European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 3, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse February the stars and stripes Page 25 former Safe hot baseball Star Gil Bettez not ready to fade away by George Eberl who said that old soldiers never die they just fade away Gil Bettez int an old sol Dier he was a former air Force sergeant and now Hes a Middle aged he has definitely not faded whatever the late Douglas Macarthur View of a servicemen May have the former air Force whose talents kept him in the limelight of Safe baseball and football during the late 1950s and throughout the is presently a Golf professional living on the shores of Lake this is not except for the few Days of the year when the course is covered with he plays regularly on one of the most Beautiful Golf Layouts in the the Lake Tahoe Golf this is not and he looks Back with Pride upon his military athletic years in Europe when a Strong sports program filled the stands and played a prominent role in keeping morale this is not before anyone jumps to the wrong con Bettez is not a touring profession Al he is a 6handicapper whose position As the Man in charge of caddies and carts at the Edgewood club gives him his Label of the former air Force who was Allair Force quarterback in 1959 1960 at Sacramento Mcclellan air Force base in Hast changed much since his Days in Europe perhaps a crease Here and a wrinkle his weight remains about the same a sturdy 170 pounds and his enthusiasm for sports and remains singularly in in the leadership qualities that made him an excellent quarterback for Toul France and Ramstein Dur ing the 195658 shape from Chicksands in 1966 and Rhein main in 1967 and showed them selves in 1980 in an Odd when talented golfer Jodie of barely squeezed past George of in a first round match of the Amateur Public links championship at the Edgewood Bettez stepped Forward and volunteered to Caddie for the 20year old from Georgia Southern Bettez lugged Muddy clubs even during the final three Days that involved Allaround athlete Gil Bettez then and two rounds daily under the hot Mountain Sun and in the ratified air of the Elevation helping to keep the slim Jodie Mudd devastated the winning the pub Linx championship with a Breezy 9 and 8 Victory Over Rick Gordon of Santa in the tournaments final match a scheduled 36hole although it took Mudd Only 28 holes to close out who knew the course coun seed Mudd every step of the to it almost seemed that that Caddie was doing the leaving merely the striking of the Golf Ball to the slim youngster from working with Young people is nothing new for the former All Safe quarterback 1956 1958 1967 and he and his have four of their son is a lieutenant in the at while daughter is in the air Force at Travis air Marjorie and her sister now married and living in san were born in son is an Art and his painting of Jack Nicklaus hangs in the pro shop at the Edgewood country although Bettez May be a stranger to service personnel newly arrived in his name is Likely to evoke nostalgia from old timers who remember the great Days of military sports in in addition to his football bet Tel was also a highly gifted baseball play notably with the Talent Laden Darm Stadt comets of the late where he alternated Between third base and Cen in the same year he was Allus afe quarterback at he played base Ball at Hahn a and made the Germany sports conference Allstar he was a member of Darmstadt 1967 Safe Champion comets and succeeded the fabled Johnny Ross As manager of the team in with Bettez As the comets placed second in the Safe tour when he want on the football Field or on the baseball Gil worked in special usually running the local with his it int surprising that he got out of the service and earned a degree in recreation and administration from san Diego state during that pro his interest in Golf and he supplemented his retirement income by working As an assistant professional at san Diego stardust country club for five he then spent a year at the navys Fine course in san the Admiral Baker Golf and three years at the san Diego country club before he and Jean moved to their new Home at the South end of Lake although Gil is very much involved in the Here and he still has time to Remi Nisce about his 11 years As athlete ser Geant in he admits he Felt like something of a professional athlete Dur ing those but he insists that that was because it was Good for he firmly believes that top level team sports served a worthwhile purpose in that soldiers and whether at base or division were Able to identify with their theres no question about this was very Good for espirit de he says with just a Trace of Bettez remembers that lots of people would go out to see Richie Mayo a Exair Force Academy quarterback who played for Hahn air base in the mid 1960s or to see i got a lot of ribbing you they get on my but that was it May Cost More to run a sports program at that but that missing the you have More and theres the identification with the at the same he was critical of the financial support granted in the instance of individual one Guy he goes on to the next level of but who knows or what he does if he is Good he always winds up in the and How does this help the people in Europe the unit or the organization it Only benefits the he cited a personal instance in Gil teamed up with Mark Rojas a Cousin of former major league baseball player cookie Rojas in Darmstadt and won the Safe racquetball May be 20 people watched us in the he while As Many As would watch Bettez and Rojas the Comet first baseman on the baseball this is All in the past now for Bettez for his Hes Happy to soak up the Moun Tain air and play Golf whenever the spirit moves if this is fading Hes All in favor of George a former stars and stripes is the managing editor of Golf the official publication of the Golf headquartered in far mat King Plourd destroys toes with technique by Bucky Fox staff writer Germany All four Days of More than 200 matches were finally Over in the Usa eur wrestling championships Here so Down came the final tabulation six of seven votes for v corps Pat Plourd for the outstanding wrestler not considering 75 wrestlers were in the but Plourd is used to Hes been doing so Ever since he pulled on the tights at his High school in and he continued to rub the opposition the wrong Way in this take with the Greco roman championship at Plourd pinned both his opponents for Gold medal take with the freestyle championship at Plourd pinned All three of his opponents for Gold medal with official Rudi Gerr had no doubt who would win the he Doest need to think out Gerr said of he reacts As fast As you could he uses All kinds of tech Schimmer Pat Plourd Heads for Allamy Nique Hes always theres not one second when Hes not i never saw when he other wrestlers know four techniques that Are very but he knows i dont know How and not Only does he know but he can perform them very Hes also a Good a very Good v corps coach Al Cornett was in Lourds even after his matches he has a lot More technique than anyone out Superior and Hes in outstanding that unbelief because he just came out from the All these votes of Confidence were directed toward a fellow who stands Only 5 feet6 and appears to have about As much of a killer instinct As a Domestic that off the on the he goes out there with Confidence and poise and literally destroys his Cornett for the record while wrestling for Ore gon a 118pound Plourd finished second in the pacific8 conference in 1975 and 76 and first in the conference in 1977 and All four years he advanced to the Mcaa his highest finish being sixth in the fact that Plourd attended Oregon state is curious since the University of Oregon is smack in his to the answer is simple Oregon state had a lot tougher in inherently Lazy i need a and once i saw that one program Oregon was easy and the other Oregon states worked you like a i chose the the training time in the army Doest compare with College but who stationed at is still a master on the regardless of his assess ment of i dont think my techniques that he i just try to keep pres sure on the you move him and dont let him move you and you can usually beat these Ive stayed healthy and that probably helped me More than because of his performance Plourd is stateside bound for the Allamy said Cornett ill be willing to put Money on it that hell take said Plourd in not just shooting to make the i want to do Well in inter i want to stay in the states As Long As i
