European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 25, 1959, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Water floods a main Street in Valencia. Americans quickly organized Relief. Americans in Spain. Mem Mumm cont. From Page to. Please do not take anything out of the package. Lovingly  last february disaster struck again in Spain and once again americans were Quick to give help. A dam broke in the Northwest near the portuguese Frontier inundating the Village of rib Delago. There were Many casualties among its 500 people. The 16th air Force in cooperation wit the . Embassy ordered out a truck con Voy to bring food blankets Beds tents an medical supplies to rib Delago. It was a rugged trip Over narrow mountainous roads where few americans had Ever been. Trucks broke Down and had to be repaired on the  people of rib Delago stood by the Roadside and cheered As the Convoy rolled ill. Americans Are known there now known As Good generous  Are two of the most dramatic projects during the three year tour i Spain of capt Jack r. Olsen native of Chicago who has been in charge of Community relations and special projects at 16th of Headquarters. Olsen has just left for Sac he at Offutt fab neb., to direct the radio and to Section of the office of information services. The Aid to Valencia and Rabade Ladomade us thousands of friends in Spain Olsen said before leaving Torrejon. But Community relations with us is not limited to projects like  relations As we practise it is a continuing Day by Day affair of being Good neighbors and friends with our Spanish hosts. The same is True All Over the country where our people and their families Are  has an especially Fine record in Community relations. So has the 871staircraft warning and control so at Villa Tobas South of  As an example Olsen recalled the occasion when men of the 871st arranged for a bus trip to Toledo for Villatora youngsters. Although Only 40 Miles away most of the children had never seen the historic City before. I would say that one of the greatest reasons for the Success of our Community relations program in Spain is the Manda tory on duty language training for airmen and officers of the 16th air Force through out Spain Olsen continued. The training is also offered to de Pendents and Many of them Are learning Spanish too. The courses Are in conversational Spanish. Our ability to talk to the Spanish people has greatly impressed  last january Olsen recalled the 16thair Force a s asked if it could provide a band to March in the great Madrid Parade on the eve of three Kings Day Jan. 6, which is the Peak Day of the Christma Holiday season and the Day for exchanging presents. Unfortunately we have no band but we asked Safe Headquarters in Wiesbaden Germany and the 3d air Force band assent from England Olsen said. The band was Given the Honor of leading the Parade which was seen by 400,000 people. The Parade is on a Par with the Macy thanks giving Day and St. Patricks Day parades in new  on Jan. 6, mrs. H. K. Mooney wife of maj Gen Mooney commander of the 16th, led the distribution of gifts for orphans sick and Nedy youngsters in Madrid. The 16th arranged for presents of toy plan Sand dolls to be donated by personnel and families of the Northrup aircraft an North american aviation firms in the . 1 Al . Children in. Madrid leave school with paper a if the hessian troops who occupied what is now the Darmstadt Griesheim army Airfield in Germany about ,100 years ago were around today they d be some what starry eyed to see helicopters Over head planes Landing or a few years Back the Graf Zeppelin moored on the Field. In the Long history of the Field As military installation it dates Back to 1860 it has numbered among its tenants Hes Sian Wue Rotemberger and prussian troops Trench occupation Fores airmen of the Dernlan Luftwaffe and americans. The present tenants Are . Army personnel and the Field is under operational control of v corps arty. It is also utilized by aviation units of v corps and 7th army. V present Airfield commander is capt Dwight g. Lorenz of Bennington vt., whose operations officer is 1st it Charlesa Stephenson of los Angeles. Their Job is to keep track of the comings and goings of the Field s h13s, h19s, l19s and l20s. During its years As a military site the by Joe Mcbride staff writer Field has been the scene of some unusual occurrences i shortly after world War i natives in the area witnessed a rather unusual Bon fire. German planes left Over from the War were piled up Pyramid style and the Torch was set to . Had been referred to at the time As a great Day for Germany signalling Che end to wars but history did not reckon with a dictator who had other ideas. During world War ii the Field was a base for nazi fighter planes and there is report that an american Pilot crashed into one of the , a daring Man Euver the Pilot followed a group of German fighters returning from a foray and shot Down several a they were coming in for a. Landing. A plane hit one of the buildings and he Vas dragged out and taken prisoner. Last year an Alert Soldier on guard duty at night heard a plane buzzing the Field. He turned on the runway lights and the Pilot of the plane a swedish Airliner which was having engine trouble landed on the strip. It blew a tire but no one was injured. It was considered quite a feat since the runway is not constructed for Large airliners. The Field also served As a Landing site for the dirigible Graf Zeppelin on its re turn from transatlantic flights. During this prewar period members of the local German gliding Clib also used the Field. In the 30sj the site was used for aviation research and a famous German aviatrix Hanna Reitsch practice at the Airfield. By 1939, the German Luftwaffe had takeover the Field completely. Situated astride the Field is a Cluster of buildings once used by the German air Force and now the Home of the stars an stripes these were erected in 1936, Shell marked during the War and now once again in Good  july 25, 1959 t " \ a a the stars and stripes Page 13 \.tom.  in s i Iasi is jtst�4.1iu