Marquette (AKA 95) - Naval Cruise Book

 - Class of 1946

Page 62 of 90

 

Marquette (AKA 95) - Naval Cruise Book online collection, 1946 Edition, Page 62 of 90
Page 62 of 90



Marquette (AKA 95) - Naval Cruise Book online collection, 1946 Edition, Page 61
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Page 62 text:

.S-f. L, Wm '13 New 1. and 2. Piraeus Docks, XX7l1fC1'f1'OHt. 3. The First Life. q.A,. t 4. Greeks Bearing Gifts. 5. Athens, New and Old. 6. Churchill St. 7. Parthenon. mp, . uf mf f.,,,,. ., i I I r I W -L l E l iv 4 E C497 4 i i

Page 61 text:

DRACHMAS BY THE CARLOAD - Piraeus - Athens - Q Shaking off the inHuences of the Orient and Middle East, we headed across the Medi- terranean and Agean Seas towards the ancient stronghold of western civilization, Greece. Though happy spirits were somewhat clouded by the implications of delivering food to a starving people, we looked forward to seeing this country so rich in tradition and history. Rounding Crete, we steamed past Milos, and many an anxious eye peered to starboard trying to catch a glimpse of a modern Venus. The Parthenon on the hill of the Acropolis Was an awe-inspiring sight, as we made our way through the remaining mine fields in the Gulf of Athens. ' Athens and Piraeus curved around the northern end of the gulf, the land rising gently at first from the water, then sharply, forming a high chain of hills cut by broad valleys. Piraeus is located on the low stretches at the waters edge, while Athens starts slowly, with graceful dignity, spreading back into the valleys and onto the sides of the adjacent hills. In the Golden Age of Greece, around 500 B.C., Piraeus had been constructed as the port of Athens. Long stone walls stretched five miles to connect it with this foremost city of Greece. As we sailed closer, the sunlight highlighted the small, semi-tropical homes clustered about the water. The ship hove-to off the breakwater, awaiting the slow approach of a rather decrepit tug, carrying our pilot. It finally made its way alongside, the pilot boarded, and we pro- ceeded into the inner harbor. Entering, we passed a Greek lmtllfslzip resembling our old Oregon class. It evidently had ceased to function as a major war vessel, for clothes lines were strung on deck, and women and children as well as sailors came topside to catch a glimpse of us as we went by. Piraeus, once one of the first harbors in the Mediterranean, clearly showed the ravages of war. The results of and explosion of a number of ammuni- tion ships, mined by the Italians, had not yet been repaired or completely cleared away. Bases of large, powerful cranes still remained, long stetches of quay wall were still rubble, hulks of ships jutted out of the water, nevertheless, the harbor was quite active. The major effort at the moment was the unloading of UNRRA stores from ships moored there. The street adjacent to the quay was used as a temporary open warehouse for sup- plies and was separated from the town by stretches of barbed wire and fences. We had arrived on Sunday and, since the following day was Greek Independence day - from the Turks in 1821 - unloading would not commence until Tuesday. As we were expected, and most welcome as a United States Navy Ship, the usual formalities in foreign ports were soon dispensed with. Liberty preparations within the ship, now practiced to perfection, were soon begun. The friendly American invasion of Piraeus and Athens had started. For most men, the first place to visit was Athens, which could be reached from the harbor by an electric surface train similar to early American subways. The journey by train, passing many ruins of old Greece, provided an interesting comparison of ancient and modern times. The terminal at Piraeus was large, considering the size -of the cars and the number of trains in use. The cars were always crowded to capacity, as were street cars and busses in Athens usually with passengers hanging from the doors The 48 c J I



Page 63 text:

end Of the lille in the heaff of Athens, Omonia Square, became a familiar place to us after a few days, for from it led streets to all parts of the city. Athens, one -of the most modern capitals in Europe, proved similar in some ways to a large American city. It had its wide avenues, large stores, familiar theatre marquees, and the usual crowds - moving always in the direct'on opposite ours. Being so close to the water and the major lanes of commerce and transportation, Athens, itself, did not reveal any sharp lack of food, in fact, luxury food items were noticeable here andithere. The major difficulties, we were told, lay back in the hills of Greece, in the mountain towns, and on the outlying islands. The day before we were to leave Greece, an American ship pulled in with a cargo of Texan mules as a partial solution to this crucial transportation problem. In addition to their primary function, the mules, while on the dock, provided additional diversion for the Midwestern and Southern members of the crew. Shortage of consumer goods and violent inflation of currency were always evident. The number of Greek drachmas purchasable for an American dollar made the least of us feel like a millionaire, even the most trivial monetary transactions was in terms of thous- ands and tens of thousands of draclzmas. Dry provisions loaded at Brisbane, carried to Samar, and ultimately bought by UNRRA, were not the only relief cargo We carried to Greece. At Ceylon we picked up a small addition, which, though it did not equal our 5000 tons of food in weight, had an equally interesting history. On the first day we were tied up at the oil docks in Trincomalee Harbor, a Greek sailor from a French merchant ship had swum over to us, his clothes tied in a bundle on his head. He approached the SCIltl'y on watch and with much difficulty explained that he had heard we were going to Greece. Then he asked if the sentry would deliver a letter to his wife when we arrived. The Greek, his name we never learned, had been married six years and a month and had been away from home six years. After finding that his letter would be delivered, he gained a little confidence and asked if he could bring some food and money back to us for delivery along with the letter. Receiving his answer, he borrowed a small rowboat tied to the pier and soon brought back two large cans con- taining the food. Our small relief mission accomplished their job admirably on arrival in Greece. Although communications were difficult due to difference in language emotions were obvious. The Acropolis was probably the first spot on the sightseeing list for most of us. The walk through Athens and up the historic hill was interesting in itself. The streets became narrower and more winding as we went away from the new city's center, it seemed as if there would be an actual transition of centuries in time, as we approached what was once ancient Greece. Buildings were constructed of clay and stucco, wood was conspicuous by its absence. Little heavy brick was used, and if stone was employed, it was light and porous, as if to fit the temperature and climate. -Rather than risk sounding like a travelogue or encyclopedia, we recall only those things which struck us as interesting at the time. The Acropolis itself, meaning high city in Greek, was once the major town of a race that preceeded the Greeks, chosen for its obvious safety as a hill and because it had one of the few springs in the area. As Athens was created and spread to the surrounding areas, the Acropolis became primarily a reli- gious and civic center. Its principle structure, the Parthenon, is one of the most famous examples of classic Greek architecture and originally housed a gigantic ivory and golden statue of Athena. Among the refinements in architecture pointed out to us were the delicate l C501

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