Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:07:56 -0700 (PDT)
From: wegarrison749@yahoo.com
Subject: Araxos By the Sea, My Remote Assignment by Ardmore

Araxos By The Sea/My Remote Assignment Part II

I never knew exactly what one full year, 12 months, was actually like until
this assignment.  In many ways it was very much like a prison term for
some.  Many started their count down from the first day they stepped off
the plane in the country.  A few had just finished serving a 12 month tour
in Southeast Asia before being sent directly to this remote.  Those were
the guys who really had a rough time coping with the 12 months so soon
after the horrendous 12 months they had just experienced in Southeast Asia.

I know that it caused an investigation that was initiated by one fellow
whose father was a Senator from one of our southern states.  By the time
the Congressional Investigation concluded, Stoney's time was up anyway, but
I think it did prevent the same thing from happening again.  Until that
time the military would not admit that we had any such military personnel
placement.  It was supposed to be all top secret and all.  After all, it
was still during the very active cold war going on at the time.

I remember that one of our pilot's was mysteriously whisked away one night
after just one dance with a tourist at Kalogria Beach.  She happened to be
from a country that was "on the list" of people we were not to have any
contact with at all.  I'm sure he didn't know where she was from when he
simply asked her for a dance.

That's the way it was at the time of the cold war.  You never really knew
who you were talking with or who was watching you, for whatever reason.
Spies vs. Spies vs. Spies just like the Mad Magazine cartoons.

I didn't count the days but with the seasons came change for all of us.  It
wasn't just the weather.  And as I look back on the experience I am really
glad that I got to the assignment at the beginning of the summer and left
at the beginning of the summer.  The winter was the worst part of it I
think.  That is when we were not able to travel around so much and we had
to find other ways to entertain ourselves.

I took up chess for a while.  I also took a correspondence course in
accounting which helped.  And, I'm also guilty of the alcohol consumption.
When the days got short and the beach was not accommodating many of us
would play cards after mealtime and until the wee hours of the morning.
So, along with the card games we indulged in liquor.

It was very often that while the games were being played in one of the
rooms of the dorm we would connect five or six reel to reel tape recorders
to one turn table and record records after records.  Whoever went to Athens
would pick up LPs for us and blank tapes, and then we would have these
taping sessions while playing cards all night long, drinking and smoking.
I have some outstanding LPs on reel to reel.  In fact I had a total of ten
tapes when I left the assignment and I didn't even own a reel to reel
machine.

(END OF PART II)

Comments appreciated: wegarrison749@yahoo.com