by Thomas Goodrum

Created on: June 28, 2007

"The Great Escape"
As an adolescent living in a Middle-Eastern country during a wartime period, I was aware of the inherent dangers. Yet I really was not overly concerned for my safety. My past experiences had included blackouts, personal guards, soldiers buried in our backyard, a machine gun in Cairo, anti-aircraft fire, resulting shrapnel and the occasional assassinations of Jews when they were in an area of close proximity to the mosque which we called "the Citadel." There was a war going on between the Egyptians and Jewish people. It was close to Cairo, yet it seemed far removed. Seldom if ever was there a discussion amongst my friends that we might be in danger.

Parents worry!

The community of Americans in Cairo was quite large. There were businessmen, technicians, physicians, educators and a great number of Foreign Service personnel. Many accompanied by spouse and children to this, the most cosmopolitan city in the Middle East. This diversified community was exceptionally closely knit. Perhaps the reason they were banded so closely was that they were all together in a foreign land. That will definitely contribute to unity. Perhaps there was the "social factor" that significantly enhanced this spirit of unity amongst the Americans. A dinner and cocktail party circuit had most definitely been established and flourished. Wet parties in a very dry land were a permanent part of the daily and nightly social activities.

My father used to love to tell the story about the time the American Embassy had secretly notified the Americans in Egypt that the situation between Egypt and Israel was deteriorating rapidly. "American citizens should be concerned for their safety and should start preparing contingency plans for an escape out of the country."

The embassy was not sufficiently large, or well enough protected to accommodate all of the Americans. Geographically, the American Embassy was located in the center of Cairo. The majority of the American community resided in a small outlying town known as Maadi. It was just south of Cairo. To the west of Maadi was the river, Nile. To the east was the vast desert. It would be extremely difficult and dangerous to attempt a run to the sanctuary of the Embassy.

An escape to the airport had to be ruled out because it was located in Heliopolis, a densely populated area even farther from Maadi than the American Embassy. The inevitable decision was made. There would be an escape from Maadi across the desert to the Red Sea.

A historical

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