European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 6, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                August 1985 the stars and stripes Page 9 at a Young caught alone with a races for at participants and spectators take time out for refreshments Between Bull teasing ses azores once at antics grand Central station Lajes azores some people Here Call it the biggest Gas station in the while to others it is the worlds largest aircraft Lajes named after an adjacent Vil is actually portuguese air base it was activated in 1943 when the under a longstanding agreement with por obtained permission to construct an Airfield on the Northeast tip of one of the nine islands in the volcanic azores the because of their location in the North Atlantic about Miles East of new York City and 850 Miles West of Lisbon Are strategically in late military personnel began to arrive at and they have been there Ever in the United states began the construction of an Airfield on nearby Santa Maria later moving its Headquarters during world War the azores were the grand Central station of the flying time reduced using the Isles As a refuelling transports were Able to reduce roundtrip flying time from the United states to Africa from 70 to 40 during Peak As Many As aircraft passed through Santa Maria and passed through following the departure of the British in the United states transferred its operations to since that Lajes Field has served As an important especially for military aircraft crossing the some strange things go on at it is where the Navy does the the army has the boats and the air Force provides Overall support to keep the military mis Sion the approximate Popula Tion at Lajes including family is the More than portuguese employed by the base constitute the largest single work Force in the Lajes Field is commanded by a Portu Guese general and the portuguese air forces 41st Rescue so is assigned the Mission of air base number 4 is search and the portuguese have assigned a detachment of Spanish made Avi cars air Craft to the base for transport within the French made Puma helicopters Are used to carry put their Rescue and medical evacuation and a squad Ron of Fiat g91 fighters has been added for base the senior military officer in the air Force Donald serves jointly at Lajes As commander of forces azores and As the com Mander of the 1605th military Airlift support that unit is the Host com and its main Mission is to provide base and support for aircraft flying through the what is it like being stationed at Lajes and living on Terceira the Island is where the rain comes Down so softly in summer that it can be Felt but hardly seen and where the rain in Winter attacks often pushed by Hurricane Force where about 99 percent of the people Are conservative roman catholics and local customs and traditions Are based largely on the religious teachings of the where the Dollar and the Portu Guese escudo Are used As and the former is generally where emigration has meant that just about everyone on the Island has been to the United plans on going or has a close relative where the locals Wear shirts pro claiming Van havens 1984 North Amer ican tour or baseball Caps advertising Budweiser Beer or Caterpillar or simply stating that the wearer is a wild and crazy where juvenile delinquency and crime of any serious degree Are extremely jails Are virtually empty the entire where the 10by20mile Island is Al most entirely bordered by High and the Only really Good Beach is in the town of Praia a Vitoria three Miles from the and the islands second largest with a population of about an overtaxed sewage treatment system sometimes pollutes the beaches during the local the streets Are carpeted with and bloodless bullfights More comical than serious Are held in the where the Cost of living is quite and a simple but delicious usually highly accompanied with need Cost no More than about where the who marry at a very Early age and raise Large Are sincere and where the roads often cobble Stone Are narrow and bordered with and the As often As not Laden wagons and donkeys rather than is frequently halted by herds of cows a handler awaits the Call to release another Bull from its being driven Between pasture and even though Many of the houses Are built of rough most Are finished with whitewashed and trimmed in Bright roofs generally Are covered with red Clay where there is very Little night but where a bottle of Beer costs less than 50 and the favorite bar on the Island with americans is a place in Praia that officially named the cafe acores but is affectionately known to one and All As George the opened during world War it is decorated with business identification cards and licenses of every pictures with inscriptions and Crew Crew for there Are few air Crews Landing at Lajes that dont put Down at George the King Cruger