European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 19, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday August 19, 1978 the stars and stripes Page 9 afterburners aglow this German air Force phantom is on its Way piloted by Pilot has Way with languages i capt. Robert b. Whittled of the . Air Force. Whitfield likes Bis Job and is Story photos by Georg Wegemann Sobernheim Germany capt. Robert b. Whitfield has begun a lot of conversations with that question can we speak German since he received orders starting him on the Road to assignment As a . Air Force Exchange officer with a German air Force unit. Now he says one of his problems is that so Many of his fellow crewmen at German fighter bomber Wing 33 want to practice their English with him. Before moving to this Nahe River Vil Lage 15 Miles West of bad studied German for seven months at the defense language , Calif. I worked like a Buffalo Whitfield said using the German phrase for worked like a dog " heading for the skies putting his training in the German Lan Guage to Good use. Whitfield gives his so did his wife Gail who studied with him and today chats with neighbors orgies shopping in town in her adopted Tongue. The two youngest Whitfield Bond jr., 4, and Brian 3, study the language on the Job in German kindergarten an sometimes Challenge their elders with the Slang they pick up. But the Pilot gives his briefings in English because his native Tongue is the International language of aviation and i want to make sure i Don t make a Whitfield 34, said his Job is to Fly like any other of the Squadron s pilots on prac Tice air to ground and air to air Mission sin f-4f phantoms. Working both As a fighter bomber an fighter interceptor Pilot is something new to the dam polls. Ala., native. . Squad briefings in English the International language of aviation. Rons usually assign those roles to separate wings he said. One of his goals is to pass along through flying and talks with other members of the Squadron the fruits of his 1,400 hours of experience flying phantoms. His German counterparts Call him War Pilot a tribute to his 328 missions in Southeast Asia. Around the Squadron the talk is a lot can be teamed from with the germans is. Business As usual to Whitfield with a lot of fun thrown in. It was a Little different at least at first for Gail. Friends won t let her forget the look on her face the first time she saw her husband in a phantom with a Yard High Lack on White Iron Cross emblazoned on the fuselage. At Iff while fired holds a critique after a training Mission at right he and Gail Cunteri task Che to canine along with German Friend
