Francis Marion (LPA 249) - Naval Cruise Book

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RHODES GREECE RHODES, GREECE The FRANCIS MARION formed a strildng con- trast to a background of fortresses, castles and sculptured deer, the elements which form much of Rhodes, Greece. The name Rhodes, translated into English, means, the Island of Roses; a fitting nomen for one of thfe Mediter- ranean ' s most beautiful Greek city-isles. Its streets are immaculate and the Aegean coast is lined with foam-crowned sandy beaches. As the curtain fell on our five day sojourn, we re- luctantly weighed anchor and set our course for the Queen City of the Golden Age, Athens, Greece. | 5s h f ' f ' • V ' ' «-. t ' V

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PALERMO, SICILY Palermo, our first real liberty port in the Med. , is a fairly modern city, bustling with cars, buses and trucks. Buses lined the pier in the mornings to take men of the FRANCIS MARION on tours of Monreale, the Catacombs, the Sanctuary of Santa Rosalia and Monte Pellcgi ' ino. Many tried pizza Italian style and from all indications most preferod pizza Americania . Modello Beach was the place for a few stout hearts Who wanted to go swimming, though the local populus warned that it was too early in the year. But swimming they went, and after getting over their colds they reported that they had enjoyed themselves and that the swim was well worth the sneezes and sore throats. Rembmer the horse carriages in Palermo-the fine cakes, and the bitter ' coffee in the dainty cups? After a week of enjoyable liberty it was time to head out to sea again, and we were underway on June 3rd. Want to buy a shot gun, a hand painted picture, some hand made clothes? Yes, we were met by merchants that followed Francis Marion during the entire Mediter- reanean deployment Catacombs r ft . a« i A. • »v . Memorial Day Services -r ' - -r j m

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ATHENS, GREECE Piraeus is the ancient harbor used by the Golden Age Grecians to gain access to Athens, the most glorious city-state of the era. Today the vessels which drop their anchors in Piraeus are no longer propelled by oarsmen, but the harbor serves the same purpose. We arrived in time for Greek Navy Week and FRANCIS MARION was full-dressed June 28th in honor of his Hellenic Majesty ' s visit to Greek naval ships in the harbor. A visit to Athens without seeing the Acropolis is no visit at all. The buildings there have not only existed for thousands of years, but have withstood many sieges as well. The Parthenon, partly destroyed by Turldsh bombs, still dominates the Acropolis with its architectural grace and splendor. Athens combines a glorious past with a bustling present. Marble columns and ancient amphitheatres stand as silent sentinels amid modern buildings and busy traffic, making time stand still in the minds of visitors and residents alike. 4 In Piraeus we met Aphrodite In Athens it was Dionysos G x1 of Ouzo