Throughout the History, the Portuguese have always left their mark wherever they’ve traveled all over the World. It’s a cultural thing … we can’t help it. Having said that, it should have come with no surprise, back in 2007, when the Portuguese Air Force contingent in Siauliai – Lithuania – decided to leave a mark of their presence 3000 kilometers away from their home, during their Baltic Air Police mission.
Like every other international contingent, the Portuguese left several souvenirs inside the Airbase; but that was not enough. It needed to be something they would share with the local population; something the Lithuanian Air Force and the Portuguese Air Force had in common … both insignias were crosses. The Portuguese detachment would offer a Cross – their Cross – to Siauliai, and what better place to do it if not the “Hill of Crosses” of Siauliai.
The nice surprise was that, when the Portuguese personnel asked permission to the Lithuanian authorities to place their cross in the Hill of Crosses, the answer was:
– “Yes but, …, will wish to make it officially and we will send the Lithuanian Armed Forces highest religious authority – the Bishop – to bless your Templar Cross”.
A proper military ceremony, simple but full of meaning and dignity, was organized, and it did not have a fly-by with Portuguese F-16 because the weather conditions did not permit it.
The “Hill of Crosses” is a peregrination site, located about 15 kilometers from down town Siauliai. Nowadays it is a touristic place, but it all started as a “resistance” expression against the Russian expansionist attitude. Later, during the Soviet domination of the Baltic States, Siauliai population restarted to place crosses in that deserted place, contradicting the Soviet anti-religion posture, in memorial of the Lithuanians that were deported to Siberia by the Soviet authorities. During the day the authorities would remove the crosses, but during the night the population would put new ones and its number increased considerably throughout the times.
The Portuguese Air Force Cross was prepared by military and civilian staff on volunteer work, and it is made of metal and painted with the very same ink used on the aircraft. It was constructed in the military part of Lisbon Airport – AT-1 – and flown to Siauliai on board of the C-130 that carried the combat logistic support for the 4 Portuguese F-16 deployed in that Airbase.
OPen samento 