European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 11, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday june 11, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 17 and that s the Way it is is photo by Dave Diehl John Turner inspects capt. John Chaikin s car before he Heads to Raf Mildenhall England. A after spending 12 hours on a train tech. Sgt. Benjamin Mcdonald was t inthe mood for a lot of hassle. He just wanted to pick up his car and go. The drive from Bremerhaven Back to Pitburg a was t going to be fun. He filed into a Small room with other anxious custom ers waiting for instructions. After receiving their Brief ing Mcdonald and the rest of the group filed into Sta Tion two registration. Registration went quickly. The line was Short. It was wednesday. And it was Low season. Mcdonald approached station three to pick up his keys and get directions to his car. He fumbled with travel cases and stepped up to the counter. Somewhere Between of you go out this door and turn right and have a Nice Day Mcdonald gave up. But the map he d been Given helped. They said something about a wooden Road he mumbled. Mcdonald paused scratched his Chin and looked around. That must be it right there he finally said using the directions to Orient himself. As he reached the end of the Wood Plank Roadway he found three roads to choose from. The Road to the left led to the Exchange filling station snack bar and other customer service agencies. He did t remember the Smil ing face at the counter telling him to go straight. But vaguely he remembered right being mentioned a few times. Right it was. After trekking Down the Road bracing against the frigid sea wind Mcdonald Felt As if any car would do. He shuddered and pulled his gloves tighter Over his hands. There s my car he said with the Colorado he came closer to the car. And the mud All Over it he said. After a Quick inspection for major damage Mcdonald got in and slipped the key into the ignition. Hope it it did. Station four claims verification was easy. Mcdonald stepped up to the counter and claimed a Dent on the right Back fender and an abrasion on the front left fender. The frowning employee behind the desk wrote i Down. Mcdonald s car had already been inspected before he picked it up. It had passed. He bypassed station five inspections. The frowning Soldier gestured Back toward the Center when Mcdonald asked for station six. He left station four shrugged his shoulders and got in his car. Out came the map. I Don t see it on Here but i la find it Mcdonald assured himself. Around and around the Center building he went. I Don t see it anywhere he said. Mcdonald did t know that station six actually station two again was inside the Center. Finally after stopping for directions he parked. As he leaned Over to lock the passenger door he noticed the carpet had been ripped up. Look at this he said apprehensively As he stretched to pull the carpet up. After examining the carpet and a torn wire for a few seconds he made the connection. My cd is missing within minutes he was again looking at the frowning Soldier. My cd is missing he said As calmly As he could. The Soldier wrote it Down. And my carpet is All ripped up on the passenger s Side he said. The frowning Soldier head Bent toward the paper said i can t verify Mcdonald not understanding what the Soldier had meant repeated my carpet is ripped up. You can see the wire that was connected to my cd. Do you want to come see the Soldier lifted his head from the paper and gazed out the window. I can t verify that. I la write it Down but i can t verify Mcdonald shrugged his shoulders. Finally at station six Mcdonald picked up his License plates and borrowed some tools from another customer. Plates installed he went Back to station six and got his registration. In an hour he was finished and ready to hit the Road for Pitburg. Mcdonald gathered up his bags slipped on his gloves and headed for the door. He stopped suddenly and turned around. Of by the Way. How do i get to the autobahn Diana Valdez As time goes by. Watch out spec 4 Steve Hart of to Eslingen Ger Many did t have enough m in a cohort unit so we All came Over together said cohesion operational Readi Ness and training is a system that transfers whole units. So since we got Here in late september we be been getting our act together. There was t much time to get my motorcycle he said. Almost four months later he finally hired someone to go to Bremerhaven to claim it. If the motorcycle had remained at the port much longer Hart might have lost it. Because Bremerhaven has a limited amount of space there s a 120-Day limit on vehicle storage. Processing vehicles from the docks to one of the Cen Ter s lots takes about five Days. Notification cards Are sent to owners the card explains the Center s hours an what s needed to pick up a car. About 85 percent of the owners respond to the firs notice 1 said spec. 4 Wanda Bevely who works with the delinquent files. The first notice is sent to the address listed on the deform 788 when the owner drops the car off in the states. Since most army personnel Are assigned to the 21st replacement in at Rhein main a Germany most the cards go there. If the card comes Back to sender it is resent through casual mail directory. If that one comes Back the Center personnel Send a message to fort Benjamin Harrison ind., for the Correct address. We re hoping to Start a program that will make notification easier said capt. Steven Frazier chief of the processing Center. We would have the newcomer fill out a change of address card while they Are at the replace ment battalion and then Send it to us. This Way we would know exactly where they Are going and would t have to go Hunting for them. We Don t have it All ironed out yet but we reworking on it he said. Most of the people Bevely Hunts Are soldiers. We Don t have much trouble with the air Force because they have direct after 45 Days a second notice is sent. It tells the owner that the car is considered abandoned. Some times the person does t get to Europe before the car or the person May be delayed by a Field exercise or some thing she said. Most of the remaining 15 percent Are reached wit the second notice. A Small percentage of car owners receive a 60-Day notice she said. One goes to the owner s commanders at 90 Days the lie Holder is contacted. Every monday we Call o. Try to Call the people on the 90-Day list said Bevely. We get All kinds of excuses. The lie Holder is contacted so it can decide what to do with the after 120 Days the Center is supposed to turn the car Over to the property disposal office but Frazier some times makes exceptions. I have a Case where i be been holding the car since May 25 of last year. The person has a very sick son and is in the states with him. The last thing on his mind Isis Frazier has the final say on whether a car is disposed of. Then we have those who Don t pass the Driver s test or Don t want to pay the High insurance or just Plain Don t want the car. We do about 5 cars a year and most Are clunkers Frazier said. Never however since i be been Here have we a does a car without the service member knowing about it. We always get their Diana Valdez
