European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 6, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                May 1985 the stars and stripes Page 3 photo by Lynda Sparks jewish demonstrators against president reagans visit to a Pitburg military cemetery participate in a Wreath laying ceremony at a jewish cemetery in Pitburg mayor lays Wreath in jewish cemetery by Jean Albright Pitburg Bureau chief Pitburg Germany As presi Dent Reagan visited the former Bergen Belsen concentration Camp bit Burg mayor Theo executive Dep Uty mayor Werner pies and a handful of guests made a private visit to a Small jew ish cemetery in each Laid a Wreath and stood alone to carried a Wreath of yellow and White Flowers with a ribbon bearing the words the mayor of bit this is a sign to the jewish pies had said we dont Honor the nazi we Honor the before their the cemetery was undecorated except for the Wreath Laid there by Hallet last november on the anniversary of Kristal nacht the first ant jewish pogrom in Germany since the Middle fewer than 10 jews now live in earlier in the the cemetery had Only a few a jewish group from new York made a Brief visit to the Small cemetery on their Way to the military Cem which has been at the Center of the controversy surrounding reagans they said 18 of the 25 people in the group were members of the state also at the cemetery in the Early morn ing was Gerda who looks after the she returned later As one of a few invited by Hallet to witness the Wreath Lay although dressers family is buried in the adjoining cemetery with most of bit burgs she remembers Many of the people buried in the separate Mil itary some of them died in bit Burg during world War some during the the headstones of most of the Graves were she their 30 names now Are carved in a single Large to the right of the Center two separate monuments Honor members of the Juda a plaque added to one of them honors a family member who died in the Auschwitz concentration Dreiser worked with the red Cross after the finding the bodies of Ameri can soldiers buried in the Woods near bit Burg and moving them to Lalendorf Ceme inside the Luxembourg the coat she wore sunday was decorated with the Florence Nightingale the highest Given by the red Only a few people witnessed bit burgs other Wreath laying and Hallet invited Only Dreiser and a few jewish Resi dents of Aron and Julie Klap live in Pitburg and remember family members lost at Ausch they accepted the invitation to sup port mayor if he can come we can come Max a Trier restaurant owner and former Buchenwald stood holding israeli and american their staffs topped with Black he came alone to demonstrate his feelings about president reagans visit to the bit Burg the president is a Good but it is wrong for him to go to the Pitburg Ceme Tery just five minutes flight from is a cemetery in Luxembourg where americans Are he crowds sought glimpse of Reagan Best thing that happened to Pitburg Lynda pro americans in Pitburg by Jean Albright Pitburg Bureau chief Pitburg Germany about people streamed onto this base wearing special carrying pushing baby carriages and hoping for a glimpse of a visitor they knew would stay less than an few actually saw president Reagan or West German Chancellor Helmut but even those whose plans were foiled by transportation Security or crowds thought it was Worth this is the Best thing that Ever happened to said Thom As Starr of the 36th equipment Maint its really important for me to catch a glimpse of him just to be a part of that the main William from Buchel volunteered to travel about 50 Miles on his Day off to we Are trained to do a and this is one of the few times you really get to do you feel like youre doing something weve heard that this is a hot political and it makes you feel like youre helping make sure everyone is you get As close As you can we signed up to take a if we got to see that would have been but we will get to see the and a lot of us have never seen air Force among those who waited in the cold and Mist was Mike an army specialist 5 stationed at Pitburg with the 2nd 62nd air defense he was stranded when shuttle service from the housing area was Cut off two hours earlier than closest to the front line and last to see the he a group of second graders invited to sit with vips was Able to see the president and hear his even though they could not talk with it was said Tina daughter of Armando and Cornelia she said she was not too because she could hear him i thought it was i enjoyed it and i wanted to see the said Johnna daughter of staff John and Becky Kevin son of Jim and Debbie was impressed by the Story Reagan told of american and Ger Man soldiers having a Brief truce during the Battle of the when asked what the Story he said simply the atmosphere at the base was a marked contrast to the Pitburg military a picnic was on the program for about air Force their families and local German staff writers Tony Nauroth and Judy Sarasohn contributed to this