European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 17, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse A. ? k a i f Over Ninsi a l j a t i ? a a a Cit a i a Flat a it pcs in workers needed a sense of humor such As that displayed by civilian employee Bevo Shea. At right sailors struggle with a heavy Safe As they Clear out an office. If was t easy but Navy gives up Nea Makri today by j. King Cruger Mediterranean Bureau Nea Makri Greece a the naval communication station at Nea Makri officially closes today a six weeks ahead of schedule and with headaches. A this is the last time i Ever want to do this. This closure has been hard a said capt. Charles f. Votava Iii the stations commander when he recently gave visitors a tour of the base 20 Miles cast of Athens. A we had to do this from scratch a Votava said of the closure. He added that a a. It would have been better to have kept a few More people on hand right until the very when it was operational the station had 350 personnel. This was reduced to about 100 men and women in the closing weeks and fewer than 70 for today a ceremonies turning the base Over to the greek Navy. Votava said the shutdown would have been easier if head had More working parties to use for such tasks As emptying offices and storehouses. The mop up Crew was made up of mostly Navy construction battalion members who were assigned to train greek sailors to operate the 26-year-old base. Nea Makris personnel support detachment and disbursing office stayed Busy in the closing weeks modifying assignments and issuing travel orders and funds. A we had a plan to ship out word processors about two weeks before the closure but we find there is still a lot of stuff that we need them for. So we will keep them until just before the closure and then mail them a Votava said. Typewriters were kept on hand until three Days before the closure. Messages then had to be written by hand. After the bases switchboard was shipped to a naval base in Japan phone Calls could not be transferred. Quot that was one of the Little glitches we encountered. We be found that the facsimile machine has become one of our most important communication tools Quot Votava said. In the final weeks the communications station resembled a ghost town. Only a half dozen private ears remained on base. The gasoline station was shut a Sauk mgr it a it jul a collapsed web of steel is All that remains of 72 Navy communications antennas once sited at Kato Souli near Nea Makri. Tired and the Small commissary held a tiny Stock of essential foodstuffs. However the base swimming Pool a bar and a Sandwich shop stayed open until the final Days Quot we had not planned on doing that but they have been key items in helping troops to relax a Votava said. Two . Military facilities in Greece Nea Makri and Helle Mon a were targeted for closure As part of worldwide Cost cutting measures. The communications stations Mission will be carried out by other stations in the Mediterranean. Quot technological improvements Over the years have allowed us to shift things elsewhere with no loss of capability Quot Votava said. About 50 communications personnel from Nea Makri Are transferring to 3 new naval communications station at is Gonella Sicily. One american staying behind is James Decker who retired aug 10 As a Petty officer first class after 22 years of service 17 of them at the communications station. A i just kept asking to stay Here Quot Bulgaria said the 41-year-old Gowanda n.y., radioman woman. Year of to is married to a local chief Petty officer Alice vats Lakis. The bases food service supervisor is sad to leave Nea Makri. Quot i cried the other night. In be run the Galley and Barracks Here for five years a said the 32-year-old resident of an Cortes Wash. Vats Lakis who is being transferred to the naval support activity at Souda Bay Crete said she has Learned one important lesson from the base closure. Quot a you can go through one of these Quot she said a you can survive ionian son 0t 0 Athens cd it it i is it a u Vij u 11 to a Makri so to
