Bob's Three Month Cretan Adventure: September 2011

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

SANTORINI: The Volcanic Island

Dear Friends,

On August 17, 2011, I traveled by high-speed ferry from Crete to the Greek island of Santorini…the volcanic island. I arrived in the Iraklion harbor early that Wednesday morning by bus and was deposited alongside a large ship that sat moored in the port. The ship was sleek and even looked fast as she sat floating in the water, waiting for all the passengers to embark on their journey to Santorini. After all were onboard she eased out of the Iraklion harbor and headed for open water. Once she was on the high seas she unleashed the power of her engines and the waters of the Aegean Sea parted smoothly before her as we traveled north. She was able to cover the 68 miles from Crete to the port at Santorini in about two hours, fifteen minutes. Even though the sea was fairly calm with gentle swells, the ship would softly rock from port to starboard (left to right, or from side to side). I’m sure the rocking motion contributed to the many passengers who were fast asleep in their seats. There was what I would refer to as “theater seating” in the very large forward and aft salons. But on the upper deck there were plush accommodations for those whose tastes demanded more and whose pocketbooks could afford it. On our deck there was a small snack bar where one could get a sandwich, a slice of pizza, a sweet roll, and soft drinks or coffee. While our accommodations were anything but luxurious, they were quite comfortable and provided everything this boy from Tennessee needed. I was just content to sit back and enjoy the blue waters of the Aegean Sea flowing past as we headed toward Santorini.

About 9:30 A.M., I noticed the ship’s engine noise became subdued and our speed was noticeably slower. I moved forward and tried to see what lay ahead…and there…out of the Aegean Sea, rose Santorini – the volcanic island! Our ferry was piloted with the skill of true professionals as she was guided into the Athinios Port, eased alongside the dock and came to a gentle stop. Once the ship was secured, we all disembarked and made our way to our pre-designated busses. Our tour guide was a Greek lady who spoke several languages. She told us that in much earlier times, Santorini was known as “Santa Irini” (Saint Irene), but gradually, that name morphed into Santorini. Today, the official name is Thera (or Thira), but most still refer to it as Santorini. We headed up from the port on a narrow winding road that made numerous switchbacks, and then we made our way through the capital city of Fira before traveling on to the most photographed village on the island…Oia. On our way to Oia our guide informed us that about 3600 years ago - sometime between 1645 BC and 1600 BC, the volcano, which had been located in what was then the center of Santorini, became violently active. The volcano literally exploded and then collapsed in on itself. That left a gigantic caldera or crater about 7.5 miles long by 4.3 miles wide. Immediately, the sea water rushed in, filling the caldera and resulting in the formation of a giant lagoon. Many geologists and archaeologists believe that when the volcano erupted, it unleashed a massive tsunami which struck Crete, destroying the Minoan civilization there. Today, beneath that lagoon, sleeps the volcano…who knows when it might awaken again and unleash its fury!

After arriving in Oia, we were given two hours to explore the narrow winding footpaths that led up and down and through the village. I ate a quick lunch, grabbed my camera and then took off, wandering through a virtual photographer’s paradise. I tried to focus my attention on the architecture of the buildings and the way in which the houses were built into the sides of the volcanic cliffs overlooking the caldera. But, two hours really weren’t a sufficient amount of time to even begin to capture the photographic potential of Oia. Oh, well…perhaps next year.

We left Oia and headed to the capital city of Fira. There we were once again given time to travel the city on our own. There were museums…churches…shops…tavernas…so much to see…so little time! After assembling at the bus at the appointed time, we left for the trip back to the port and then set sail for Crete. I arrived back at my apartment on Crete later that evening. While I am glad that I made the trip to Santorini, I think that it has over-capitalized on its appeal to tourists. The result is an island that is overcrowded and overrun with tourists, and the real beauty of the island has been consumed by over-commercialism. I think I would love to visit Santorini during the winter or very early spring, when it is less crowded, the pace is much slower and the natural and rugged beauty of the island can be viewed, appreciated and absorbed at a much more leisurely tempo.

Your Friend and Fellow “Silent Warrior”,

Bob Armistead

*Please "click" on any photo to view a much larger image.

ABOVE PHOTO: The caldera of
Santorini.

ABOVE PHOTO: A house built into
the side of the volcanic cliffs in the
village of Oia on Santorini.

