Greek/English/Nat Locals and journalists alike were waiting expectantly on Wednesday morning near Thessaloniki on the Greek coast for over 2-thousand U-S marines to land. Troops - once on terra firma - are expected to travel overland to a staging base in Macedonia and then on to Kosovo, where they will join other NATO troops. Earlier this week, Greece blocked the U-S marine landing fearing an escalation of anti-NATO protests until a full agreement on ending the conflict and the dispatch of a peacekeeping mission was reached. Coastal residents and anti war groups angrily voiced opposition to NATO's actions in Yugoslavia calling for a final end to the bombing. In no uncertain terms, large banners declared Greek opposition to its use as a thoroughfare to Macedonia. Opinion polls show that an overwhelming majority of Greeks have been opposed to NATO's actions. Fearful of serious economic fallout and mindful of Greece's historical and religious links to the Serbs, there has been far more opposition in Greece than in any other alliance country to the NATO campaign. Once the U-S marines have landed, they are expected to travel by road to Skopje, Macedonia and enter Kosovo as the leading edge of a U-S peacekeeping unit. Locals - in anticipation of a landing comparable in numbers to the Second World War's D-Day - voiced their displeasure. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Listen, if the guys come here, they get this, they want to destroy. They don't ask for anybody. They come and do like - them home - you understand." SUPER CAPTION: Zacharias, Local Fisherman Greek Communist Party members said they were vehemently opposed to their land being used to launch an invasion. SOUNDBITE: (Greek) "We are a party of a group of people who are anti imperialist and we want the peace and we don't want them to use our place for such cruel invasions." SUPER CAPTION: Ioannis Skousas, Member of anti-war organisation Ioannis Skousas, speaking on behalf on an anti-war organisation, said the solution lay with individual countries. SOUNDBITE: (Greek) "The simplest thing which is that the population of each country should find alone the solution and without the intervention of NATO or anyone else. " SUPER CAPTION: Ioannis Skousas, Member of anti-war organisation The ships in the task force expected to land are the amphibious assault ships U-S-S Kearsarge, U-S-S Ponce, and U-S-S Gunston Hall. Other options reportedly under consideration include the use of some of the 5-thousand U-S Army troops now in Albania with a task force of Apache helicopters. Alternatively U-S troops based in Italy that form the Southern European Task Force may be employed. Eventually, the Marines and other troops would be replaced by 7-thousand soldiers from the U-S Army's First Infantry Division out of Germany. Journalists and press corps from around the world waited in anticipation for the enormous landing. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I'm really excited about it. I'm kinda nervous, but I'm really excited. It's not something you get to see every day, it's something to tell your great-grandchildren about." Q. "And what you think about the wait?" A. "I'm hoping it is going to be worth the wait. Just hope they don't call it off on us today. but the wait doesn't bother me." SUPER CAPTION: Marty Ball, Photographer for "Combat Camera" NATO wants the Yugoslavs to sign a military accord that will include a specific timing for the withdrawal of Serb troops from Kosovo. Once the Serb troops are on their way out of the province - this paves the way for an ending of the NATO air campaign and U-N Security Council approval of a peacekeeping force for Kosovo. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/4563f35c7eb288c016790e42e9dfcacf Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork