I have had some difficulties posting these photos with captions. These are just the first few photos that I have taken of the base when I visited it on June 15. I hope to post additional photos of the base in coming days. If you place your cursor over an image and click, it should enlarge the image for a better view.
Bob
Upper Left Photo: Main entrance to Iraklion Air Station
Upper Right Photo: Base Chapel - Iraklion Air Station
Upper Left Photo: Base Gymnasium - Iraklion Air Station
Upper Right Photo: Service Club & Recreation Center - I.A.S.
Upper Left Photo: First floor entrance to west end of Dorm #308
Upper Right Photo: Second floor entrance to west end of Dorm #308
Upper Left Photo: West end of Dorm #307
Upper Right Photo: Bob Armistead in his room in Dorm #307
Upper Left Photo: Day Room in Dorm #307
Upper Right Photo: Outside view of Bob Armistead's room in Dorm #307
39 comments:
BOB,Great photos.The one of the old service club and now the mayors office was a good one.Did you go inside that bldg?.Did you go inside the old BX next door?I went inside back in 2006 but did not take a photo of it.How did you feel standing in your old room?Long time with out a word from you.Thought you were having trouble getting off the topless beaches.Have fun my friend...Mac
Hi Mac. No, I didn't go inside the Mayor's office or the old BX. I think that I will probably make another trip back to the base within a week or so. I want to take a flashlight with me next trip so that I can see inside the Security Compound...with no windows in it, it is completely black. It was a little strange standing in my old room - after all, it was my home for 2 years, 8 months. I'll post more later. Your Friend, Bob
Bob--Great pictures. It brings back a lot of good memories. I was stationed there from 1991-1993. Really sad how it looks now. Glenn
Bob... I loved the pictures. My family and I were stationed there June 1981 - 1983. If you have a photo of the Fire Station, I'd love to see the building again. Thanks.
John
Thanks for the memories. I wish I could visit again.
Bob Lamb
Bob:
I just stumbled across this site and what a surprise! I was stationed there as a Morse Intercept Operator from Feb. 1970 - December 1972. We never met; I was on Able Flight, but I'm sure we passed each other at one place or another. My wife and I were married in the base chapel and we have so many, many fond memories. Even to this day, we get almost homesick for the place. Now, here is what is really strange: You describe the yellow-brown haze you experienced when you first arrived. So did I! In fact, I wrote about it in a college paper. I remember it so vividly, but lately I began wondering if it really existed or did I just invent it? Incredible! God I truly miss the place!
Paul Wolf
my name is marion toliver known on IAS as duke of the sp's, and base slow and fast pitch softball teams. most folks remember my late roommate named keith morgan who lost his life due to a motorscooter accident while we were stationed there. met many good folks while there mark preston ricky everett, sal molinari and his family just to name a few. tried to swap orders when i first got mine, nobody wanted to go to greece for which i was glad.crete had to be the best kept assignment in the air force. i still ocassionally speak greek when i go to greek restaurants here in vegas. anybody wants to contact me can write at freddiettable@yahoo.com. it's a shame the way the base looks.
this is duke of the sp's 81 to 83. was looking thru the photo album of lori corsi's,there is a picture of a laura. if anyone knows how i can contact her or where she might be i would appreciated it. she was a good friend. laura if you see this plz write. have search people search for the following people. james harrison(dj) baker flt, ray jones(dawg flt and base softball teams)mark preston, ricky everett and his roommate dexter, montrice connors,pernell thomas(t) from the sp's. if anybody is interested i have been in contact with tommy gamache(sp)remember his wifes name was angie. hi to others from IAS lynn hilton, marci boltz, sal and his family, barry alston, frank rasberry. harry lawrence, jim and jody george, steve farkus. thanks to wade jackson for teaching me and my room mate the game of racquetball. let me not forget sam stroman and sergio baldimaro just to name a few. would love to hear from anyone from those IAS. love marion toliver duke(sp)
contat duke from the sp's at freddiettable@yahoo.com
Stationed on IAS 1986 - 1988. I was a chapel manager during my time at Iraklion. My wife and I lived in Kokini Hani and then in base housing. Our daughter was born in Iraklion. Seeing the photos of the chapel breaks my heart. My Installation Staff Chaplain at the time is now the current USAF Chief of Chaplains. Great times. Greater Memories.
Hi bobby , it's Patricia from Belfast who was staying in ammondara we left on Tuesday 24th the site is brilliant , have really enjoyed looking through it , how's things with u ??
Dear Patricia, Thank you for your kind comments regarding my site. I am glad you are enjoying reading it. I am sorry that I didn't get to say, "Goodbye", to you and your Father before you left. I am planing to return to Crete and Amoudara again next year during the months of July, August and September. Perhaps I'll see you both then.
Your Friend,
Bobby
Nice photos. Brought back memories. I was with the 6931ESS from 81-83. Knew lot of folks who worked in the compound. Shame to see the state of the base now. Had a great time while there. One of the best kept secrets while in the service.
