European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 20, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes monday january 20, 1969 letters to the editor i feel that the mandatory breath testing of Drivers which became effective Jan. 1 is tremendous step towards curb ing army alcoholism. It should have been taken a Long time  the past year i have heard of car accidents in which no were involved but nothing was done because they refused Totake the breath test. But now Bravo officer no and pm clubs have been adding fuel to this fire for quite some time. Maybe now it will Stop. The next Rule should be who can buy what and How much pvt. Kenneth e. Durocher Vilseck Germany three cheers for the military in Europe or should i say six cheers for the germans another Post War Victory Over the americans in the name of "26 states with the implied consent Law the military Hierarchy in Europe has decided to give itself this dictatorial Power while disguising it As a revocation of a privilege to drive. Why won t we admit that this was a hos country instigation to bring americans in line with the european system and that the maps aps Cid Cic German police Etc Are All in cahoots. In t it about time to Stop spreading the propaganda that the military police is out to Helmand assist the i when in real Ity this is not so As governor Wallace would say he s not my idol the american people Are sick and tired of this kind of noose fit Ting i Don t believe in drink ing and driving but i do believe in human rights. Therefore i wonder if this regulation is go ing to Benefit anyone other than the police and is it going to be tempered with restraint if not then Over three quarters of us a eur and Safe had bet Ter Start contacting some goo lawyers. Please Don t misinterpret  am a careerist and i do not drink enough to be Overly concerned with the implementation of this Law. I am concerned wit the course our country is locked on As far As human rights an dignity Are concerned. I Don t believe anyone should be hauled off and forced to submit to anything or even asked to submit without the presence of competent counsel Drivers License or no License. I m sure Usa eur and us afe minds could have come up with a better solution to the drinking problem instead of the dictatorial threat. As Mili tary people we do As we Are ordered. However this does no make All orders just. Many of the germans were ordered Todo As they did during the nazi years. America must find itself before it s too late. Spec. 6 Orson s. Butler Heidelberg is your sense of human rights upset by Laws which prohibit pointing a loaded gun at stranger and killing him if it s not Why should it be upset Bya Law which will prevent a drunk from pointing a loaded car at a stranger and killing him and this happens a Lotmore frequently than the shoot Ings. Editor. Drinking & driving exception not the Rule v .1 huh to -�rtalnii4t evil full Fri Kilt t 1\ Hufh Listii a r _ thanks and Goodby since i la be leaving for the states in a couple of Days this is my first and last letter to the editor i d like to take this last shotto thank the Many athletic directors officials and Pio who have helped us with our Remote broadcasts on an. Indy past two years with an i have had a Chance to visit Many army and air Force installations on these broadcast Sand i can t think of one in stance whore we weren t give first class treatment. I would also like to thank the Many pics spec. 4s and others who were volunteered to help build radio Booths to give us a decent place from which to broadcast. It was appreciated very much. There have been a number of letters appearing in stripes lately about Lousy  far As i m concerned it would be Tough to Knock Theu Sarteur and Safe sports programs. They Are first class All the Way. My Only regret about Leavings that my wife will never know if Rudolfo makes the scene with Irene and i la never know if Steve Canyon finds that Gold. Ken Allan an sports the migrant worker in response to the letter of Jan. 8 on grapes of Wrath i would like to answer the ques Tion of Why some people Are living in the same deplorable conditions As three decades ago. I can t go Back three decades but two i can As i travelled and worked with the migrant worker and Don t remember Ever seeing the Rich landowner standing in front of his palatial estate but i do remember the Farmer doing his Best to accommodate the worker. The thing i remember about the migrant worker is his Good Ness and kindness toward his fellow Man be he Rich or poor. They were Happy people eve though living in a tent for six weeks Here and two week there. There children were taught to respect the property of others and their superiors. Most friends i made then over15 years ago never asked for a handout it was always Well work for what we  most of these people did work hard and bettered themselves by buying land or settling someplace and Are now raising their families in a different environment. I believe the migrant worker has changed completely in the last 15 years. In my Day the people were the offspring of the 1930 s drought Ridden from Arkansas Kansas Texas and Oklahoma. Today the majority is made up of mexican immigrants who must learn our Way of life first then teach their children How to make Itin the new world around them. I would not Trade my Tim spent with the struggling migrant worker for anything certainly not a government institution that pays one to  american Wiesbaden reference Merritt Greenland All others John Kennedy once said that the hottest places in hell Are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. I agree with that statement an accordingly feel compelled to add my thought to those Al ready recorded. Who am i in my personal order of precedence and that s All i care about i am a Freeman a . Citizen a regular army officer and a negro. To begin it is not possible forme to make an objective evaluation of the Merritt Case per Sebe cause the data is not Avail Able. He May have receive prejudicial treatment in regard to assignments efficiency ratings Etc. It is certainly pos sible. It is also possible that heis a malcontent rationalizing away his personal shortcomings. However Lor my purpose Here it does t matter very much which Way 4t was. I know from personal