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Bob Hope's 1972
Diego Garcia Tour! 
Page 3...

Rick Cole's Submission:



For my new facebook friends, I post a story about my military service twice a year-on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.  My father, grandfather and six of my uncles, and a cousin served our country.  Most served under difficult circumstances and they didn’t tell their stories.  I want to preserve my story.

I had lots of help with this story.  The pictures in color were taken by Carl Villanueva who was there when I was but we didn’t know each other.  The black and white pictures were provided by David Trewalla*. He was a hut mate for most of the year I was there. Ted Morris created a wonderful website where people like me posted their stories about Diego Garcia. My thanks for the help. http://www.zianet.com/tedmorris/dg/links.html

Thus far all of my posts have been about my experience on Diego Garcia where I was the first officer to arrive for the new Naval Communication Station.  I arrived on September 30 1972.  I was 25 years old.  I begin this story a month or so after I arrive.

Bob Hope Christmas 1972

During World War II, Bob Hope began visiting and entertaining military service members.  He visited troops around the world virtually every year from the first Bob Hope shows in the 1940’s until 1971. There was no plan for a tour during Christmas 1972.  But in early November 1972 rumors were surfacing that Bob Hope was considering another Christmas show. Mid-month the word came that there would be a show and Diego Garcia would host it on Christmas Day. 

The Special Services Officer on Diego Garcia, Lt. Howard Henze, wrote Bob Hope and asked him to come but he did not tell the Seabee Commander on the Island.  When the invitation was accepted by Bob there were requirements that come with the show.  First the existing airfield was 4000 long with a gravel surface and was unable to accommodate the jet that would bring in the show.   In order to land the C-141 used by the Show Group the permanent concrete runway which was under construction needed to be finished so the C-141 could land.  The Seabee Battalion Commander was not happy.  He would have to rearrange his construction priorities to be sure the concrete runway would be complete and he would also have to prepare facilities for the show including building a stage and other facilities to allow the show.   The Seabee crews were already working six 10-12 hour days but it would take additional time to prepare for the show.

Everyone on the island except maybe the Seabee Commander was excited.  We didn’t know who was going to join Bob Hope but we knew it would be funny and involve beautiful women and a variety of entertainment stars.  Something to look forward to.  Anticipation prior to the show relieved the boredom that resulted from everyday being the same, no change of seasons, no place to go other than swimming or fishing and no interaction with anyone except other island inhabitants.

A week or two before Christmas I was invited to attend a reception with the participants in the show.  I suspect that since I was the current ranking officer for the soon to be commissioned Naval Communication  Station that I received the invitation. 

Wow!  I didn’t know if I was to be nervous or excited or just tongue tied.  I hadn’t seen a woman in three months and many of the Seabee crew hadn’t seen a woman in eight months.  It was going to be interesting to see how everyone reacted including me

Before the show

The big day arrives and all is ready.  The new concrete runway was completed just two days before Christmas.  On Christmas Day the plane with the show participants lands, it is the first plane to land on the new 6000- foot concrete runway.  The show participants head to town.  The first vehicle to arrive in the living area is an open air jeep carrying Bob Hope.  I am near the entry to the area when he arrives.   He stops at the main entrance and points to the millage sign that show distances to various U S and world locations  I believe it said New York to the left 9000 miles and Los Angeles to the right 11000 miles  Bob laughs and tells the film crew who is following to be sure and get a shot of the sign.  He is impressed with how remote Diego Garcia is. 

There are about 6 or7 hours before the show.  Bob Hope goes to take a nap in the Island Commanders hut which is next to mine and the rest of the group disperses in downtown (still not sure that there is a downtown) Diego Garcia and in some of the facilities to wait for the show.

A birds eye view for some of the Seabees

What happens before the show?  My hut mates who are all junior officers have laid out strategies for the day.  Bob S, who has the space next to me is well prepared.  He finds out where most of the young women are spending their free time.  Now Bob S. is a good guy who has the greatest confidence when it comes to approaching women he has never met.  A while later I see him walking on our beach with a lovely lady.  It turns she is Miss Kansas who won the swimsuit competition at the Miss USA contest.  He spends all his free with Miss Kansas. 

The excitement builds

The picture below may be Miss Kansas as she was one of the few dark haired ladies in the show.  It turns out that Bob S has built a relationship in those few hours.  He and Miss Kansas exchange addresses and he and she correspond while he is on the island.  The rest of us hut mates are very impressed.

Now the rest of us are unsure what to do.  I look out to our beach and there is Redd Foxx wandering down the beach looking for seashells.  The only thing I can think is that this is a long way from “Sanford and Son’s” junkyard.

Eventually I make my way to the reception for everyone from the show and some of us.  I joined up with one of my hut mates who also was invited to the reception.  Beyond awkward is my first feeling.  How do you approach the show participants?  I look for the least obtrusive way to mingle.   One of the easiest people to approach is Delores Hope, Bob’s wife.  A group of us gather around her.  She is warm and friendly and makes us feel like she can serve as a mother surrogate for the day.  She will prove that later during the show. 

There are other stars there including Lola Falana and of course there were many recent beauty contestants participants include Miss World, Miss World Runner-Up who was also Miss Europe.  I wasn’t quite sure who Lola was but a lot of the other guys at the reception knew of her and she was warm and talkative.  She was beautiful and seemed to enjoy our company.  I learn later that she had appeared on a number of television programs and was a frequent companion of Sammy Davis Jr. 