Dennis Wilkinson
Staioned at IAS from Nov '80 to May '82. What a fantastic assignment. Enjoyed the good times with old friends like Stuart Cornell, Fred Tomberlin, John Thomasd, Tony Presti, Marc Preston to name a few. Lost touch with all of them. Brings back some great memories.
mick walsh: i did 2 tours at ias (84-85 & 86-88) the best place possible to be stationed at. our own beach w/ marina (18.5 ft tri hulls, boston whalers, zodiacs, sailboats) great locals (i was afrts and our greek engineers were the best) great nightlife during the tourist season down in the "ville" (hersonisis) road trips to matala, the ruins at knossos. some of my best memories are of crete and its people, especially the highland laddie and the three lions.
i was stationed at ias twice (84-85 and 86-88)and always referred to it as the air force's best kept secret. beautiful beach with marina (18.5 ft tri-hulls, sailboats, boston whalers, zodiacs) great nightlife year round with the ville, the highland laddie in kokine hani and the three lions towards iraklion. matala, knossos, pork chop hill, the trout farm, zeus's cave (put me on crutches for a month, and the wonderful people made for some the fondest memories of my life. the pix made me smile
Hi Bob i have just read through your blog and really enjoyed it.My husband and i first went to Crete 12yrs ago,had a gap of 5yrs and then we started going twice a yr.This year for the first time we stayed for 5 wks and have already booked for 5 wks next yr.We stay at Gouves which is where the old airbase is as you would know.The place we stay is called Artemis apts.We have met an american who was stationed there for a few yrs i only know him as RC but i think he is from Tennessee as well but not 100% sure,he wasnt there this year.We always go at the end of May til end of June.
Dear Denise,
Thank you for your kind comments regarding my blog. I am happy to know that you are enjoying reading it. I have been having a few problems recently posting photos here, but am not sure how to resolve it. LOL. Oh, well...such is life!
There is a couple from N. Ireland who stay in a caravan next to the old base at Gouves. Their names are David and Helen. They are wonderful people, and I feel very fortunate to be able to call them my friends. Perhaps you have met them or know them.
If you should happen to come across the American who was formerly stationed on the old American base and whom you believe to be from Tennessee, could you possibly get his name for me and what years he was assigned to the base? Perhaps I know him.
Please continue to remain in contact with me. If we are ever visiting Crete at the same time, I would love to meet you and your husband. Take care.
Your Friend,
Bob Armistead
Hi Bob, Just came accross your site. I was a radio morse operator in the British Army in Cyprus in the 80s and I got invited over to the Iraklion base by a couple of the American lads. I had a great time there over a couple of weeks, don't think I stayed sober for a day! Me and my friend Max were treated like kings and stayed in spare bunks in the accomodation blocks (Max showed his appreciation by peeing in the bed!). Anyway, just thought I'd leave a comment and if anyone is reading this, anyone remember the visit of the two Brits in the mid-80s?? I think it was 85 or 86 (may have been 80!). All the best wishes for 2012! Nev Fear
Dear Alan,
Thank you for your comments about your visit to the American base on Crete in the mid-1980's. I'm glad to know that you had a good time and were treated well by your American colleagues.
Each time when I now return to Crete, I have the pleasure of meeting up with many of my friends from the UK who also vacation on Crete during the time-span that I am there. Although, few of them stay for 3 months as I do.
I will copy and post your comments on a separate website where many of the former American airmen now go to visit and talk about old time on Crete. Perhaps some of them might remember you. Take care.
Your Friend,
Bob
I enjoyed your site. I was stationed at IAS from 1967-1968. It was a wonderful experience and a great place to be. Took the ferry from Iraklion to Athens, slept on deck. if anyone reading this was stationed from that time era, I would like to get in contact with them. My email address is williams.danny98@yahoo.com.. I now live in the Portland Oregon area. My ncoic was Fred Long and I played basketball with people like Mike Halterman and Capt Granat.
Dan Williams
Bob, Enjoyed your photos. Brought back memories of my time at IAS (1967-1968). It was a great tour of duty. If anyone stationed there during that period of time would like to contact me my email address is williams.danny98@yahoo.com. I remember people like Jim Prince, Mike Halterman, Capt Granat and others.I coached youth baseball and played on the base softball team.
thanks again
Dan Williams
Bob,enjoyed your photos. It brought back memories of my time at IAS I was stationed there 1967-1968.A great assignment. I would like to make contact with anyone who was stationed there at that time.I played basketball with Mike Halterman and Capt.Granat to name a few. James Prince was a friend as was Fred Long who was my flight ncoic. Virgil Caramella was a friend who was there and also from my home state of Oregon. My email address is williams.danny98@yahoo.com if anyone would like to contact me. Thanks for the memories
Dan
Hi Bob ,where was it i read your Bobs 3mth Cretan adventure,i cant recall it.Thanks Denise
Hi Bob,where is it that i read your Bobs 3 mth Cretan adventure,,i cant recall it.thanks Denise
Hi All.
My name is Colin from the Uk I lived on Crete from 1988 to 1991.
