"On the Quai at Smyrna" Summary

This story acts as an introduction or prelude to the book and takes place in 1922 at the port of Smyrna in what is now Turkey. At the time, the Greek army has invaded Turkey but has been repulsed by the Turks. An agreement has been made to let the Greek army and civilian refugees evacuate the city. So while the Greek army is in the process of withdrawing and evacuating the city, thousands of Greek civilian evacuees have massed on the docks in a desperate attempt to escape the city before the Turks take complete control of it.

The unnamed person recounting the incidents that are happening is an American officer serving aboard the U.S. cutter Simpson, now in a "stand down" state in the harbor, which means that orders have been...