD
     RANK/RATE/JOB = Currently E6
     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Interested World Citizen
     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = There I Was, Passed Out on The Beach
     MY WARSTORY = I went back for a second tour in an attempt to remember what I did the first time I was there, and now here I am trying to remember it all two times as much.  But I have this overwhelming feeling that I really enjoyed my times there.  Recently I have been checking out the civilian job opportunities there.  Please send your insights into that if you have any.  To all who have volunteered their time on DG, thanks for joining the team.

1987 thru 1990
     NAME = Mel
     MY QUEST = To Remember 2 aquaintences that died there.
     VT of a SWALLOW = I ain't know!
     E-MAIL = melv@charleston.net
     NATIONALITY = american; SERVICE = contractor;  UNIT = Big Red
     MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want to Drink A Lot, Cheap
     SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = This is a No-Shit Fishing Story
     MY WARSTORY = I want to remember 2 friends that passed away while working at DG in 1988. First, Mr Lester Jones, who worked for the Base Operating Support facility contractor; FEBROE. He took R&R and flew to Clark to be with his girlfriend. He drank to much Redhorse and ate too much Pancit, passed out and choked on his own puke. He was a good friend of mine, my snorkeling buddy. We shared some dangerous ocean side and night time snorkeling adventures. The last thing I said to him was, "Have fun, but Control yourself!" (I said that a lot back then as if I had any self control myself.) He never returned to DG. They packed him out, I never did.
     Then there was Mr. Ramon Chew, a Filipino leadman at the harbor control center. He suffered a stroke and died. It took all the ice from all the ice machines on the Island to keep him cold until they could arrange a flight back to the PI. From what I heard FEBROE gave his wife an extra month pay for her suffering. He was a T.C.N.(Third Country Nationalist) He earned about 500 dollars per month, Big Deal!
     I turned 30 at DG, and will never forget the good times or the bad.

Jan 1989 - Jan 1990
NAME = TJ Weiss
MY QUEST = To return to those golden days of yesteryear
VT of a SWALLOW = Huh?
E-MAIL = mileweiss@earthlink.net
NATIONALITY = American; SERVICE = USAF; UNIT = Det 4, US Space Command (GEODSS);  RANK/RATE/JOB = MSgt at the time, now retired SMSgt
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = You know the difference between a war story and a fairy tale?  A fairy tale begins "Once upon a time", a war story begins "This ain't no shit!"
     Anyway, there I was, the lone female USAF Master Sergeant, and it didn't take long for the Chiefs to come out of the woodwork! And, who can forget the Merchant marines?  Anybody remember Diego Dave, first mate on the American Comorant, or as he affectionaly refered to it, "the big, red bitch?"  I particularly recall that unique meteorological phenomenon:  every Friday night a 'drunk front' would come in from the lagoon and settle over the Chief's Club!  I came away from Diego with new language skills (I now speak Navy) and a healthy respect for how the 'other half' lives.  I spent the remainder of my Air Force career 'enlightening' my fellow airmen as to just how good they have it, and made it very clear that I didn't want to hear anyone complain about  their working conditions, hours or base facilities! I saw the conditions Navy folk had to contend with!
     I truly miss the chief's community that was there at the time.  Especially the parties!  The "WAR Table", the "Coop" and the toga party (I have pictures!)
     Would love to hear from fellow 'shipmates' who were there during 1989.
Regards, fair winds and following seas!
TJ

1989 to 1990, also 85-86
NAME = Tom Shepke
E-MAIL = tomshepke@juno.com
NATIONALITY = American
SERVICE = U.S. Air Force
UNIT = Supt. OL-A, 374th TAW; Supt Det-1, 374th TAW
RANK/RATE/JOB = TSgt first tour, MSgt second tour.  Ret now
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = On Sunday, Our aircraft maintenance rep (QAE) MSgt Gene Lawless any myself would always go to the galley for their speciality; fried chicken.  I would go thru the line first and order a leg and a thigh.  Gene would do his best to communicate with the Filipinos by imitating a chicken.  He would alway say, "Give me some bak-bak".  So he would get his chicken wings and we would sit down to eat.  After about a month.  Gene was getting pissed because he would always get chicken wings.  I told him that, when he told the filipino guy he wanted bak-bak, he was asking for chicken wings because bak-bak is what filipinos call chicken wings.
    TSgt Ken Hadden was Our Aircraft Maintenance QAE on my first tour.  He was the one that would always ask for Bak-Bak and only got wings on Sunday at the galley. This occured shortly after he got picked up for DWI riding a bike past the Navy Security building, on his way back to the barracks from the Brit Club.  MSgt Eugene Lawless was our Aircraft Maintenance QAE on my second tour.

