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COMBAT This page is devoted to photos of the early days, as well as any other "first photos" anyone would care to share. Send me YOUR Photo and Story NOW! |
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Check out
Russell
Irby's Home Page with photos from when he went ashore with UDT 12
in
1971!
Meanwhile, Welcome to Diego Garcia,
30 years ago...
Here's
the logo,
invented by Jim Murray:
Here's where
Jim and his buddies lived - the infamous H-15 SEA Hut (see his story on
the 1971 warstory page) . Here's his explanation
for this official Navy photo of the H-15. "Apparently we got loaded up
and painted FTN all over the front
of the hut.
The
Chief made us paint it over so I got creative. I was at chow when this
was taken (piss me off)."
Be
sure to Check Out Roger Allie's Photos
of the Arrival
of the USS Graham County - LST 1164
The following photos are from
Carl Villanueva - from 1972-1973...
Here's some
stuff you might not know...we were issued bicycles when we
arrived; chiefs and officers used to have motorized minibikes, but they
ended up being buried someplace on the island because of too many
accidents;
wild cats were not a problem, but there were a few 'pets'; we used to
have
a few treehouses for "hangouts"; we made a "houseboat"; there were
boats,
catamarans and kyaks left behind by the natives which were passed down
from one sailor to another (I had a red kyak); I was in the "air ops"
department
and we used to go over to the plantation side regularly to clear the
roads
and party (air ops worked directly for the britrep); we used to have
only
one supply plane a week (C-130); we used outhouses; R&R was 1 week
in bangkok; we had the last bob hope christmas show (his C-141 was the
first jet to land there); we used to have to put out smudge pots for
the
plane to land at night; also had to chase the donkeys off the runway
with
the crash truck and sirens; calling home was via ham radio; I remember
when the 'control tower' was a 8x8 trailer sitting on the field. the
controller
sometimes was in his underwear when talking to the plane because it was
so hot in there (I think the air conditioner had broken); all the wagon
tire valve stems were in short supply because the guys swiped them for
use as hash pipes (they were perfect!)....
  The
original Air Ops building. On the left, looking through
the breezeway - on the right, an end shot.
instead, all they got was:
hmmmmm.....don't ask, don't tell... anyway - on with the story:
The
Chow Hall (later generations knew it as the gym).
The main latrine (?)
From Ron Kramarz: "Seeing Carl Villanueva's picture of
the
Chow hall brought back some memories. While I
was there they set up a trampoline next to it but so many guys
got
hurt on it they had to take it down, I think it only
lasted a couple weeks."
 One of the Tree Houses built by the Seabees. |
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