experience and various sets of hard data including promotion rates and service school selection lists that prejudicial treatment to Ward negro officers at this time is the exception and not the Rule. Accordingly an individual Case of injustice How Ever deplorable is not a valid indictment against the defense department As a whole. The fact that some individuals White and negro within the armed forces have racist attitudes is a reflection of our society As a whole. The truth of the matter is that the de sense department has fought for the past Twenty years to establish an example of Inte Gration for the rest of the  am angered by the Allega Tion that negro career men awesome sort of Uncle  this is contrary to the fact Sand downright malicious. I know several Hundred negro professional soldiers mostly in the combat arms. The vast majority Are aggressive competent professionals. Their pro motions assignments and dec orations attest to this fact. These people Are the very Antithesis of the stereotype Uncle  let s be honest a Tom could not successfully command a fire team squad platoon company battalion or brigade As Many of these people have done. No one especially a negro should malign these Good and Brave men. My final comments Are addressed to the thousands of Young negro servicemen who read your paper particularly to those who have written inthe various complaints. I must cite a few events indy own career. This year i was promoted to lieutenant colonel at age 35. Additionally i have an a degree earn edut government expense and am a graduate of the commandant general staff College. To forestall the argument that Ilive in an Ivory Tower i must add that i have about nine years duty with troops including four years in airborne units at platoon and company level and four years in Ana Mored division Here in Ger  to the Point How and Why did these things happen Tome Boot Licker comedian Flunky i doubt that anyone who has served with me of whatever race or rank would describe me in these terms. The answer is so simple that it sounds mundane just lots of hard work. I would recommend the same for All i fully understand and enjoy our ethnic humor music and food. Still none of these things will win a promotion or change one s relative position in society and protest movements within the armed forces Are counter productive. Honest individual achievement is the Only positive answer. Fortunately the opportunities for general education tech Nical training and advancement within the armed forces Are Al most infinite and open to  does one begin Start by making a continuing contribution to the Success of your squad platoon company or what have  commanders no matter How biased Wilt Long ignore people who assist in getting the Job done. Don t waste Tim worrying about real or imag ined racial slights. If a Manis a bigot it is really his prob Lem and not ours except Ina temporary set of Circum  realize of course thai some of our angry Young men will not be Able to accept what i am saying because it is in dra Mauc slow and Square. I can Only say in current vernacular i m sorry but that s where it s . Col. Dallas c. Brownjr. Apo 09053 a Choice of answers i refer to an article in the stars and stripes which unequivocally stated that there would be no waiting for Telephone Calls to the United states Dur ing the Holiday season. With this tasty bit of Misin formation in mind i attempted to place my Call. However the Curt reply from the overseas operator was that there was an11-hour wait this situation pre vented expected Calls to loved ones Back Home and made Christmas much less joyous than expected. This careless reporting in paper that is the sole news source for most americans i Europe is not excusable. I strongly suggest that your Edi Tor attempt to perform his function to insure that news is accurate and timely. For myself and thousands of servicemen and dependents who were mislead and Misin formed by your article i de Mand a full explanation on this matter. It. James f. Faga bad Kru Eznack Germany editor s note it s no that you demand an explanation that we will give you on but because you Are entitled to know Why the Holiday phone booking information we carried Boomer aged. We not Only Are going to explain but we Are going to give you your Choice of explanations. In the first place the information that no bookings would be necessary was volunteered by the Bunde Spost. Asked Why a Bunde Spost spokesman in Frankfurt con ceded there was considerable delay in transatlantic Calls but said the waiting periods were caused by the fact state sidelines could not Cope with the flood of Calls on Christmas Day. At no time the spokesman said did the Bunde Spost have trouble getting through to Newyork but the German Long Dis Tance operators were soon advised of Waits up to 12 hours on Calls around the country. Is new York Bureau i checking on the stateside situation at our request reported that Telephone officials there could offer no definite reason for any Long delays with Calls from overseas new York officials suggested the Iron b 1 e could have stemmed from the following possibilities the number of operator son Holiday duty in Germany. Number of circuits Avail Able Between Germany and us. Delays in the . Domes tic network. The new York spokesman for the Long lines system pointed out however that Ger Many dials directly not through operators into . Network and no major de lays were reported in the Domestic network. A delay of one hour is considered a major delay he added. Since it is not a practice Tore Book Holiday Calls in Ger Many such As the . Does apparently taking Calls May have led to a Jam up the official said. European edition it. Col. F. 8. Michael jr., u8af editor in chief Mert Proctor managing editor Elmer 0. Frank production manager Henry t. Epstein circulation manager that newspaper u an authorized publication of the department of defense Fop . Armed Force Everrea. The Star end Stripe i Publ eyed by the com. Mander in chief u. European command in support of the command internal information program of the department of detente. Content of the Start and Stripe do not Nece Arlly reflect the official View of the . Government or the department of defence. 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