Feb 89 to Feb 90
NAME = Peter "Boogie" Lingesso
MY QUEST = I'd do it again!
VT of a SWALLOW = a case of San Migels or Tiger beers at the Brit club doing Gutter BEERS!!! YEAH!
E-MAIL = srfngtrz@hotmail.com;
NATIONALITY = Surfer; SERVICE = US Navy; UNIT = NCS C-site
RANK/RATE/JOB = I was an SKSR!  Young and full of lost memories because of nights at the tiki club/69 club/brit club/expat/SAN MIGUEL!  God Bless Diego, The Buccaner (AC PI) and the Heavy Metal club!
MY WARSTORY = Well it started when I was in SK "A" school, booked my flight from Norfolk VA to Diego Garcia BIOT!  I live near Philadelphia so I boarded my flight waving bye to my family and friends to fly to Norfolk on a friday.  Where a Taxi drove off with my orders/medical/dental records!!!!!!!!  Then I flew from Norfolk to Philly!!!!!!!!!!!  had a 4 hour layover and then flew for the next day or so to DGAr.  When we arrived at 3am, I got off the plane and was like what the heck is this, 400 degrees and sticky!  The worst part being NOBODY knew I was, and that I was going to arrive and I didn't have any orders because they were in a cab in norfolk.  Well, I was stationed at NFS for about 2 weeks and then I was traded, yes traded to the communication station (THANK GOD)!  Once at NCS it was awesome!  I was still living in the temp barracks where I met a guys Mark (BUGS) Lafty! who was from Philly and we got to be great friends and I got to play softball with the "Mutha Scratha's", and we all got to be great friends Bugs, Spoon, Woody, Sex(Doug Sesterhan) then Jimbo Perine, Larry Barr, Mac, Fetus, Dave "Greis" Greison hell if had any kind of memory I'd name all the boys, we all had a blast!  We absolutely partied and just had a good time the entire time I was there!  There's so many people I knew and so many good times!  The boys taking leave in the PI!  I came back the oldest 19 year old in the Navy!  I still think about all times we had!  And when we won the Island Softball Championship, Grim Reapers!  It was awesome! Worked hard and played even harder!  The bus trips to and from the Brit club doing the "Roller Coaster and Thank You Mr. Busdriver!"  The GUTTER BEERS!  and the breath mints!  and the times I will never forget!  Thank you boys and girls!  We had F-U-N!
 
 

89-91 , ALSO 85-86 plus 1 month in '87, and luckily a third time 99-01
NAME = Elisabeth "Red"  Gambrell; E-MAIL = seagambrell@yahoo.com
MY QUEST = To retire and spend the remainder of my days at the DGYC with a cold beer.
SEE HER ENTRY IN '85!

1988 - 1990 [see his 1988 entry]
NAME = Jim Bishop; E-MAIL = bishopjim@mindspring.com

