NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY SOUDA BAY, Greece (May 23, 2021) Panayiotis Simandirakis, the Mayor of Chania, Crete, pays his respects during a Battle of Crete commemoration ceremony held at the Battle of Crete Memorial at the Malame Airport, May 23, 2021. This year marked the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Crete, which began the morning of May 20, 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code name Unternehmen Merker (Operation Mercury). NSA Souda Bay is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed when they are needed to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specilist 2nd Class Kelly M. Agee)