European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1965, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday april is 1965 the stars and stripes it. 3 Happy birthday to toss is 23 years old by Robert l. Moorad Day Wai the help Nln of in. but Many painful ordeals Mill la ahead before the nazi collapse As Many already had been endured during the build up toward he landings. For the millions of americans then in Europe All of these developments were covered faithfully and thoroughly by the dedicated if sometimes flamboyant staf fers of the the stars and stripes. In the course of this coverage in the process of publishing under military jurisdiction a newspaper that would be representative of the american free press some strange things the least of these involved the staff s resort to wit and Wile conspiracy and conniving to provide a clean Hon est accurate paper free from prop Linda and Headquarters pressure the kind of paper Gen Dwight d. Elsen Hower wanted and for which he had is sued a firm hands off policy. Today to years later perhaps the curtain can he drawn on some of these incidents. As a Day neared. The most important tory in Mars and stripes was the Day to Day pounding the . 8th and the air forces and the Raf were inflicting on hitter s ground defences air Power transportation and Industry. The Rea sons were two fold first it was the Only combat outside limited com Mando raids and Channel skirmishes in which the americans in the United kingdom were engaged. Second it was important As a morale Factor to the men who were flying each Day through the flak and fighters Over Europe. The press relations chief of 8th bomber command telephoned the news desk one Day look general Anderson does t want to write you about this because you might think he s pulling rank to put pressure on you. But he does want youth know that he appreciates the cover age you re giving., and he wants to a peal for every possible support stripes can bomber Crews an flying every Day Home times two missions a Day and there wont be any let up until we re on the continent if then. The Gen eral wants you to realize that the Only Reward the Only recognition they get isto read in stars and Stripe about what they be done. To a Large degree the effectiveness of tomorrow s missions May depend on How thoroughly is reports today needless to says a doubled impossible its efforts to cover the operations of the 8th and Ith among other things sending reporters Bud Hutton Andy Rooney. Earl Mazo All qualified air gunners on missions of both forces. Security May Blanch at the following but it was a necessary measure and it was conducted in tight secrecy by group of three or four stripes staffers. As Daylight lengthened toward the Fate Ful Day of the invasion the operations of the 8lh and my were lengthened into the evening and the communiques re porting the resells sometimes were no issued until after Midnight. This posed a tremendous problem for stripes which by that time was printing 700,900 paper each night a military secret at that mme and had to Start its presses in the London times around 10 . We arranged to print Only enough paper to Meel train schedules to As sure delivery in Northern England an Scotland then slopped the presses to await the crucial communiques. To expedite this we devised method of earning in Advance the Day s target Sand alternate target so that we could prepare copy on each telling the significance of the attack. A bombing of Schweinfurt. For example might be serious blow to the enemy s Ball bearing Industry vital to nazi vehicles and air Craft and the men who risked their lives should know this to do this a code was arranged be tween Bud Hutton chief air Force Cor respondent and myself a managing worked this Way in a newspaper Tennial target in Europe. When Hutton Scurni a in Inott to or Willm pm nor me und discus stories he had ostensibly left in the office. he would say in my hero ulry i forgot to list the name of John in ural from Colorado would Check my list hero Ham Burg. No matter what he said. If he mentioned the slug that was the target. Awards stood for another target raid still another and so on. When i knew the Day s targets i Orone of the other two would write a Para graph on the significance of each attack and would slush it securely away in a cranny of the news desk until the attack Kwh confirmed by the communique perhaps As Lale us i . Then it was demand usually with some asperity."0? Eisenhower As Brilliant a military Leader As hews. Gen George s. Patton nevertheless lacked the appreciation of a free press and a free stars Aad stripes that Gen Eisenhower Day. Some time after the St. In break out from Normandy is curried two items that Gen Pallon found offensive one was a cartoon by Bill Mauldin in which Willie and Joe had