1989 (1st time)
NAME = Taylor Clear
MY QUEST = Avoid shovelling snow
VT of a SWALLOW = 32 feet per second, squared
E-MAIL = Bilgeman@aol.com
NATIONALITY = American
UNIT = Oiler Maintenance Utility, ss Overseas Valdez
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY =  I may hold the record for the shortest tour of duty on DG...ONE DAY, and I have the discharge to prove it.
      I threw in on an OMU job aboard the Overseas Valdez from the Seafarers Hall in Seattle back in '89. I had thought to crack the coastwise Alaska tanker trade...(ha-ha! fat chance!). So, the DG job seemed the best option after I ran out of things to hock at the pawnshop.
      After the obligatory MSC physical, I was mailed to Seoul, via a 6-hour runway layover in Anchorage, in a 747 jam-packed with apparently every "Kim" from Korea.
      At Seoul, our connection to Manila was delayed leaving the gate, and we would arrive after curfew in the Phillipines, therefore, we were herded off this plane and into a hotel overnight,(traveler's hint: at all costs avoid eating Korean breakfast sausage).
      The next day dawned sunny and clear...perfect flying weather. We had a wonderful flight into Manila,(all 1,000 of us), and I was met at the airport there by a rather irate shipping agent who would convey me by, he claimed, "land transportation" to Clark AF base. As an aside, the airport police in Manila employed one of the most innovative "crowd-control" schemes I've ever come across...anywhere.
      At the terminal's exit was a horde of Filipinos...arriving passengers, relatives, taxi drivers, shoeshine boys, hucksters, etcetera. One security officer handed one end of a length of rope to his mate, and holding the other end walked to the other end of the gate area. When the rope was stretched taut,they both proceeded to walk slowly towards the street, holding the rope at about waist level.
     If you were supposed to be in the area, or just didn't feel like being "clotheslined" at the midriff, you lifted the rope over your head and allowed the "people sweep" to continue.  Despite this precision approach to area security, it was remarkable how much human flotsam and jetsam were deposited at the gutter. They even remained there for about 30 seconds after the two officers wound up their rope and went back to doing whatever they had been engaged in prior to this operation.
      But...on to Clark. Six hours in the backseat of a Filipino automobile is more time than any human should bear. At Clark, I was directed to get a hotel room out in Angeles City. Despite having mislaid my Mobil Travel Guide, I found a fine establishment. The bellhop was most helpful, offering to arrange personal entertainment of any and all genders...bipedal, quadrupedal or no-pedal at all. Seeking only a shower and a horizontal sleeping position, I declined.
      Sometime before dawn, I found myself aboard an Air Force C-141, my luggage and a box lunch to hand, strapped into yet another airplane seat and staring at the cargo...I do so enjoy the Air Mobility Command's version of "in-flight entertainment".
      Two or three nightmares, and one backache later, we landed on Diego.
      Oh joy! oh happiness! the end of my halfway around the planet odyssey.  The bus ride to the Seaman's Club is mercifully short, and I proceed to the Dispensary to complete my check-in procedure.
      At the Dispensary, the Chief Pharmacist's Mate asks to see my medical paperwork. I comply by handing him my Seafarers Clinic Card across the top of which is typed:   "MSC Physical-Virgina Mason Clinic, Seattle"
      The PM hands this card right back to me, repeating that he needs to see my paperwork. I hold the card up to him at eye-level,like some kind of talisman, and state that this is what I've been given.
      He then claims that I should have been provided with one letter-sized document, and one legal-sized document, one of which certified that I was fit to serve on Diego, the other apparently certifying that the first document was indeed written by a medical professional.  He further asserted that without both of those documents in my possession, I would have to leave the island on the next flight.
      At this point,still holding my clinic card up like a religious icon,I began to suspect that either the Chief has been out in the tropical sun for too long, or was medicating himself from his pharmaceutical stores. I beat a hasty retreat from the Dispensary and end up at the Seaman's Club bar.
      After deep consultation with the "Wise Men" at that fine establishment, I made my way to the launch and out to the ship. I informed the Captain of the clerical snafu and its' attendant administrative repercussions ashore. He assured me that the machinery would be set in motion to fax the required documents to the authorities. He bid me welcome aboard,logged me into the crew,directed me to my stateroom,informed me of my watch assignment, and bid me good
day.
      I stood exactly one 8 hour watch...the midnight to 0800. Grabbed breakfast, a shower, unpacked the rest of my gear and had just tucked in for the first decent snooze in 3 days when the Captain and the Chief Engineer were knocking at my door. Yes, Virginia, I really DID have to leave the island on the next plane.
      Ergo, I was hussled aboard the vintage DC-8 that was apparently the ONLY flying asset of "Air Hawaii" or "Aloha Air" or whatever the lowest contract bidder styled itself, and we "hopscotched" our way through the Persian Gulf, Southern and Central Europe, and on to Philadelphia...where I was unceremoniously ejected from the aircraft.
      After seven day's travel across the face of the globe, I was feeling like a "Method Actor" studying for a bit part in "Night of The Living Dead". I checked into an Econo-Lodge in lovely Chester PA, (the food was better than Korea, but the staff was not nearly so helpful as Angeles City), and called the company headquarters in NYC. The conversation went thus:
      "This is Taylor Clear, I was supposed to join the Overseas Valdez as an OMU...what the fuck happened?".
      "Hey!...you were supposed to join the Overseas Valdez as an OMU...what the fuck happened?".
      I hung up the phone, took a long hot shower, and went to bed for 24 straight hours.
      I wouldn't return to Diego until 1996.

