European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 8, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 the stars and stripes february letters to the editor when will we free a hostages thanks for hostages Safe return i write this letter As a concerned health recently we celebrated to give thanks for the Safe return of the 52 Ameri can hostages who were held captive in but As we gather together for this special let us take time to realize just what we Are giving thanks Are we simply thank Ful for having 52 More american heroes to put in our history does that entire not not not not ordeal mean nothing More than a Chance professional and a concerned my private not human some us As a nation to join together for a Brief recent experience has Given me a special have been harassed at and at period of to Fly yellow ribbons from and even their stateside relatives have had our cars and Homes and hold massive a their lives disturbed by intrusive rades As f it were thanksgiving or super perspective on a very special group of other i want to share with you some of that perspective and concern so that per phone Calls and bowl sunday haps you will listen to and spare those if it has been that unpleasant for who the events which took place during the crucial Nna have any major stresses in our lives 14 and especially those events right How much More intrusive and stressful will that nonsense for those return ing people be right now they have some of the most important work of their lives be fore them the work of leaving the pain be the work of so please give these special and were cruelly forced to stand by and watch their special the time they As their comrades were beaten and humid and pain was Over that time for leaving the and re who were denied the right to share peace of time to enjoy the and the love of their families and friends for 14 drinkable clean All the Little things about life in America a warm and being Able Treyve had to do without for so and to make up your own mind about what not just the formal time the state depart youre going to do next really still existed mint let them do their work at their and were again theirs that it was again own be that fast or let them special folks much heartache and i was one of the medical Crew members dispatched to pick up the 52 americans freed from All of us on the medical and flight and our were about the first real symbols of and they we were with them for those first few when it really be Gan to sink in that a year and some of Ter during the past 2 weeks should have deeply touched our hearts and there Are Many things we have to be thankful for on this we Are thankful for 52 human who were taken by Force from the american who Okay to and maybe approach you in the Media when there be depressed and angry and show it dont Rush things by intruding into they were still Conle with value their lives right now Dent ruin they were still people with and Worth just because of that and nothing and because of that due Pri and consideration that no longer were they going to be treated like garbage or stray one thing most of the medical Crew members have also discovered is to their lives right dont ruin it for thanks for and i Hope you really heard withheld Rhei main Germany Ive been Reading every stars and some members of stripes and watching the news programs on regarding the former Imas excited As everyone else is for i am Happy they finally made it Back to the states As i read i  help but when Are we the american people going to release the former hostages i know they have stories to Tell and the press and our government officials Are All wanting to hear but when will they be free and be Able to Lead Normal lives they must be Able to filter Back into our society and become americans i feel their lives Are being controlled too much at this so Many americans sent let and wanted so much to help free the now that they Are finally Home from will these same american peo ple give those 52 former hostages their Freedom in America it is great that they Are free from Iran and Home in the United let us Hope that our fellow americans will give those 52 lives their Freedom hails Blunt Reagan the finally has a president in Ron Ald Reagan because he is not afraid to Call Llie cards As he sees when questioned about paying Ransom to the iranians for the hostages Reagan responded by saying that one docs not pay Ransom to kidnappers and these Are and hones words arc not similar to the Hemming and hawing of the past four years during which americas feelings and attitudes on certain issues were not Only unknown to her enemies and allies but to her outgoing leaders As i believe that it is preferable to come out with an opinion and state it flatly that to vacillate without any real i do not believe that it would be or sump Tous of me to say that our allies and enemies Are More pleased now because they do not have to second guess the thinking of Washington top whether the european leaders agree or disagree with Reagan is the important matter to con Sider is that they now know or can pretty Well imagine what kind of reaction they can expect from the president when he assesses world its and How to Deal with those the new presidents words have More be Johansen Germany who lived each Day fearing it would be their finally wishing Only that if they must that they May be allowed the dignity to do it Well we Are thankful for 52 families waiting patiently for 14 Long waiting by the phones for word on