European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 1, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes Friday september 1, 1978 to never do if again March of death tests the limits Story photos by Stephen Howard Bornem Belgium a Small band of Central army group soldiers has a pretty Good idea Why they Call the 100-Kilometer walk Here the March of  i m glad i finished it but i Don t think i la do it again next year said Canadian warrant officer Larry pare first of five Cental troops to Cross the finish line after walking the 62 Miles. When i had finished 70 k a i could Only take Short Steps said the Canadian who after 16 hours became the 203rd Contes Tant to finish the ninth annual version of the March. The next Cental finisher was German army s. Sgt. Hans Mertens who said he was ready to quit after 60 Kilometres. But when they told me the bus to the Start was t coming for another hour i just decided to go on instead of  the other three Cental soldiers to finish sgt. . John cont Evita spec. 5 Bobby Lyles and sgt. Neil Cheney crossed the line in the final half hour to win their Skull and crossbones medals. The Price they paid was 32 blisters 24 sore legs and too Many aches to count. Ill never do it again said Cheney of Ogden Utah. I Don t care what they give you for doing it. It just hurts too bad the event was created by an area club determined to test the limits of its stamina and courage against the Northern belgian Countryside. To be considered finishers contestants must reach the goal within 24 hours. By 9 p.m., when the event started Resi dents of this brewing and textile milling town on the Banks of the Scheldt River jammed the streets to Send off 2,155 marchers. Men and women leaned out of windows to Shower Candy on marchers below while officials carried the National colors of the countries that sent marchers Embolic coffin was taken on a grand promenade through the streets of the City. The problems for the Cental group began after about 30 to 50 Kilometres. The weather was great except that it was too cold by Midnight " said spec. 5 Don Miller a military Driver from Toledo Ohio. My legs got cold and started to  Haaren one of about 140 flemish Cross volunteers kept Busy throughout the 24 hours said the medical organization used about 40 liners of Mas Sage Oil for aching Muscles last year. I think Well use 50 or 60 liners this year she said. I m so tired of seeing sore feet and legs. I think i la dream about them when i go to sleep said her sister Bette. German army pvt. Mathius Dreyer an other Cental participant said he grew too tired to finish. My parents will disown me when they find out i quit he said. But Dreyer was Only one of 1,487 participants forced to the sidelines before they could Complete the journey. Spec. 5 Howard is a photo Laboratory technician at Cental a huh. It s Over two who finished the grueling March of death in Belgium find Relief when the Long walk s Over. Pride shines through exhaustion on the faces of prone sgt. Neil Cheney and seated War rant officer Larry pare As they submit gratefully to the pain relieving ministrations of flemish Cross volunteers. Polar adventurer twice thought he would die Washington up japanese explorer Naomi Uemura driven by a Chal Lenge to myself said wednesday he twice thought he would die during his Solo dog sled expeditions to the North pole and Down the length of Greenland. The 37-year-old adventurer set out for the North pole March 5 from Canada s Ellesmere Island and last week completed a 103-Day trek 1,685 Miles from Greenland s Northern tip to Sarsar Rouag in Southwest Ern  expeditions were firsts the first time a Lone Man travelled by dog sled to the pole covering 471 Miles in 55 Days and the first Solo Overland traverse Down Greenland s , speaking through an interpreter at a smithsonian institution news con Ference said despite the Aid of constant tracking by a space Agency satellite an periodic flights by a support team to resupply his Stock of food for both him and his dogs there were two times he thought All was  first occurred Only four Days out on his trip northward. A Polar Bear attacked his Camp. The Polar Bear ripped my tent in 30 Odd places and his nose was nudging my sleep ing bag he recounted. I did t realize i was going to be attacked by a Polar Bear so Rny Rifle was not loaded. So i Felt i was go ing to  Bear returned later and he shot and killed it. His second Brush with death occurred in late april when he neared his destination at the North pole. He and his dogs were trapped on an ice Floe during a blizzard. There was a great Deal of ice floating around and i was on ice 2 to 3 meters thick and this ice was revolving like on a revolving stage he said. The Only thing i could do was to watch the ice revolve  the trip Over Greenland glaciers was More monotonous he said except when he encountered hidden crevasses. These glaciers Are very level he said. However suddenly there would be a Cre Vasse and dogs would disappear right into Ana tin Revoit Vass Wouita Ais appear Agni n killed it. In  Waldheim asks troops for Namibia United nations up Secretary one of the largest peace keeping ventures the territory has a population of a general Kurt Waldheim asked the . Be in . History would Cost up to $300 Mil 800,000 Blacks and 96,000 Whites. Y purity Council wednesday to Send 7,500 troops to South West Africa to guarantee the conduct of free elections before the creation of an Independent Black majority ruled Namibia. In addition he said in a report to the Council some 1,200 . Civilians will be required to watch More than 400 polling stations in the 318,000 Square mile uranium Rich territory. Waldheim estimated the whole opera Tion envisaged for a 12-months operation on i lion. He said he would deploy military units in Namibia within three weeks after the Council approves the operation and would bring the Force to full strength within 12 weeks. His proposals Are based on a Western initiated Independence plan which the Council approved in principle on july 27. It is to create an Independent state in the for Mer South african mandate within seven months. The about 800,00 Waldheim submitted his detailed scheme for transition to Independence un-1 Der United nations supervision after Nisi special representative for Namibia Martti Ahti Saari had toured the country for 17 Days with a . Team of experts to asses the situation. His estimates for the required strength of the Force and of the civilian staff Are considerably higher than those originally envisaged by Waldheim 5,000 troops and 1,000 civilians