Dec 10th, 1989 through July 1990 Desert Shield/Desert Storm
NAME = Grant M. Smith
MY QUEST = Long, happy life
VT of a SWALLOW = 86 Miles Per Hour
E-MAIL = grant.smith@globalcrossing.com
NATIONALITY = United States of America; SERVICE = USAF; UNIT = Umm...lemmme seeeee....4th Combat Comm from the Philippines (tho not officially); RANK/RATE/JOB = I had some stripey things, lets see like Senior Airman or something.  Yeah, that's right Senior Airman.
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 = I was stationed in the Philippines, at the fourth Combat communications squadron.  Had a good time there.  Didn't do a whole lot, besides train, and play "Jeopardy" on our one computer...a Zenith Z100 laptop.
     About then, Saddam H. invaded Kuwait, and Bush gave his "this naked aggression" speech.  I like to think I volunteered when they needed to send our unit to a classified location...at least that's how I remember it.  A 107 van (bread truck filled with communications equip), a satellite system, and some generators.
     I remember getting the orders.  "Deployement in support of Joint Chiefs of Staff operation Desert Shield".  the rest of the paper was blacked out, and unreadable.  I remember the C141 ride to the island.  One guy was looking out the small window in the door as we landed.  He was telling us what he saw as the plane descended.  he kept saying "water", "water", "water" "...getting real close to the water", "I see palm trees!, then the plane touched down....never forget that.
     We set up in a grassy area between a pond, the flight line, and the runway.  Noisy as hell, and we worked 12 on, 12 off for 31 days straight, until we got everything set up.  It's funny, the satellite guys had a dish set up so we could get an audio feed of CNN, (no video, just audio).  We would listen to the reports, and CNN would be saying "..and the United States is thought to have eighteen B-52's in the theatre"....then you'd look over to the south, and there'd be 27 B-52's.
     I'll never forget laying in my cot at night wondering if this was really war.  I'll never forget 11PM the night the air war started...the deafening roar of the Buffs beginning to taxi out to the runway...they came toward our site, and then made a turn and headed for the end of the runway.  I'll never forget standing outside our site in a line with all of the other comm guys, delivering a sharp salute to each aircraft as it taxied past.  I'll never forget the level of respect I had for each aircrew I saluted as they passed by us on their way to an uncertain fate.  I'll never forget how everyone waited until they all returned at 11 am the next day.  I never felt very military the whole time I was in the AF, but, at that moment, I felt very proud, and very patriotic, and I had the deepest respect for those pilots.
     I remember living in tent city, and I remember conning the civil engineering guys out of some wood, so we could build a deck on the front of our tent.  I remember using an entire spool of parachute cord and 2x4's to make our own lawn furniture.  I remember all of the great folks I was there with.
    I still have scars on my knuckles from opening beer cans by "punching" the top in...it was my trade-mark when we went drinking at the Ex-Pat, or the Brit Club.  I remember the "queens crabs" everywhere, and the little pinkish blotches they made on DG-1 when they got (accidentally, of course) run over.
     I'll never forget my little island paradise.  If I had to go to war all over again, I'd do it the very same way.  Grant Smith
[EDITOR'S QUESTION:  Did you ever see any of the toads down near your hootch?]  Yes, we had a toad invasion early one morning.  We had a tent set up so it filled the space between our van, and another.  The toads must have been migrating or mating or something, because there were hundreds of them all of the sudden.  Some of them had extra legs, and no toes, etc.  Must have been all of that flightline runoff!

John Tartaglia  <JGTARTAGLIA@aol.com>
My name is John Tartaglia Ex RN CPO and was stationed in DG from August 89 to Sept 90.  This was the best year of my life to date and have many memories of DG that I will never forget.  It was an honor to serve with the US Navy and to be a part of Desert Storm.  It is good to know that this site is up and running as I found it humorous and informative.  It was also interesting to note that things have not changed a great deal since I was there.  Keep up the good work and good luck to you all.   John Tartaglia  Ex I/C Airport and Immigration Officer 1989-1990
[editor's note:  Debs says you were there 90-91, and to get your dates straight, mate.]

NAME = Sack Johannesmeyer
E-MAIL = s1946@aol.com
MY WARSTORY = Great idea!  Thanks for the opportunity.  As one of the US Navy "Sea Bees" DG was the house we built and maintained and we're very proud of that.  Of course the key to its beauty and success as always is and was "location, location, location".  Many fond memories of paradise - the plantation, fishing for yellow fin, yahoo and grouper, eating yellow fin, wahoo and grouper, snorkeling, shell collections, breaks to Singapore, softball, volleyball, basketball, running.  As I enjoyed paradise my wife with the three kids survived the brunt of HUGO.  I'm still paying for that!!  Today my goal is to be in my DG physical condition - although a goal I know not achievable unless I'm in DG.  Hope you have that chance!
 

1989
GEORGE WILSON <George.Wilson@maxwell.af.mil> or <GEWLLW@aol.com
     Ted, I was mighty pleased to see the Diego Garcia site-As most of the accounts I've read indicate the tour there was super!  I was there 1989-1990.  I was fortunate enough to be there as a member of the Navy. What a great place- The big Desert Storm build up had been underway a little more than a month when I had to leave.  I am anxious to look at some of the recent pictures you have to see what has happened in the past 11 years. If you ever hear of any employment opportunities back there please pass along my name! Thanks for the work!

