WITH MARINES IN OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT                              33


                                                         Photograph by the author
istLt Frank W. Vido and Co! Peter M. "Mike" Gish wait for a flight to Silopi at Incirlik `5 India
Loop. Co! Gish, a well-knowt~ painter, was the oldest Marine on active duty in 1991. He was a
naval aviator during Word War II and commrntded a reserve helicopter squadron before serving
as a combat artist in Viettiam, northern Iraq and Somalia.

concrete hangars Imown as "India Loop" became the home base for the U.S.
Navy's HC-4 and supported Marine helicopter operations as well. Billeting was
at a premium because on-base quarters and all of the local hotels were filled, so
a tent camp was erected along the main roadway. The primitive facilities led to
crowded, sometimes uncomfortable conditions. However, for those who had just
arrived from the harsh desert environment of Operation Desert Storm, any place
with a swimining pool, a well-stocked post exd~ange, and fast food eateries
seemed almost like heaven. The post exchange was often filled with smiling