[fred cook]

Yep good ole Diego Garcia. Sitting smack in the middle of the Indian Ocean. I was a member of the "landing party" of 27 Seabees in February 1971. We were responsible for getting enough of the camp set up for the next group know as the "advance party". The second group had about 150 members. Once the "AP" arrived and started helping expand the camp facilities, the battalion main body groups started arriving. By the time the entire battalion had arrived there were about 800 Seabees swarming all over the island. I was there from February thru early October of '71. Eventually, it became an advanced materiel' base.