summer 1989
NAME = Bob Sindeldecker
MY QUEST = to go back and visit DG and become a citizen *IF* it gets independence
VT of a SWALLOW = zero (DUH)
E-MAIL = sindeldeckerr@hotmail.com
NATIONALITY = (currently) American, (provisionally) Diego Garcian
SERVICE = US Navy
UNIT = NONE: I was a machinist's mate on the USS Jason (AR-8)
RANK/RATE/JOB = THEN: E3, NOW: civilian
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Geo-political Rabble Rousing
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = Actually, I Have a Real Story To Tell
MY WARSTORY = Engineers lead a hard life. It's nothing but duty and sleep out at sea. For this reason we got nothing but liberty (except for duty days) on DG. My ship was co-ed back when most ships weren't so we had plenty of horny females along with us. Unfortunately they were sick of seeing our scraggly asses for the past 3 months and would only fuck the Brits and the occasional non-scraggly merchant sailor (there are a few).
     My memories are divided into drinking and non-drinking.
DRINKING: I went to the one disco I could find and drank a lot. Being drunk makes me incredibly attractive to women, but none of the women noticed this. Another time I went to the Expat Club (on the IO side near San Miguel Village) and discovered I could drink while eating pizza. My fellow snipes and I invented a new sport wherein we flung pizza plates onto the beach and poured beer into them and watched the crabs get drunk. The more the merrier! We also flung San Miguel bottles onto the beach and watched the drunk crabs play King Of The Hill. We weren't allowed onto the beach ourselves because it was a crab preserve (I love crab preserves ...) so we couldn't clean up our mess.
SAN MIGUEL TECHNICAL NOTE: the real San Miguel in the PI contains formaldehyde, which gives it that extra tang. Exported San Miguel doesn't, so I haven't bothered to drink it since I returned to the US. In 1989 DG was getting the real PI San Miguel. We even managed to smuggle a few bottles on board (shhh!).
NON-DRINKING: I rented a bike and rode as far as I could before two snotty MPs turned me back (Ooooooooh, you got *SECRET* stuff back in there somewhere, huh? Shucks fellas, I won't tell!). Played volleyball with some very hot British nurses, who were also fucking only Brits. Ate a lot of Diego Burgers. Watched a movie in the outdoor movie theater. Bought essentials I couldn't get on the ship (Cap'n Crunch!). Spent some nice, quiet, easy days on the beach where I found plenty of old coins that weren't worth anything and met a lot of crabs. Drank at the Brit Club and got pissing mad when I found out how much merchant sailors got paid. Didn't bother making any overpriced phone calls. Wished I could see the rest of the island.
OH YEAH: I also managed to skate off all of my duty days after a few hours of doing stuff that was calculated to take me all day. It's nice to have a Chief Engineer who feels sorry for you.
     In short I had a great time. DG was the only port I saw where there were no smelly locals trying to sell me worthless crap. Also no sex, but that's a small price to pay for peace and quiet. I still have my BIOT polo shirt and Hard Rock Cafe Diego Garcia t-shirt, though now they no longer quite fit the way they used to. Can't wait to go back!
HERE's the text of an email asking about the Jason:
    >On the Jason, huh?  When she came in when I was there (87/88) the first thing we did was launch a medivac to Clark in the PI with about 30 pregnancies to be terminated.
     WOW! I thought we were a randy bunch with about 8 or 9! Well, they didn't call it the Love Boat for nothing.
    >Was J.J. Hogan still the Captain?
     No such luck. The Jason is basically a retirement gig for senior captains who are unlikely to make Admiral. As such it has a high turnover rate for COs, about once a year or so. My captain was Capt. Jantz, a real squid who enlisted E1 and came up through the ranks. He was a submariner most of his career. He "retired" a bit early though; we were coming back from Oman and stopped in Yokosuka Japan, where NIS found him in a hotel fucking an enlisted chick (she was only 18!).
     So, they let him retire early instead of firing him. The guy we got for the rest of the cruise was a real prick, a commander bucking for captain, and he actually made us wear our full uniforms out at sea (usually it's completely casual where civilians can't see you). We snipes put up a fuss and got an exception, because full dungaree uniforms in 120 deg. engine rooms don't bode well for the safety of the ship - or snipes!
    >When I was there, Hogan used to drive a staff car full of female ensigns & j.g.s to the o'club and if any of us island rats looked at them, he'd get real angry.  Basically they were there for him to dance with.  We called the show "J.J. and the dancing Jasonettes".  One night a helo pilot let all the air out of the staff car's tires after Hogan yelled at him, and Hogan drove all the way back to Alpha Wharf on the rims.
     Hehehe! That sounds about like him. Man, I heard a lot of stories about Hogan. We had this one second class, Calvin Washington, who was nothing but a suck up. He knew next to nothing about engineering: once he said, "I'm gonna show y'all how to install this pipe!" and then he instralled it *WITHOUT GASKETS*. It was a main steam pipe too, so when they tested it the egineering spaces became an instant steam bath.
     Anyway, Washington was about to be denied re-enlistment because he didn't make 2nd class (this was when he was 3rd class). So what does he do? he finds out Hogan likes deep sea fishing. Then he comes onto him all about how he loves deep sea fishing, and they go out fishing together. The next week he's promoted directly by the captain, ignoring his lousy record and total lack of recommendation by his cadre. Smart boy; if he'd tried that with Jantz he might have been court martialed.
     Thanks for the job recommendations and for reminding me about the tax thing.  My home of record in the Navy was Tallahassee, Florida and I lived in California without paying income tax - suh-weeeet! I'd sure love to do that again! Maybe I can find a brancch of a Briish bank there and keep my money *really* out from Uncle sam's nose.
    Oh, do you know if there's internet access on DG? It would seem there is if the Brit Club has a site, but you don't know really where that computer is. As long as I can get e-mail I'll be fine.
Thanks again,  Bob  P.S. you can add this stuff to my war story if you want to.
 

