The Final Witness by Paul Landis

Author:Paul Landis [Landis, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Published: 2023-06-20T06:28:14+00:00

Mrs. Kennedy visits the Theatre of Dionysus at the Acropolis, Athens, Greece, with FDR Jr. and his wife, Suzanne (front left), October 3 or 4, 1963. Author’s collection

Eight hours later I was back on duty. Soon after, we departed for Piraeus, the harbor of Athens, where the Christina was anchored. I was eager to see what all the fuss was about over this fairy-tale floating paradise.

When we reached Piraeus and I looked out over the bay, I noticed one anchored yacht that stood out from all the rest. It was by far the largest yacht there. That’s got to be it, I thought, and I soon got confirmation. It was the Christina, and it was 325 feet long—longer than a football field. Wow! Aristotle Onassis had provided two Chris-Craft-type speedboats to shuttle us from shore. The boats were already waiting for us when we arrived. After we were ferried to the Christina and welcomed aboard, the speedboats were lifted and stored on board too.

I had no idea who else was on board or in our welcoming party, other than recognizing Onassis from his pictures and the ship’s captain by his uniform. Provi, Clint, and I were just necessary tagalongs. Anyway, Clint had the manifest, and he would clue me in later. I wanted to check out the yacht.

This is what I learned and saw during the course of our cruise. In addition to at least two speedboats, there was a small sailboat aboard. There was also a small twin-engine seaplane with a crew member pilot who made daily business and mail runs to and from Athens. The big deal was to wait for his announced return, when everyone would come on deck and watch him land in the water after buzzing the yacht, upside down. The plane was then hoisted on board until the next day’s flight. The whole process of lowering and lifting the plane was fascinating to watch.

There were nine staterooms, each one named after a Greek island, and each one lavishly furnished with gold and brass fixtures and expensive works of art. I was disappointed that Clint and I were not offered the use of one of these fancy staterooms. However, as I said, we were just uninvited tagalongs and had to settle for a cabin below deck along with the rest of the commoners and crew. Our closet-sized “stateroom” was much smaller and a tight fit for the two of us. It was furnished with a small sink, a teeny-tiny closet, and two bunk beds. Being the junior agent, I got the top bunk. We did have our own toilet and shower, however, which was an appreciated bonus.

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