ABOVE PHOTO: Greek Orthodox
bell tower and dome in the village of
Oia on the island of Santorini.

ABOVE PHOTO: The village of Oia
sits on the volcanic cliffs above the
caldera on Santorini.

ABOVE PHOTO: Arch shaped
home bordered by flowers in the
village of Oia with the caldera in
center-right background on Santorini.

ABOVE PHOTO: A Greek Orthodox
bell tower in the village of Oia on the
island of Santorini.

ABOVE PHOTO: Two of the most
photographed Greek Orthodox Church
domes in the village of Oia on Santorini.

ABOVE PHOTO: The "door" to
Santorini?

ABOVE PHOTO: Two of the most
photographed Greek Orthodox
Church domes in the village of
Oia on Santorini.

ABOVE PHOTO: The capital city of
Fira perches atop the volcanic cliffs of
Santorini overlooking the caldera.

ABOVE PHOTO: Bell and clock
tower and dome of a Greek Orthodox
Church in Fira on Santorini.

ABOVE PHOTO: A
study in shape, shadow
and color. Capital city
of Fira on the island of
Santorini

ABOVE PHOTO: Don't jump!
A statute sits atop a building
housing an art gallery in Fira on
the island of Santorini.

FIND IRAKLION AIR STATION ON GOOGLE EARTH!

If you download Google Earth on your computer, you can access satellite photos of the base. After downloading Google Earth, go to the empty bloc in the upper left-hand corner of the opening page that has the identification, "Fly To". Then enter the following co-ordinates: 35 19' 46.96N, 25 17' 02.20E in the empty bloc, then either click on the "magnifying glass" icon, or hit "Enter" on your computer. These co-ordinates will take you to the rooftop of the Security Compound on Iraklion Air Station. If you enter: 35 20' 11.60N, 25 04' 11.70E in the empty bloc and then hit "Enter", it will take you to the rooftop of the La Stella Apartments where I am currently staying in the seaside village of Amoudara.

Bob

Excerpts from "ZORBA, THE GREEK", by Nikos Kazantzakis:

"I climbed a hill and looked around. An austere countryside of granite and very hard limestone. Dark carob and silvery olive trees, figs and vines. In the sheltered hollows, orange groves, lemon and medlar trees; near the shore, kitchen gardens. To the south, an expanse of sea, still angry and roaring as it came rushing from Africa to bite into the coast of Crete. Nearby a low, sandy islet flushing rosy pink under the first rays of the sun.

"To my mind, this Cretan countryside resembled good prose, carefully ordered, sober, free from superfluous ornament, powerful and restrained. It expressed all that was necessary with the greatest economy. It had no flippancy, nor artifice about it. It said what it had to say with a manly austerity. But between the severe lines one could discern an unexpected sensitiveness and tenderness; in the sheltered hollows the lemon and orange trees perfumed the air, and from the vastness of the sea emanated an inexhaustible poetry.

" 'Crete,' I murmured. 'Crete...' and my heart beat fast."

*************************************************************

"I was happy. I knew that. While experiencing happiness, we have difficulty in being conscious of it. Only when the happiness is past and we look back on it do we suddenly realize - sometimes with astonishment - how happy we had been. But on this Cretan coast I was experiencing happiness and knew I was happy."

*************************************************************

"I looked at Zorba in the light of the moon and admired the jauntiness and simplicity with which he adapted himself to the world around him, the way his body and soul formed one harmonious whole, and all things - women, bread, water, meat, sleep - blended happily with his flesh and became Zorba. I had never seen such a friendly accord between a man and the universe."

*************************************************************

"How beautiful Crete is...Ah! If only I were an eagle, to admire the whole of Crete from an airy height..."
Nikos Kazantzakis

*************************************************************

Opening remarks made by Bob Armistead at the first Charlie Flight Re-Union

June 22, 2007

WELCOME HOME, “CHARLIE FLIGHT”

"We were the eyes and ears of the United States Air Force Security Service. We served during a time when it was not popular to be in the military; nevertheless, we served, and we served well. We were sent to another part of the world to serve in a country where we had never been, and on an island that some of us had never even heard of. When we arrived on Crete we became the best of friends, but by the time that we left, we had become more like brothers.