I was good friends with Alex and Dawn of the Highland laddie in kokkini Hani. alex and his two children are staying with us on vacation right at this moment while Dawn holds the fort at their home in Seattle. we just had a few drinks and he was telling me he would love to hear from people who remember them. Don't mean to hi-jack the blog so if anyone is interested in remembering old times with Alex and dawn please let me know. karsambex@yahoo.co.uk.
Thank you for the memories, I worked in accounting and finance office as civilian (Greek) employee until the closing day.....
Thank you for the memories!!! i worked as a civilian employee ( i am Greek) at accounting and finance office till the closing day
Eva
hI BOB. i was in crete in th 84 TO 88 IT WAS A GREAT PLACE I MET A GUY CALLED ALLEN NICELY WHO WAS BASED THERE WE HAD GREAT TIMES. DO YOU KNOW THIS GUY IF SO DO YOU KNOW HOW I COULD CONTACT HIM JUST TO SAY HI? ID WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK THERE ONE DAY.
Hi Bob!
I was in crete in the 80s and loved every min of it. the american air base was great, i met a guy called Allen Nicely and would love to get in touch with him again we had a ball. do you know him or know how i could get in touch just to say hi. i will go back one day and see the change in the place.
Hi Bob
Crete looks great as per! im wandering did you know a Allan Nicely who was based there? im trying to find him see if he is still alive and kicking lol.
I enjoyed your pictures and narrative. My wife and I were there in 1959 and 1960. I was an Internal Auditor and my wife was the station education advisor.
Living on the economy at that time was an experience, one that we treasure. Unfortunately, we have not yet been back to Iraklion, though we may visit there this year (2014).
Earl Monical
I miss that place soooo much. I still have a T-shirt from the Laddie. It says 'dart and liquor in the front' on the front, and 'liquor in the rear' on the back. I remember the polar bear swims on new year's eves... running into the med, then sprinting back inside to warm up!!! Dawn & Alex were awesome! What was the name of the other British Pub just down the road to the west owned be 2 british couples?!? It was on the main drag on the south side of the rode. I lived there from '92 to '94.
Mick
If you were there then, I used to bring my long haired, beer drinking Basset Hound (Barney) with me to the pub.
Hi there my name is Harry, I am from the UK. Myself and my girlfriend Jacquie went to Crete on holiday in September 1985 when we were both 18. We were supposed to stay in Malia (a banging tourist resort for youngsters)but unfortunately or tour operator screwed us over and they put us at what is now the Knossos Beach bungalows in Kokkini Hani.
We were sooo disappointed, a small town with hardly any bars or nightlife,we spent 2 days moping until a greek barman told us about the Highland Laddie. Well we found it and never looked back, god we had some amazing nights in there. We met a Texan guy called Larry, the first time we saw him he climbed into the bar from the window outside and announced himself, "helluva door you got there maam"
He had a stetson hat, a western style shirt with the buttons up the front, jeans and cowboy boots. He came and sat with us and we told him about our deal, I also told him I was also in the air force. This guy was amazing he took us to the base for a look round and could not have been so welcoming.
One standout is the party when the barmaid left after her six month visa ran out and she was going back to Ireland. What a party, it was crammed full of Americans and the odd tourist, I mean the roof was off the place.
I went on to serve 13 years in the RAF and reading the piece you wrote about the reunion and the guys still being brothers after all the years certainly resonated strongly with me. I know this is a blog about the base but had it not been there, had we not met so many amazing people our vacation would not have been a turnaround success that it was, and who knows me and Jaq might not still be married after 27 years. Apologies for forgetting names but time passes, we were only there for 2 weeks. We live near Cardiff and if anyone needs the hospitality returning it would be our pleasure. theharrys@hotmail.com please get in touch.
My daughter is off to Elounda in September and was asking us about Crete, all the memories came flooding back hence the internet search.I hope she finds what we found thank you Harry and Jaqcuie:)
hi all, I was in kokkini hani 85-86 worked at the laddie, remember Larry the Texan MP from the base well, and his mate Jerry, and a few more of the guys from the base,... still have some photos of the laddie and some of the charactersthat were around at the time
Oh My Word.... This brings back a few memories. I lived in Kokkini Hani and worked at the Highland Laddie (I also lived next door to Alex and Dawn!) for a while before moving off to Gouves. I remember a lot of people who were stationed there (far too meny to mention!) I'm sure some on here will remember me, Paula. I was there 86 to 93 if I remember right?!
Well this is a shock , I too worked at the Highland Laddie , my names Keith, we called ourselves the A team waiters I worked with Cobber German Alex and various Chefs for 4 summers .
Loved it
Would love to catch up with Alex Dawn , Maggie Dennis and anyone else who remembers the good times .
My email drivertrainingexperts@outlook.com
My dad Colin Lindon is very good friends with Alex and dawn still, they visit each other a couple of times a year.. my daughter and I are going back to crete on 10th Aug, not been back fur years
What memories, I was stationed there in 73 and 74, while there i worked part time at the rod and gun club. Always loved goin to pork chop hill for a kilo of chops and fries for 5 bucks. If anyone remembers johnny uzo, john starty, wanda and mac mcdonald please let me know
Post a Comment