LIFE IS GOOD - Wheelus Air Base, Libya 1967-69

May 12, 2008 | Prosperity, South Carolina | Vetting explained

Posted by:
grandy1947

Viewed 13,429 times
Shared 19 times
Last updated: May 21, 2008

iReport —

So many years ago....so many memories....life caught on black and white Polaroid film...newly married....newly commissioned 2nd Lt in the USAF. We're going to be stationed where? Tripoli, Libya? Where the heck is that? North Africa??? The six-day Arab/Israeli war had just ended. All dependents had been evacuated, but were slowly being allowed to return. Since living off-base was no longer an option - the German Corps of Engineers ‘refurbished' long-forgotten trailers, moved from a base closed years earlier in Rabat, Morocco, for junior officers and their families. They were small (8'X35') and 50 were lined up in a row, devoid of vegetation, but, DOES IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS?...our backyard and ‘playground'...along the rocky, sparkling shores of the Mediterranean. We were awed by the Roman ruins at Leptis Magna, we bought gold, brass and wool rugs in the Suk (old city), we had Roman Toga parties at the O Club, we snorkeled, sailed, shot skeet and vacationed in Europe. LIFE IS GOOD! No phones...only 4 hours of old taped TV shows a day...$1 filled up the car for a week...and HOT, HOT, HOT summers! We frequently had power shortages and were not allowed to use our little window air conditioner...candles melted....champagne bottles exploded and on miserably hot days (115 degrees)...wives and children spent many hours cooling off with water hoses or in the salty waters of the Med. The base commander loved to sneak around at night and bust those who dared break the rules and run their air conditioner (I'm SERIOUS!). He also loved to stop girls on their way to school and measure their skirts with a yardstick - too short - back home they went...and their military parent caught his wrath! The summer of 1969 brought exciting news...living off-base would once again be safe. But that would never happen...on September 1, 1969, King Idris was overthrown and Muammar Khadafy took charge. The base closed in June 1970 and a way of life ended... Miss my Polaroid camera? No, but I miss those days. www.thechickendancer.com

Posted in Assignment:
Polaroid memories[1]

Share this on:

del.icio.us

StumbleUpon

Comments

iReport welcomes a lively discussion, so comments on iReports are not pre-screened before they post. See the iReport community guidelines for details about content that is not welcome on iReport.

What is iReport?

Share

Tell a story, offer an opinion, say what's important to you.
Discuss

Join the conversation on the day's big issues.
Be heard

The best iReports get vetted and used on CNN platforms.

iReport is a user-generated section of CNN.com. The stories here come from users. CNN has vetted only the stories marked with the "CNN" badge. MORE...

CNN iReport