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A rough draft of the spiritual autobiography of Joseph B Wilson. The history that lead to Toteg Tribe.
Copyright 2003 by Joseph B Wilson
- When I left the courtroom the reporters mobbed me, but I declined to comment any further. I went
back to the transit quarters, changed into civilian clothing, and went to the NCO club where I
guzzled enough beer to make me tipsy and keep me peeing all night.
The next morning I was informed that I wouldn't need to testify anymore and I could return to RAF
Upper Heyford. The motor pool drove me back. In those two days the OSI had kept their promise --
my transfer orders were ready, signed by the highest ranking officer in Europe, my household
goods had been packed and picked up, my clearance from the base had been accomplished for
me, my travel pay and one-way commercial airline tickets from Heathrow International Airport,
London to Atheni Airport, Athens were placed in my hand.
The OSI agents gave me a final debriefing, showed me that my testimony had made the front
pages of every newspaper in England, most of them in Europe (including the Soviet Pravda, which
ran a cropped version of the picture the Daily Worker had published and claimed to have spotted
me as a spy at the demonstration), and some in the United States.
Special Agents Green and Jones wished me luck, told me to report to the OSI office in Athens for
further protection if I felt I needed it, and told me that if the plane went down over communist
territory I should observe everything I could and report it to U.S. intelligence. I think they thought that
was a joke, because I certainly didn't want to be in a communist country especially at this point in
my life.
As I was leaving Jones tried one more time. He laughed and said, "Wilson, we know you were the
person who told those guys what evidence we had against them in that marijuana case. What can
you tell us about it?"
"When does the statute of limitations run out on it?" I asked.
"In 1974."
"Ask me then, and I'll tell you the same thing I said before." I laughed in return.
Two days later Daisy, my five children, and I got off an airplane at the International Airport in
Athens, Greece. I was happy to be in a nice safe anti-Communist police state.
As soon as I reported in to the base I learned that the 7206th Combat Support Group had no idea
that I was coming there, and they didn't like surprises.
I went to the base OSI office and told them who I was. They disclaimed any knowledge of my
operations for the Investigations office back in England, and told me all they knew was what they
saw in the newspapers, that I had attended an illegal demonstration.
Another promise kept by our government (dripping sarcasm).
1971 and 1972 are such a jumble in my mind that I really can't put this in a reasonable order.
Regardless, no matter how I felt, it was still necessary to function and I attempted to do so as best I
could. I thought this would be a new beginning for me -- that I had a chance to do something with
my Air Force career. I was excited about that possibility.
Daisy, the kids, and I lived in a four star motel/hotel for the first two months of my assignment. The
government paid for those accommodations, and we enjoyed it. It was within walking distance of
the beach and we would go there nearly every afternoon after I returned from work.
I wanted to go back to work as a journalist in the Information Office. That was not to be. The
authorities at RAF Upper Heyford had completely, and illegally, removed the records of my
journalism specialty from my personnel file. My first assignment, much to my disappointment, was
as a clerk in base publications -- probably the most boring job on base. Although I was a Staff
Sergeant I was given menial work by the Technical Sergeant (only one stripe more) in charge of
that section. I don't remember his name. I do remember some details about him. He had been
assigned to Athenai Airport 14 years prior to my arrival and never left. He was planning to retire at
that base. Like many others on base he had established inside connections to the system and had
managed to get humanitarian extensions of his tour of duty because he was married to a Greek
national. (GIs married to Americans or other nationalities were not allowed to extend their tour
there or elsewhere except under unusual circumstances. I don't know why an exception was made
for those married to Greeks.) Although I tried to do the best job possible for him, he was never
happy with me.
