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Safe Passage From An Arab Angel
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Page Two
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Written By:
Bradley D. Chapline
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Upon getting settled in my seat on the aircraft, I discovered a stewardess who spoke English. I asked her what city we were in, and where we were flying. The shocked look that I received from this stewardess prompted me to immediately explain to her the circumstances that had occurred. She then politely explained to me that we were in the city of Istanbul, Turkey. She said that we were flying to Athens, Greece. She further explained that this was the last flight authorized from Turkey to Greece because of the conflict. The stewardess also informed me that there was earlier a mass demonstration at the US Embassy that placed Americans on this compound on high alert. She then stated that as far as she knew the US Embassy compound was still on a "lockdown" status.
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I wondered why this Arab gentleman seemed so panicked to ensure that I made this last flight from Istanbul to Athens. Then it dawned on me. There is a US military base right next to the civilian airport in Athens. This Arab gentleman not only assured my safe passage out of the country, but also ensured that I would be back in the hands of the United States military.
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I wondered during this short flight exactly who this Arab gentleman was. Somehow connected to the US Embassy? But they were on "lockdown". I was drawing a complete blank. But, upon my arrival at the civilian airport in Athens, the stewardess somehow made contact with the US base authorities. These authorities apparently were not interested in what she had to say concerning my situation. The stewardess informed me of the directions to take from the Athens airport to the US military base. I humped approximately eleven miles from the Athens airport to the main gate of the military base.
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I checked in to the base and was told I would not be able to fly back to the United States for at least several days because of the conflict going on between Turkey and Greece. The base authorities offered me a private barracks room in which I gratefully accepted. After two days in this room, the base authorities informed me it would be much longer before I could get a flight back to the United States. But, they did offer me a flight to a US base in Germany. They said I could probably get a flight back to the United States sooner from that location. I accepted this offer also.
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It had now been three days since I left on that CH-46 Marine helicopter from my ship and landed in the Port Authority of Izmir, Turkey. Unknown to me, my family had contacted our Senator's office concerning my whereabouts. No one knew. Senator Sarbanes then put out a world-wide search for me.
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I was waiting on the US military base in Germany for just over a day hoping to get a flight back to the United States. There was a hard knock on my door. It was a full-bird Colonel. I jumped to attention. He asked me if I was PFC Dean B. Crossley. I stated, "Sir, yes sir"!!! The Colonel screamed, "Where the hell have you been!!! Do you know your Senator placed a world-wide search for you"? The Colonel then lowered his voice and said, "Nobody had any idea what had happened to you".
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I took the Colonel's words to heart. It was then that I realized that this Arab gentleman who took such great care of me was in no way connected or obligated to the US government.
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I've never known who my "Arab Angel" was, nor will I ever. But one thing is for sure. I learned that stereotyping individuals is wrong. I'll always have a special place in my heart for the Arab people. Isn't it totally ironic, that an Arab stranger not only affords a stranded American soldier safe passage out of the country, but also affords him the opportunity to go home and see his father before he dies, who is in fact a man who despised all Arabs on the face of the earth.
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