European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 07, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday september 7,1977 the stars and stripes Page 11 letters to the editor the need for Materiel readiness they should band together your recent Campaign against the Over weight Soldier is still reverberating in Mili tary mess Halls throughout the  on a Job Well done. You de serve a Gold plated Atta boy from the commander in chief for your efforts. Now if you can devote equal in dept coverage to another vital aspect of our de sense program namely Materiel Readi Ness you can proudly say you have completed your obligation to the american taxpayer. Shaping the Usa eur i into a Tough fighting Man is Only half of the Job. The other half consists of getting and keeping his tools of Trade or Mission essential equipment in combat ready  Good can a Tough and trim Soldier do for his country when his equipment May be marginal in operation or entirely on the blink he May push the launch Button on a missile control panel and see his Birds go astray. His target acquisition radar May be directing  off target which will result in wasting ammunition. He May not be Able to report this to higher head quarters because his radio May be off fre Quency. His tank can shoot an communicate but his Battery Cable May be corroded and the motor won t Start. But the next Best thing he can do is run two Miles in 17  need to Hammer the significance of Materiel readiness into commanders and troops cannot be overemphasized. Without Materiel readiness of combat essential equipment your Charles Atlas troops Are worthless. They can Only run two Miles in 17 minutes. Match this against soviet weapons systems which Are operationally ready and you la see Why we need a hard look at our readiness. Materiel readiness starts at Home. It known to All As preventive maintenance at the organizational level. The condition of some inoperative equipment turned in to local support activities for repair show evidence that some units Are not doing their Homework. Reasons Given for these cases include Lack of technical manuals non availability of authorized tools an test equipment or personnel lacking experience. Some units take advantage of re sources available to them Only when they Are in  suggest that the stripes accept the Challenge of researching the area of mate Riel readiness on the same scale on which it attacked the physical fitness  did a wonderful Job of in depth cover age and i m sure you can do just As Well i Materiel readiness. There is a need to stimulate interest in this vital area. Wended to get commanders and troops involved. You did it before and you can do i again. Let s finish the Job now that you re on the right track. Frank d. Martinez Walldorf Germany Art Buchwald Washington to guide had an Arti Cle a few weeks ago which contained an interview with five television producers on the question of to violence. The producers were upset because pressure groups Suchias the Parent teacher association and the american medical association were lean ing on the to networks to Cut out violence in their  networks and advertisers the to producers said were caving in to the pres sure. The producers considered this a form of censorship and said no one should Beable to dictate How much violence there should be on  Friend Joanie Conway who reads to guide said to me do i look like a pressure group i looked her Over. I Don t think  Well i read this article which said that people like myself were ruining television because we were complaining to the net works about the violence they were show ing in what they like to Call their action movies " you mean they did t want you to write in to show your displeasure i think so. They said the pressure groups were deciding what people could see or not see because the networks hate Roget mail. Now my question is if i Don t like violence on television How do i get my Opin Ion Over if i Don t write to protest that is a Toughie i admitted. If you write you re putting pressure on the net works. If you Don t write you la keep get Ting violent shows. I would say you Are within your rights to  but the producers claim the people who write in Are ruining to for the Public. Aren t i the Public too i should think so i said. I suppose the producers were saying the mass Audi ence likes violence on television but the minority of the people who write letters to the networks Don t. But minority opinion prevails because the networks hate to get any mail criticizing their  How do they know the mass of the people like it because of the audience ratings. The violent shows have High  i think people will watch anything on  do you have against violence on television people keep getting killed or knifed or beaten up cars keep crashing into each other and the impression you get is that the country is full of psychos. The police Aren t that Nice either. They re always beating up anyone who won t Tell them what they want to  the producers claim they Aren t show ing violence for the Sake of violence. They have to have the violence so they la have action. The to viewer likes his  Well i Don t like it and i think it s bad for kids to see it. They show them How to Rob stores make bombs and blow up safes. That s not my idea of show  but it does raise a problem. Killing on television is As american As Apple pie. I m not sure to could survive without  that s what the producers said in to guide Joanie told me. They said if they can t have violence in their shows there would be no conflict and the american Public would be cheated out of Good Televik  May have a Point i said. Murder rape arson and dope peddling does have a lot of conflict in  but How much of it do we have to take the producers claim they make these shows because the Public wants , i m the Public and i Don t want them and so when i write in they say i am a pres sure group. If i liked them what would that make me a pro violence consumer i  said i d rather be a pressure ahead if you want to but if the can t beat up and murder people on to any More it s going to be on your conscience c los Angeles time so you Are an army Bondsman you be got it made All you do is sit around and toot your Horn All Day Long during my 25-year