1989-1991
NAME = Brian Schuler
MY QUEST = To find "Barber Chair III" and stat the party all over......
VT of a SWALLOW = 32 feet per second per second from the inverted San Miguel thru the funnel to my mouth
E-MAIL = webmaster@thetaconn.net
NATIONALITY = Human; SERVICE = US Navy; UNIT = AIMD Avionics WC 610, 640, 64D, and occasionlly 670 and 690
RANK/RATE/JOB = Left as AT2(AW) Brian D Schuler to USS Backyard.....
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 Fishing Story
MY WARSTORY = ...got pictures and video to back up this story.  Butch, Bobby, Dexter, Hobie and myself took an early moring Sea Ox for Bobby's last fishing excursion.  We had Ramon driving and ventured to the west side of the island for some real good trolling.  "Fish On!!!", Bobby's line went tight and the struggle was on for a fourteen foot reef shark.  He
finally surfaced after about forty minutes, then straight to the bottom.  Almost an hour later, after we took turns pulling and reeling, he surfaced as tired as the whole crew.  We proceeded to tie his tail to side of the boat, but Ramon was to have no part of that monkey business. Nor was he going to let us tow him in.  After more than two hours of fighting, sweating, and heaving (Hobie) for this fish, we were not going to give up that easy.  Bobby said he at least wanted the jaws.  So with the shark tied to the side of the Sea Ox, Bobby, Butch, and Dex began to work on his head with two machetes and a sledge hammer.  After much distress and bitterness from the shark (he was not a happy camper), we discovered our weapons of distruction were rendered useless by the sandpaper skin and only the cartilage in the neck
was keeping us from our prize.  Twisting and rolling with his head just a flopping, the shark was not giving up yet.  He broke free of his head line and almost rolled into the boat, his head held only by the two inch cord of nerves and cartilage.  Blood was pumping out like an open fuel nozzle.  In fear of some sort of shark frenzy, we desparately gaffed him and pulled him to the boat and submission.  Frantically Butch, Bobby, and myself worked with our useless machetes and a dull filet knife to remove the jaws of this beast.  At the moment of retrival, Dex cut the tail line only to see this fish flee from its final demise.  Thru the swells we could see the feeding frenzt that began with this foundering fish.  Bobby left, without his jaws.  Butch swore for a cure on them and a Pack-n-Wrap for Bobby, but I'm not sure.  Hobie got married and Dex is still on Rock Hard Cafe, Diego Garcia.  As for me, still waiting for my next "Fish On"......
B-Loose...B-Cool
Wizard....Liked your story
Burl...Cowgirls in the Sand
JT Madison...contact me
J. S. Clay...contact me
Butch...contact me
Cal Lab Dave...contact me
Jackie...hope all is well at the Duck Pond
Scott V from 650...contact me

89-90 & 86-87
NAME = AO1 Jim Anderson
MY QUEST = lookin for Tomas George, AO2
VT of a SWALLOW = 186mph
E-MAIL = popeye@willinet.net
NATIONALITY = u.s
SERVICE = USN
UNIT = VRC-50, Weapons
RANK/RATE/JOB = AO1 then out of navy at present
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Want to Drink A Lot, Cheap
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = There I Was, Passed Out in My Room
MY WARSTORY =  making love to a bag of rice? When AO2 Tom George(AIMD)and caroll an AC2 stoped by we was taking about the Buff weapons guys dropping C.B.U.s on the ramp.  Thats when I looked at caroll and knew we  were going to bomb the shit out of the rag heads that nite.   And it was a sure thing at or around 4 am CNN live!!  One thing I do know Dodge was my home, if you go out behind weapons dept to the beach and see or use the hut I was the guy who built the path and hut ya you my have re-done it but I was the frist one drunk in it ANY one knowing were Tom George is write me Jim Anderson 1217 cedar st Boone Iowa 50036
 

