Fort Mandan (LSD 21) - Naval Cruise Book

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GREECE Bicycling became a sport in which we often indulged--it saved wear on the feet and pro- vided exercise too. The interior of the Byzantine Church at Lindos provides a beautiful and sacred view. Greek chuches have an unique beauty. • • ft PI J; ijj This was our hamburger heaven where the USO was our affable and genial host. ■■■ ' ■ f r » tttxmu I JB , .nitoun | K Softball was almost a daily routine. That morning after ache showed us what kind of shape we were in. Very little happened in the early afternoon, as one can see from the bareness of the streets at that time. 17

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RHODES, The Acropolis at Lindos shows part of the outstanding ruins around Rhodes. St. Paul came here on a missionary journey. Here, at the entrance of the inner harbor, stands the animal that is the symbol of Rhodes--the doe. Like a band of Argonauts we made our first approach to the glory that was Greece. Our visit to Rhodes, a Greek island separated from the main- land by a considerable distance, was the beginning of a period of approxi- mately two months duration in which we remained in the Eastern Mediter- ranean and visited Greece and the Greek islands. We found that Rhodes had remnants of the ancient Greek civilization that is the basis of today ' s Western culture; but we also found that it had many of the advancements of the modern world. The old and the new blended in a pleasing mixture that made our first impression of Greece a favorable one. Here we found a clean city with likeable people. A city that was quiet enough to be relaxing, but lively enough to provide ample entertain- ment. And we found a city that, be- cause of the Moorish and Turkish influence in architecture blended with the classical Greek style, presented an appearance quite different from that of any city we had yet seen. We visited old monasteries; saw the ruins of temples, fortresses, theaters, and stadiums; and found good beaches. (We also found a few night spots to keep us from getting bored after the sun went down.) Some of us flexed our flabby muscles for the first time in a long time as we played Softball, both within our own ship and against other ships present. And we had a USO set up which pro- vided us with fine gastronomical treats --hot dogs and hamburgers, com- modities we didn ' t often find on the beach. The beauty of the harbor itself is captured in this view. In the background stands part of the old city. ■

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Pantokratoros Church is an imposing structure with a heavy sort of beauty. It is perhaps the prettiest church in Patras. PATRAS, GREECE A land without ruins is a land without memories--a land without memories is a land without history. ABRAM JOSEPH RYAN The day we pulled into Patras, Greece was a welcome one, for it marked the end of a two week period of fleet exercises at sea, and we were all ready to plant our feet on terra firma again and relax for a few days. Patras was a quiet and small town with very little grandeur. But we found that the people there were very friendly and courteous, and they showed us a fine time. We discovered that we didn ' t play basketball as well as some of the Greeks when the ship was challenged by local teams--it proved difficult for us to wind up on the long end of the score. The local wine factory and an old fortress were the most interesting sights we found in Patras--but oh, those step s we had to climb to get to them. The USO set up our own private night club for us, and a spirited band from the USS Fremont (APA-44), one of our squadron- mates who was in Patras with us, supplied the music. The beer, the food, and the music all were fine. We found that Patras does hold some of the ruins of ancient Greece, and that it does give evidence of the long history that Greece has had. Greece is a land with ruins, a land with memories, and a land with a rich history. At the head of the main street of Patras was a lengthy set of steps that led up to an old fortress and to a fine view of the whole city. This shot covers the whole town of Patras, with part of the harbor, and with the picturesque back- ground of mountains.