stopped their jeep before a sign saying you Are now entering third army territory and listing penalties for such crimes As no neckties jeep windshields upright Etc. The second item was a photograph of editor s not of april it,141, a Liny group of soldiers a Marine Corporal Aad a Sailor published the first Issue of the present Day the stars and stripes. Printed la private print shop in London it was dedicated to bringing the news to gis wherever they might be. Descended from some privately Pobu bed civil War editions and the famed world War i stripes it went Dally of nov. Jimi and has been in Blued continuously As a unofficial newspaper for servicemen overseas since stripes celebrates it s Ned anal Ersary. Robert l. Moora editor gives some of the behind the scenes incidents that stripes staff encountered in cover ing the War. Moora b currently on the Public relations staff of radio corporation of America rushed to the composing room for Hasty setting and inclusion in the main Story thus giving a Good percentage of stripes readers the most up to Date us possible account of the Day s operations. Throughout stripes wartime opera Tion while ii was supporting mainly the air Force prior to Normandy an the ground forces from then on the staff Hud to fight to withstand the pressures of Well meaning but ill advised officers to use the paper for propaganda purposes for personal publicity or As a Headquarters directive. Despite Gen Eisenhower s hands off order Many a general and colonel tried to pull rank to get something special in the paper. For these people we developed a Standard Brush off another now ii can be told anecdote. Fortunately we had to use it Only Hull a dozen limes but it went like this a. Colonel would Call the news desk and request for his commanding officer perhaps a brigadier general hut a certain Story be published. The news editor private Corporal sergeant or whatever would Tell him that the paper with its limited space could Notus stories of that nature. The colonel would ask to speak to a officer. The non com staring dead pan across the desk at the managing editor u first lieutenant would reply i sorry sir but there is no officer Well where can i reach someone who can authorize publication of this Story the colonel would might cull Regent 8484. the news editor would ask for whom the caller would Darmstadt. Germany is the stars and stripes and us Many employees have received the congratulations of Gen Andrew p. O Mcara us a eur Coin Munder in chief. And Geng. B. Disosway Safe commander in chief on the occasion of the news paper s 33rd anniversary. In his message o Meara said i am pleased to congratulate the members of the Star Aad stripes on the 23rd anniversary of the founding of the european edition. The Mission of the stars an stripes providing news and information of local National and world wide significance to american personnel in West Ern Europe North Africa and the mid dle East is important to the morale and general welfare of our carries on the Fine traditions established in two world wars and con .v.T.-.-., Junue the Long standing reputation offer guidance in the composing room being the Soldier s newspaper every Story is Given a slug or name. A the commander responsible for such a air Russia Pac the publication of the stars and stripes Ifica. Front Etc. Button _ gave i wish to express my appreciation for me a list of imaginary stories each with the loyally professional dedication and it slug. And each slug stood for a to efficiency of " your stiff. I am confident a group of exhausted gis who had jus been rescued from an enemy trap und were sprawled on the ground not Only with helmets off but with no ties. They were 3rd army troops. Patton wrote a letter to is threat ening that it such material continued to appear in the paper. Stripes would be banned from the 3rd army area. The colonel in command of is culled mein what shall to Dot to hell with him i him a note pointing out that we re trying to reflect a True picture of the War for the Guys who Are fight ing it and Ike has said hands off if Pulton bans stripes from the third army area it la make the front Page of every paper in the slates and it la make a fool out of our commanding officer wrote an appeasing letter to the fiery general promising we d mind our manners inthe our commanding officer did know was that we had an outs do of channels pipeline to Gen used it Only in desperate situations for Ike was occupied with More serious problems than ours. But in the Pulton is. Mauldin str pcs Cuse. We used the stripes staff As a very competent Jack of All trades was a Syra Cuse Bookie who somehow Hud made friends in North Africa with Cap Harr Butcher. Ike s Navy aide. He had Butcher s private phone number i purls. He was a staff sergeant yet. When he called it was