89-90 and all of 96!
NAME = Jim
MY QUEST = "I wanna go back, to the island!"
VT of a SWALLOW = Some of us knew a girl who could swallow TWICE!!  and you ask such a question!
E-MAIL = luvcaptmrgn@home.com    (write me if you know me!!!)
SERVICE = Air Force; UNIT = PACAF AMMO
MY WARSTORY = I was lucky enough to get two tours to dodge out of the Air Force, and I'm currently lookin for a third!  (I'll let ya know if I get it!)  I have so many great pictures and even more great memories of the single greatest spot on the planet!  Some of my favorites include: Pizza night and sunsets at the EXPAT, gettin shells at southpoint, buildin fires in the barbeque grill at Cannon Point on the weekends and getting smashed out there under the stars, teachin aerobics to some of the best lookin women I've had occasion to meet, partyin with George, Mango and the boys (both times I was there...man, those guys have the best life!!), sailin on the most consistent tropical breezes anywhere, snorkeling in the lagoon, the socials at the Yacht Club, flying in and out through the PI and Singapore!!, walkin back from the Brit Club at 2 in the morning singing the theme song to "The Flintstones", all the rain in March and April, crew lunches at the Seaman's club and all the best friends I made each time I was there!!  I'm with Marci, I wanna go back and NEVER LEAVE again!

1989-1993
NAME = Rod Hobbs <rodhobbs@hotmail.com>
NATIONALITY = U.S.; UNIT = Fire Chief & Director of Operations
RANK/RATE/JOB = Civilian employee with IPAC (Johnson Controls). I am still with JC at NSB Bangor, Washington.  JC just won the contract at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, and I am going there next month (August 00) (Fla. is my home)
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
SUBJECT OF MY STORY: = This is a No-Shit Fishing Story
MY WARSTORY = Fishing is really great on D.G. It use to be better before the Government (?) started letting commerical fishermen get closer (1990-91).  Before that it was no problem getting 400+lbs. of tuna & wahoo in 1/2 day.  I caught two Marlins (1992) with-in a 5 week period, 200+lbs. and 412 lbs. And I have the pictures to prove it! The largest Marlin caught on DG was caught by Bob Butts (Still there, Antenna Maint.) in 1990 (?) It was so big the scale couldn't take the weight.  Had to pick it up with a crane.  The estimated weight was 800+lbs.
     I really miss the fishing, parties and all the good folks at D.G. I think of the good times and beautiful sunsets (Best in the world) quite often and think about maybe going back one day.
     I tried to send pineapple george an e-mail last week but couldn't get thru.
     Wishing all at DG the very best!!!  Rod Hobbs
 
 

1989
Rob Eidsmoe E-MAIL = reidsmoe@earthlink.net
NATIONALITY = USA; SERVICE = USN; UNIT = Just passing through; RANK/RATE/JOB = LT at the time, CDR at present.
MY INTEREST IN DG IS = Stroll Down Memory Lane
MY WARSTORY = It was the late summer or early fall of 1989.  I was an SH-3H pilot stationed aboard USS Ranger when we pulled into port.  One of the things I remember was that we went ashore in Mike boats, similar to the WWII kind or maybe they were from there.  Anyway we were packed into these boats and it reminded me of an invasion since several ships of the Ranger Battle group came.  I'm sure the population doubled or tripled with us there.  I remember trying to buy beer at the minimart and we were limited to a six pack per person.  I recall that they actually ran out of beer there while we were there.  Luckily, the Ranger brought some with her and we had that to share.  I enjoyed the officers club very much.  The drinking story part is bland.  Some guys from the airwing ended up putting a bunch of sand into the Gov't car that was loaned out to the Air Wing Commander.  I also remember sitting in the gazebo out back of the O club and actually watching a shark cruise by the lagoon right in front of the steps that led from the gazebo to the beach.  That pretty much put the kabosh on swimming for me!  Instead we retired to the Brit Club to finish the evening off.  Incidentally, we were not allowed to stay overnight, so we had to stumble back into the Mike boats for a slow trip back to the carrier.  That's pretty much all my story.  There were so many sailors that we had to share liberty.  I got on shore two times out of 5 days.  I did get to fly around the island though and that was a blast.  I enjoyed the web site.
Moe Eidsmoe, CDR, USN

1989
DON HAND <samendon@aol.com>
    In the summer of '89, I was sent out to the Rock to catch my ship as it came out of the Gulf.  I spent 11 days in TPU, and loved each and every day.  I would spend the mornings working for some crazy Filipino moving furniture, and then hang out at the beach all day.  Rough deal for a Seaman.  Every day when they would put the list up for the COD flights, I kept getting bumped back because of my Seaman status.  I wasn't fighting.
    One afternoon, a buddy and I got the idea that we wanted some fresh coconut, so we spent hours "husking" a coconut.  After we had completely shredded our hands, we got to the nut and couldn't figure out how to crack the dang thing.  Finally after a few beers, we wandered around and found a loose street sign.  With our new found Super-Duper coconut opener, we proceed to bash the thing in.  Finally we hid the sign under the barracks, and sat on the porch drinking beer and eating the best Coconut I ever had.
    The next day, one of the "locals" asked us how we like Diego Garcia.  We said we liked it just fine, but thought it was a shame that there wasn't an easier way to get at the coconuts.  He looked at us funny, reached down, picked one up, jammed it on a spike ripped the husk off and then pulled a knife off the counter and opened it up in one stroke!  He handed my buddy and me equal halves of a coconut full of juice.
    12 years later I got stationed in Hawaii, and am now quite comfortable in the required skills of opening a coconut.
    Long live the (Provisional) Republic!!!
    Don Hand USN (yeah, still active and still a blueshirt)
 