"We were sworn to a code of secrecy and silence - never able to share with our families or friends the details of the work that we did. And, consequently, never able to be fully recognized by our country for our contributions, our sacrifices, or our achievements to the cause of freedom and world stability. Some have referred to those of us who served in the Air Force Security Service as "Silent Warriors". I think that is a most fitting and proper title which all of us can wear with dignity and with pride.

"We came from a most diverse background. We were of virtually every race and ethnicity, but to most of us that didn't matter. We were rich and poor and middle class, but most of us just didn't notice. We came from almost every social and cultural background imaginable, but most of us didn’t care. We were Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic, but most of us just chose to worship each in his own way. We were Republicans and Democrats and Independents, but we were always Americans first. We were well educated and not so well educated, but we were all smart. We were farmers, mechanics, store clerks, college students, and construction workers, but we became morse and non-morse intercept operators, analysts, telemetry operators, linguists, code breakers and teletype operators. We were first termers and "lifers". And, if one of us wanted to infuriate one of our peers, we would just call him a "lifer". But in our hearts, each of us had only the highest admiration and most profound respect for those who had chosen to make a career of the Air Force.

"Each of us did a job that was no more important to that of the fellow working next to us, but each was vitally important to the peace and security of the United States and the free world. While the rest of the world slept, we were awake and keeping watch – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year! Perhaps our legacy is the fact that, while we were on watch, there was never a terrorist attack on the United States! And when our overseas duty was finished, we quietly came home. But none of us returned to the sound of bands playing, crowds cheering, or small schoolchildren waving tiny American flags.

"We smoked a lot, drank way too much, and used language that would make our dads chuckle, and our mothers cringe and blush. We did all of those things that young men do when they're away from home and out on their own for the very first time. We worked hard and played hard. And we laughed a lot. We made fun of everything and everybody. No one was safe and no subject was sacred. We even poked fun at ourselves! We were as different as different could be, but we were all united by a common cause, and stood side by side and shoulder to shoulder. If you took on one of us, you took on all of us. Truly, we were brothers!

"And, then there were the sights and sounds and smells of Crete. Who could forget the odor of Greek cigarettes? When I first arrived on Crete and walked into the old airport terminal, I immediately noticed a yellowish-brown haze that floated in the air like the Angel of Death and smelled like a mixture of smoldering straw and sweaty socks. My first thought was, "My God, these people are smoking marijuana." My second thought was, “Hmmm, wonder if they’ve got any more?” And what about the tiny Greek villages with the white-washed houses that dotted distant mountain sides like small white patches of snow? And do you remember the sound of herds of sheep bleating by the roadside and blocking traffic as they crossed from one side of the road to the other? Then there was the beach that we had nicknamed "twelve point five" because it was exactly 12.5 kilometers east of the base. You would never have even known it was there unless you stopped and walked to the edge of the road and looked over a cliff that dropped down about 60 feet. There was a steep and winding rocky path that led down to the beach - unspoiled and pristine. We spent many a four-day break there - camping out and drinking and cooking over an open fire. When we left, we always made sure that the only thing we left behind was our footprints in the sand. Now even those footprints have long since been washed away by the tides of time just like we were never even there. And then there were the little stands in downtown Iraklion that sold souvlaki for about 5 drachmae. And who could forget Minos wine? Or Ouzo the national drink? It was crystal clear but when you mixed it with water it turned a milky white. Or what about Raki, their equivalent to moonshine? It burned going down...and it burned coming back up. There was no way that stuff would stay on this boy's stomach! One of us even put some in a Zippo lighter...and it lit! And do you remember old Greek men in black knee-length leather boots with their white hair, and their white mustaches that were curled up on the ends; and, old women in their long black dresses and heavy black stockings, and head-scarves that wrapped around their heads and across their mouths hiding wrinkled, toothless smiles? And do you recall the children in the slums of Iraklion - the ones with dirty faces and tattered clothing, but with sparkling dark eyes and smiles as bright and warm as the Cretan sun itself? And how curious they were. They used to look at us like we had just stepped off of a flying saucer! And what about the minoli carts that zipped around Iraklion, and motorscooters that carried Papa, Mama, and two or three little ones hanging on for dear life as they darted in and out of traffic? Or the Greek Orthodox Priests with their long black smocks, dark beards and black cylindrical shaped hats? Do you remember the peak of Mount Ida and how it would be covered with snow until June or even July? And what about the crystal clarity of those turquoise-blue waters of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas? And do you remember those purple, and lavender and red sunrises that reflected on the early morning waters of the Aegean Sea? Some mornings I used to get up before daybreak and walk down to the base beach with my Nikon camera and just stand in awe and amazement as God put on a spectacular and different show almost every single morning! And who could forget "midnight chow" or the lowering of the Greek and American flags at the end of the workday, and how you had to stand at attention and salute until they were lowered? And what about the music we loved - rock n' roll, blues, soul, country, gospel, and yes, even classical? Then, there was Christmas. On Christmas Eve fifteen or more of us would crowd into someone's room in the barracks and we would listen to Christmas music - Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas", and Elvis singing "Blue Christmas". And we would talk and drink....mostly drink. Each one of us would wear his best artificial smile and try to act like it was no big deal to be away from home and our families on Christmas. But I'm sure that when each of us went back to his own room, each went to bed wondering if our loved ones missed us as much as we missed them. And, I can remember some of the young first-term airmen who were married and living in apartments off base. We thought they were so lucky! Sometimes they would invite several of us single airmen over to a good home-cooked meal prepared by their wives. To you ladies who were there, you will never know just how deeply we appreciated your kindness, your hospitality, and especially your good home cooking!