At the reception there were a group of beauty contestants from the USA but I can’t remember the states they represented.  I learn later some of them were ill and couldn’t attend the reception. 

My hut mate and I finally get up enough courage to ask Miss World Runner-Up if she would take a picture with each of us.  She politely agrees.  She is still the most beautiful woman I have ever met. As I researched for this post I learned her name was Ingeborg Sorensen.  She was from Norway.  After I returned to the US,  I saw her in a couple of commercials.  I also learn she has been a winner in many other beauty contests.  She was clearly a favorite of the guys on the island.   I also learned from Wikipedia that both Lola Falana and Ingeborg Sorensen have been Playmates of the Month in Playboy.  I was surprised as I didn’t know prior to my research. 


The pictures above and below includes both Lola Falana and Ingeborg Sorensen.

         

After the reception it is time for the show.  The Seabees have created seating out of leftover construction material and various construction equipment has been stationed in strategic locations so some of the Seabees can get a birds-eye view of the show.   The stage is set within palm trees with a back drop of the lagoon.  It is very surreal.

The show is similar to all the Bob Hope Christmas specials I have seen on television in the past.  Being there makes me realize that we are a part of history that dates back to World War II.  It is a proud and happy feeling. 

Although the show is similar to those I saw on television in the past, it is unique.  Somehow Bob has learned a great deal about our life on Diego Garcia and he has jokes that makes us feel like he knows our plight and struggles.  He knows about the donkeys and mosquitos who are residents of the island and he brings humor to these experiences.  He also adlibs though out the show creating a steady stream of laughs.  It is one of the reasons Bob is so popular, he knows the mindset of the audience.  The actors. actresses and beauty contestants appear through the show with Bob, Redd Foxx and Lola Falana playing major roles. 


A show we will never forget.  Bob, the girls and the seabees

 

 

 

As the show nears completion Delores Hope appears on stage.  Unknown to me and many others she is an excellent singer.  She begins with traditional Christmas songs.  She closes the program with “I’ll be home for Christmas” There wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd. 


Delores Hope

The show is over and I experience and I suspect many other feel a wide variety of emotions.  We are happy with what we have seen, sad to see them go.  We feet a loss at the realization that this big event has passed and we need to go back to work tomorrow and we are still over 10000 miles from the USA with little connection to our families. 

Later we hear that Bob Hope was upset with his wife for singing a song that made us cry.  He is of the opinion that he is there to bring laughs and joy.  Again we hear that he sent her home rather than include her in other shows in Viet Nam and other military locations in Asia and the Pacific area.  I believe Bob was wrong, I believe more than any other element of the show we will remember that song by Delores Hope.

 

In late January 1973 the Bob Hope Christmas Show video was sent to Diego Garcia.  The show was shown back in USA at about the same time.  I remember that each year the Bob Hope Christmas Show was a major television event.  I believe I saw all of them.  The show included many other sites where the show was put on but it was great to relive that moments on that show from our island.  This was easily the most memorable moment from my year on the island as it probably was for the others who attended.

Oh and by the way Special Services Officer Lt Howard Henze received a commendation for his efforts to bring the show to Diego Garcia.

 

Other Notes

Ted Morris’s website has 48 years of postings from those who served or visited the island.  It also has special events and some international news coverage of the island.  It also has portions of the video of the Bob Hope Christmas Shop.  The color photos came from Ted’s site. 

Bob Hope also visited Diego Garcia in 1987 and did another Christmas show.  I believe he was 95 at the time.  A video of the 1987 was posted on Ted’s site.  Again here is the wesite address http://www.zianet.com/tedmorris/dg/links.html

*In my research for this story I was able to find David Trewolla my old hut mate.  We spent 1 1/2 hours on the phone-probably the longest phone call in the 40 years.  It was so much fun.  We hadn’t communicated since we were on the island 46 years ago. 

I also attempted to find some of the show participants for their memories about the ”Christmas Show” on Diego Garcia.  Bob Hope, Delores Hope and Redd Foxx has all died.  I tried to find Lola Falana.  I haven’t yet been successful but I have a lead.  I also have attempted to find Ingeborg Sorensen.  I did find an Ingeborg Sorensen from Oslo Norway who was about same age but she was not the right one.  I will continue to pursue both Ingeborg and Lola.  If anyone has ideas about how to find these two or any other show participants, please let me know.  I will update the story if I am successful.

On a sad note I found that Howard Henze died over 10 years ago. I would have liked to discuss his memories of the show.

The following is a list of my relatives who have served in the military:

Richard (Dick) Cole

Father

US Army Air Corps

World War II

Wilford Cole

Grandfather

US Army

World Was I

William (Bill) Cole

Uncle

US Navy

World War II

Orville Pimley

Uncle

US Navy

World War II

Ken Irving

Uncle

US Navy

World War II

Clyde Irving

Uncle

US Navy

World War II-not sure

Francis McLain

Uncle

US Army

World War II

Murray Stengem

Uncle

???

World War II

Leo Leffy

Uncle

US Army

World War II

Swede Waller

Uncle

US Army

Korea

Jim Cole

Uncle

US Army

Post Korea

Ray Lacroix

Uncle

US Air Force

Post Korea/ Pre Vietnam

Doug Lacroix

Cousin

US Army

Iraq

If any family member has a correction or update please let me know at rcole@cole-mgtandeng.com . 


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