 

July 1989 to July 1990
SCOTT HERBERT <herbmonster@home.com>
MY QUEST = Get take out from Donkey Burger
VT of a SWALLOW = same as a shot from an M-16
NATIONALITY = American; SERVICE = USMC; UNIT = MCSF Co.; RANK/RATE/JOB = CPL
MY WARSTORY = Things that made me a better man:
Capt. R.E. Venola's "Thunder PT", who could miss doing the "O" course with a gas mask on, or carrying telephone poles 100M.   I sure could go for some Lumpia right now.  The nights at the Brit club drinking beer from a gutter.  A good old Hash Run through the jungle.   This is a great site a good way back to DG if only in spirit.
 
 

Nov 89 to Oct 90
JAMES DOUCET <spunkyduce@yahoo.com>
MY QUEST = to find old teammates of dodges best softball team ever Rock Bottom
SERVICE = U.S. NAVY; UNIT = R SITE
RANK/RATE/JOB = I WAS A GREEN E-2 WHEN I STEPPED ON TO DG AND LEFT A SEASONED E-3 THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE.. I AM NOW OUT OF THE NAVY AND SELL NEW CARS IN AUSTIN TEXAS
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 'How I Put One Over On My Senior Chief' Story
MY WARSTORY = MY STORY IS JUST MEMORIES OF SLAMEXS AT RM1 DICKS PLACE. GOING TO XPAC AND DIEGO BURGER EVERY DAY. (GREAT BLT THERE)....AND rock BOTTOM THE BEST SOFTBALL TEAM EVER WE BEAT THE WAJINNIES...BEST FRIENDS WERE RM2 TORCHIA...ET2 KRUTCHMER AND BEVERLY JOHNSON...
 
 

1989 - 1990
MALISSA BLINDT <mblindt@hotmail.com>
What is Your Quest?  To Relive fun time on DG
Radioman while on Diego..enjoyed the island wide events when I could join in...Diego Burger..EXPac Club and the Brit Club.....Reenlisted at Cannon Point......Blonde, 38, hazel eyes…Would like to to locate my reenlistment photos that were taken at cannon point do not know if Navcommsta still has them or not....?????

1989-1990
CHUCK KEATING <chuckk@sterlink.net>
SERVICE = USN
UNIT = NavCommSta..C-site
RANK/RATE/JOB = Was CTT3 then....got out in 93..working for a mid-sized telecom company in the NW.
      I am a Born Liar, and Want To Tell About All The Sex I Had on Dodge..... Man...even the chickens ran away from me :)

1989-1990
DAVID DERBY <david.derby@atlantis.co.ac
MY QUEST = To enjoy life
VT of a SWALLOW = Slower than my farts
SERVICE = US Navy; UNIT = NCS Diego Garcia; RANK/RATE/JOB = Then: ET1
Now:  CIV on another remote island. Just another minor job (GPS)

1989-1990
SUSAN BECKMAN CLAPP <clapp@mediaone.net>
What is Your Quest? anything for a laugh!
Tell Me All About Yourself: just your average 28 year old navy girl!!  [Editor's Note:  She must have been 18 on DG....hmmmmmm]
 

1989-1990
ERIC RUSHING <angel_rush@msn.com>
Jan. 1989- Jan. 1990.  ET1(SW) was stationed on DG at the transmitter site....Way out in the boonies...I installed all of the rockwell transmitters there and had a blast fishing and fixing up the post office on the brit side. might return one day...maybe my twilight tour....LOL.

1984-1989, 1999-????
FRED TAMBELLINI <ftam911@cwnetdg.io><dgchief911@yahoo.com><fredtambellini@hotmail.com>
     I am Fred Tambellini,and I was on Diego Garcia with FEBROE 1984 to 1989 as Asst. Fire Chief.  Went to Berbera and Mogadishu, Somalia, with Admiral Lee - COMFAIRWESTPAC - to do a fire protection risk assessment. Will send you
a story or two.  Also, I am back on Diego Garcia as Fire Chief. WEIRD or what !!!  Best to you all, FRED the fire guy.