whether or not they will Ever see their loved ones wondering if they could live out their lives As if they could properly care for their fatherless they wait no the wives Are not the children Are not the hostages Are for that we Are truly All of us who serve proudly for our be loved country were spared the anguish and horror of War a War which May have very Well taken our we will not Wake from Pur sleep in a cold sweat because of terrify ing dreams which would have reemphasized our time spent in the senseless bloodshed of the for that we should be truly and lastly let us not forget to thank our forgiving and Loving who saw fit to intervene in this very human drama and keep his Loving arms wrapped around our fellow free americans to protect them from harm until their Safe return even though we have so often failed him As a those chosen 52 americans have been Given a second Chance at a second Chance to so As the passage of time Clouds the feelings of this special time in our let us never forget those pro found one nation under in with Liberty and Justice for thank you Carter you to those 8 americans who gave their lives for the Freedom of Welcome Home 4 Robert Feeney Germany to All our friends i want to Welcome All of you Home i feel As if i know Many of you it is a super feeling to see All of you smiling once just wanted All of you to know that each i played my record by Fredda bring the boys women a Home before i went to our prayers were and they will continue to be we know that there is someone bigger than you and god bless All of you and those involved to make this Miracle come stay Happy and keep Coy it Maryland to the former american hostages it is in the american forces radio is broadcasting your arrival at and in the background i can hear cheers and shouts of Welcome from people waiting for you your first Welcome to really came nine hours As a Small group stood watching from the wet Tarmac at hell Nikon air base Here in when your plane touched Down and came to rest 100 meters wished to Welcome to cheer to give you Flowers and shake your we realized the possibility of doing so was virtually and although you were on the ground an you remained sequestered aboard the according to the terms of the but we continued to stand Vigil there in the Damp As the flashing lights of the petrol trucks painted fragmented yellow ribbons among the fuse Lage of your although it began to we stayed As you finally taxied slowly past us on your Way to the military person Nel came to attention and saluted we civilians silently waved scarves and you could not see of course All win Dow shades on the aircraft were tightly drawn As it went we want you to know that we were we were proud to be if Only in mute and now we want to add our 30odd voices to the that cheer you at want to Welcome Halachis Emmert Greece european edition Rose Usa Dettert chief editor chief Mert Proctor managing editor Elmer Frank production manager Henry manager hostages then and now on Iran had officially released the hostages that they had held captive for 444 ing Iran and the 14monthold hostage i it is about time that we had a president who is not afraid to speak the truth no mat Ter who it the Basic difference that exists Between Carter and Reagan is that the former merely talked about tackling controversial issues regardless of their political consequences the on the is going to actually bring the runner natural that remains to be but i think it is it was More than 1 5 years ago that my Peers and associates participated in a crisis we now Call the Vietnam the number of pos far exceeded the 52 american yet their return was forgotten if not today Many Are still suffering the effects which May never i look Back to those those years that the Vietnam Veteran served his country without reservation for a prominent cause his i entered the service with and i am willing to protect my country interest and do this to the Best of my As this nation my Faith in the people is constantly being when 1 took my oath to serve the Federal government i held my hand High and with i knew that when my country my motto was duty it is the same oath that each Federal employee it is the same understanding that each government official who serves overseas yet i constantly see the military divided if not a greater possibility with the new leadership divorced from their civilian it does wonders for the than with the Obrien Spain pen pal i am German in prison and would fed pleased to have pen i am 34 years Weiss m s440slraumno we Gomany it is not hard for me to understand i am exhausted when explaining Why civilian hostages Are a critical Issue whereas military hostages Are part of the it is tiresome dealing with this and its worse feeling and being treated As second the release of the 52 american hostages was indeed a momentous occasion As we sip our offer free air trips and overdose on these proud americans for experiencing part of their let us Pray for the and Vietnam veterans alive and dead who served in the same capacity As their civilian yet were not afforded the luxury from the modern Jerome Cook Germany this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for armed forces the stars and stripes is published in conjunction with the armed forces information program of the department of contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official View of the the depart ment of defense or the european the appearance of displays in 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