Harry Bill called Harry and Gen Eisenhower was promptly advised As to shul was going on. Ike Laid Down the Luw to put that future editions will reflect the same High journalistic standards shul have become the hallmark of stars and his birthday greeting Disosway slated during the past Twenty three years the stars Aad stripes newspaper has never failed in Pence or in War to accomplish its unique Mission for the american Serviceman overseas. This is the finest tribute that can be made tothe men who Nave forged slurs and stripes into a solid vigorous instrument of morale. We in the United slates air Force sin Europe particularly appreciate stars and stripes flexibility in adapting itself to meet Tho Challenge of its expanding Mission. From its Small beginnings i London in 1m3 stars and stripes is to Day read by thousands of american air men Al their duty stations from the North sea through North Africa an the Middle East to the persian Gulf. To the dedicated staff of the Sta Sand stripes i offer on behalf of the United states air forces in Uroic my sin Cere congratulations for your outstand ing ton and stars and stripes once again was Safe in 3rd army territory. Also As a result an interview was arrange Between Patton and Mauldin in an Effort to enlighten each other on their motives and Rales in the War Effort. Confidentially. It was t very successful in the continuous Effort to maintain stars and stripes As a newspaper free of propaganda and Headquarters directive the staff unfortunately had to Battle it own commanding officers at time a Well As outside influences. Those who have a deep belief in the Freedom of the press and in the right of americans everywhere to have. A unbiased press will understand How necessary was the plot that this account describes. After the break out from Normandy stripes got a new commanding officer a lieutenant colonel affable. Intelligent und co operative. The staff liked hint personally. But he was. In civilian life a promotion Man an advertising Man and therefore propaganda minded. Reset Forth to use stripes As a propaganda Organ in ways that made the professional newspaper men on is writhe. He. Wrote editorials. One to entitled so you want to go its theme was you Are not going Home until this is Over and done with. Our objection was for god s Sake let s no bring up the subject we All know we re not going Home till it s Over Over Here but let s not be labor the subject in staff fumed at these editorials. Is correspondents at the front pro tested they were having to defend themselves to everyone they met. But objections to the colonel went unheeded. One Day Early in ims the colonel sent to the news desk an editorial to be use Din the Paris edition and Tel typed to editions in London. Liege. Nancy Nice Etc. Ii was entitled the May Bill is a must it recommended passage of a Bill introduced in Congress by rep. Andrew May of new Jersey to permit draft of Tabor for military Industry much the same As the draft of men for military service. Any Doug foot in a foxhole any tall gunner in a b-17. Would have loved to Sec it pass. They did t relish the thought of risking their lives while Fel Low americans were making 1100-Plusa week at Nice Safe jobs like building Ulm planes. To me it stank of fascist Type legislation the very thing we were fighting to prevent but that does matter. 1 handed the editorial to Ben Price on the news desk. Well print it in tonight s paper isaid. As the presses started to Roll at idp.m., Ben and i grabbed copies and rushed to the scribe hotel press head quarters for sheaf. We handed them 10 correspondents for the wire service and some of the key newspapers. You might want to file a paragraph or two on stars and stripes coming out in favor of the May Bill we said. The did. Then we hustled Back to the Stripe news room and called the staff together. What right has the colonel to writ such an editorial we asked. It s absolutely against regulations for a u.8.army newspaper to take any stand whatever on legislation pending in result a staff meeting was called for11 the next morning at which time the colonel would be asked for an explanation. Then Ben and i dashed Back to the gis Call a protest meeting when gis Call a colonel on the carpet that s news. It made the papers All Over the United slates Many of themon Page i and within 48 hours the War department had a replacement on his Way. Note the 11 . Meeting was pretty Stormy one whether by wit or Wile by conspiracy or Connivance or merely by straight Forward conventional journalistic meth ods the staff of stars and stripes went All out to give the american in Europe not just the army which was the publisher but All . Personnel in uni form and out the Best possible paper it could during world War ii. And it i still exerting the tame Effort today
