Guess I will get in this one also.Left Crete in 65 for Nam and Came back in 66 and married my greek nurse.Three kids,one born in Crete one in germany and one in japan.We left Crete in 70 for a 4 year tour with AFRTS in tokyo.My tours overseas ,Crete,Iran,Nam,japan and a few odds and end totaled 16 year out of my 23.Retired in 79 at Travis afb and went into law enforcement.Retired from the cops in 2005 and now doing honey do;s,s.Went back to crete a couple of time.The latest was in july and aug of 2006 for 40 days.Still miss that island.Uncle to 61 kids there.Island has changed but not the people...
After Crete it was off to Homestead for me. I was actually one of the last Air Force personnel in the Card Sound Road site after we shut it down. That was in 88, and I decided to separate after over 9 years in. Figured if I was going to get, I needed to while I was still young. I would have stayed in but the writing was on the wall for ESC, and I really didn't want to cross train to a new AFSC.
Got out, came back to Central Florida, ultimately got my Masters Electrical License and Contractors License, and have been here ever since, I am now semi-retired, a stay at home dad, coach youth football and basketball, and get in as much fishing as possible,
I have two children, Bryan 14, and Megan 11, and this June Bettina and I will be celebrating our 20th Wedding Anniversary.
Life has been great, but I really did miss the folks and the overseas assignments after getting out. There is nothing quite like it.
We left Iraklion in June of '66 and went to Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, TX. My dad was M/SGT Harold Smith and all I know was that worked in the Compound. He retire in '69 from the Air Force and moved to Decatur, GA where he went to work for the FAA and retired from there in 1987. I was a teenager and I thought life was great there. I wished I could remember some names from when we were there, especially the guys that worked with my dad who would come of for our cook outs and go on the beach trips with us.
My dad passed away in Oct 1998, He was WW II and Korean War vet and proud of his service to his country. He joined when he was 17, just as Pearl Harbor was being bombed.
I work at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. I would love to take my wife to Crete and maybe that will be a retirement trip. We had many good Greek friends when we were there, We lived downtown (I think in Porus ?) for about the first 18 months and then moved on base.
I really enjoy reading everyone's post and see the pictures. We have many pictures and maybe some day I figure out how to post them.
Glad to have you on the site Michael! Sorry to here about your Dad. Maybe some of the folks already on the site knew him. If not, we have folks discovering the site all the time, so you never know when we will have someone drop in that remembers him. Cheers, and I'm glad you enjoy the site
I left Greece in 1988 became a civilian; went back to school at Boston College go eagles graduated in 1994 and now work for the Department of Corrections doing classification-reentry-Parole. Bill Murray[!alien
I left Crete in 88 also went to Robins AFB then ft meade ex-wife wanted me out I got out in 1991 and went home to Cleveland. In 1992 I became a East Cleveland Police Officer, I was a Narc, homicide Detective, Gang unit, Hostage Negotiator, Street Crimes you name it I did it. In 1994 and 1997 I had kids. After my son was born I did not need the Police excitement anymore I gave up all sports and all that running chasing criminals. I was a good cop for ten years. I am now a night administrator at the Cleveland VA I make more money and do less work. So you vets if you are in the Cleveland area and you get sick at night come see me I will check you in.