"But then, gradually it all came to an end. One by one, we left. We left Crete and we left the Air Force, taking with us a few souvenirs and many memories. We returned to our families, and our friends, and the girls we had left behind. We went back to school; we got jobs; we settled down; we began new lives; we got married and we started families of our own. But, we never forgot - we never forgot the Air Force, Crete, "Charlie Flight", or each other. Now, for most of us, we are back together for the first time in about 35 years. We've all changed. For many of us, our hair has turned grey or even white. And for others, it has turned loose! Most of us now have wrinkles when we smile and crow's feet etched at the corners of our eyes. Some of us may walk a little slower; our gait is not quite as lively; and, we may not walk quite as tall or straight as we once did. Some have put on a little weight, and others, well, the weight has just shifted. But if you look deep into our eyes, I mean really, really deep...past the tiredness and beyond the years, you will still notice a certain sparkle when each of us talks about Crete and "Charlie Flight" and each other. Now, we've come back together. Welcome home!"

HERE LIES A SILENT WARRIOR

by Bob Armistead

We served in silence, never breathing a word
Of the things we'd seen, or that which we'd heard.
We worked by a code that few have ever known,
And we served in countries that were far from home.

We left all our friends and familes behind
To perform the work to which we were assigned.
We manned our positions - every hour of every day.
Our work never stopped, and we never did sway.

We did all that was asked and we did it with pride;
We stood shoulder to shoulder and worked side by side.
If I'm ever asked, "Would you do it again?"
I'd just smile and say, "How soon can I begin?"

The time which I've served, I'll never regret.
And the men whom I've known, I'll never forget.
Now time has passed and our hair has turned gray,
And our ranks are thinning with each passing day.

So when my bell tolls for the final time,
And the echoes fade from the very last chime,
And my eyes are closed and I've been laid to rest,
Just be assured that I've served with the best.

Please drape my coffin with the American Flag,
And on top of my casket lay out my dog tag.
With my dog tag as my I.D. and the Flag as my shroud,
I'll go to my grave...an American...and still proud!

I'll trek to that place to join all the others,
My comrades in arms: My sisters, my brothers.
I'll be with my friends who have gone on before
And are waiting for me beyond Death's door.

So, when I'm gone, shed no tears for me,
For I've died as I've lived - an American and Free!
And once I've traveled to my Eternal home,
Just carve the following on my gravestone:

"HERE LIES A SILENT WARRIOR"

Copyrighted 2009

*This poem was written as a tribute to all who have ever served with the U.S. Air Force Security Service, or its subsequent command names.

Bob's Three Month Cretan Adventure

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

SANTORINI: The Volcanic Island

CURRENT DATE AND TIME IN HERAKLION, CRETE, GREECE

FIND IRAKLION AIR STATION ON GOOGLE EARTH!

Excerpts from "ZORBA, THE GREEK", by Nikos Kazantzakis:

Opening remarks made by Bob Armistead at the first Charlie Flight Re-Union

HERE LIES A SILENT WARRIOR

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