career As an army Bondsman i be heard those words quite often. I wish to set the record straight. Army bands have often been misunderstood by no musicians who acquire supervisory control. They see a band As a labor platoon not realizing that sending a few people Here or there can seriously hamper training or Mission requirements. For instance my band of 42 musicians has a concert to perform in a German Community benefiting local crippled children. Two of my musicians Are attached to Spe Cial troops in for a period of 90 Days. One works with s-4. He is a trumpet player who also doubles on Bass guitar. Losing him Means i have neither a stage band or combo capacity. The other a sax soloist is working with equal Opportunity race re lations. I cannot use him As a soloist and my sax Section is now under strength. Four other people Are in the Field helping special troops in prepare for reformer. One of the four is a Young sergeant who Speaks excellent German before he left he was my interpreter and program announcer. Add to this another two who Are allowed to participate in a Tennis tournament Over my Stern objections. One is a Young lady who is our drummer for our Rock band. That is a total of eight musicians missing from my authorized strength of 42.oh, True i can perform marches but that is the extent of it. Our versatility showmanship and entertaining qualities Are Hurt. Where does it end More and More Post details dental appointments leave passes sickness until finally i will be forced to perform the music by Means of playing records Over the Public address system. So what you say. What s so important about an american military band performing a Benefit concert in Ger Many let me cite an example fully documented in our local Public affairs office. Two american soldiers kidnapped and raped a 16-year-old German girl. She was from a fairly Large City with several Amer ican units stationed in caverns nearby. The local populace was so enraged that the City was placed off limits to any serv iceman. The military commander called upon our band to perform an Impromptu Christ Mas concert at the marketplace. Passers by eagerly filled tin cups held by both German and american soldiers. In just one Short hour More than 2,000 do were collected and used to buy toys for the orphans in that area. This Small act showed that the prejudice against All american soldiers was unjustified and Normal relations were resumed. Senator army bands Are a necessary military  our concert trips to France featured All types of american music. The French have been cold towards the ., but they were simply amazed by the versatility of our Soldier musicians. Our program included serious As Well As Light music soloists and Small groups stage band and combos Barbershop quartet the music of Glen Miller Dixieland and hard Rock. The american counsel congratulated me after the concert saying that our performance has accomplished More towards easing French american relations than a visit by the president. So colonel there Are Many ways to win friends. Don t destroy my capability by cutting up my band with Post  another example is a Small town off the main Highway. It has had no real Contact with americans since world War ii. What they remember Are scenes of our troops storming through living off the land loot ing and ravaging. The town s people comprehended very Little English and were hesitant about providing rooms overnight in their Homes. After a very successful two hour con Cert and a three hour dance played by our combo the people reversed their attitudes. They attempted speaking English were very hospitable and realized what wonder Ful people my Soldier musicians Are. Seeing women in the army was a totally new experience for the germans. Our ladies sold the Flowers decorating the con Cert stage to further increase the donations benefiting the world War ii veterans. The town leaders paid special homage to our women with hugs and kisses. What kind of value can you place on that kind of German american relationship Many of you think i feel that Field duty in t necessary for bands. Not so bands want to be a part of any defense for Ameri can Freedom. However we should go to the Field As a Complete army band. We should be Able to train in the Field As a musical unit and have a definite Mission. I say Don t split us up we must maintain musical proficiency and versatility by remaining intact. Musicians need constant practice individually and collectively. Otherwise my Mother wasted All that Money she stole from the groceries in order to pay for my music Les sons. We either improve or fall Back we can never remain at a constant level of proficiency. My band is authorized 42 musicians and anything less Lowers the standards capabilities and versatility of my unit. Of yes army Bondsmen have it made but perhaps we be earned our Job satisfaction. If you Don t enjoy your Job perhaps you should change. But Don t Knock us general there Are Many ways to fight a War. Music can be mightier than the Neu tron bomb. The sounds of music last for Ever in the minds of those that listen and  a retiring army bandmaster european edition col. Billy e. Spangler Usa editor in chief of. Col. J. C. Taylor Usan. Deputy editor in chief Mert Proctor managing editor Elmer d. Frank production manager Henry s. Epstein circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for  Armed forces overseas. The stars and stripes is published in conjunction with the armed forces information program of the department of defense. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official View of the  Government the department of defense or the  European command. The appearance of displays in this newspaper concerning commercial publications does not constitute an endorsement by the department of de sense including the military departments. Military address the stars and stripes Apo 09175. International mail the stars and stripes Postrach 11 1j 34, d-6100 Darmstadt 11, Germany. Tel Griesheim c prefix 06155 8 1 m Darmstadt Airstrip prefix 2376 741, telex 0419-332. New York office room 948, 201 Varick st., new York 10014, Tel area code 212 620-3333. Second class postage paid at new York n. Y. 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