European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 4, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday december 4, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 5 Bethesda surgery training program to be closed by Norman Black Washington a the Navy plans to shut Down its resident training program in cardio thoracic surgery Al by in Coda naval Hospital in the Wake of in voluntary manslaughter charges against the former head of the unit. Capt. K. Stephen Amis the Hospital s commanding officer made the disclosure monday As investigative hearings resume Din the Case of or. Donal m. Billig former chief of cardio thoracic surgery at by this a who fact charges in connection with the deaths of five patients at the Maryland facility. It. Stephen Pietropaoli a Navy spokes Man acknowledged that the decision was related to the Navy s suspension of Billig and its decision to pursue his court mar tial. He said the decision to terminate the resident training program was prompted by a Lack of personnel and  the Navy has had difficulty recruiting heart surgeons and a permanent replace ment for Billig has not been named. Billig was recruited into the Navy an assigned to Bethesda in part because he held the necessary certifications from surgical boards to oversee residency training. Pietropaoli stressed the decision would have no effect on the Hospital s ability lot eat patients in need of heart surgery since it would affect Only the training pro Gram for medical residents. He said the training program has always been Small normally involving Only two surgical Resi dents and that the Navy would continue a similar program in san Diego Calif. Billig 54. Was accepted into the Navy in late 1982, Given the rank of commander and assigned to Bethesda in january 1983. He became the chief of heart surgery in june 1qh1. Z position he held until no vember i9s4 when his privileges were sus Pended amid questions about his surgical competence. Last april he was formally relieved of his duties and on june 27 was charged with 28 counts of dereliction of duty and four counts of involuntary manslaughter. A fifth manslaughter count was announced it september. Billig s defense attorneys have twice succeeded in challenging the Navy s investigative procedures. In october a military judge ruled the Navy could not begin a court martial without appointing an inde pendent investigator to oversee the pretrial phase of the Billig investigation. The pc trial hearings subsequently delayed by the illness of one of Billig s attorneys resumed monday. Testimony by de sense witnesses is expected to take most of the week after  the new investigator a military judge from Norfolk a. Will submit his final recommendation on whether Billig should be tried. The Navy has accused Billig of Bung Ling five open heart operations that resulted in deaths la has also charged that Billig suffered from a serious loss of visioning one Eye and failed to disclose that ail ment. Two other officers involved in re cruising Billig into inc Navy also arc fac ing courts martial. Los Angeles Banks often a Fargey los Angeles a one in five Bank robberies in the United states is committed in the los Angeles Are because of its expansive freeway system and High number of drug users authorities said monday. Most Bank branches Are accessible to freeways said police sgt. Jim Grayson. These Guys hit a Bank and just turn a Corner and they re on a  the figures however Are Down from 1983 when the Region accounted for a third of . Bank holdups. In 1983, the City of los Angeles reported 743 hold us while we had 534 in 1984," Grayson said. To Date we be had 270 Bank  authorities also attribute the fluency of Bank robberies to criminals driven by drug addiction. Eighty to 85 percent of Bank robbers Are narcotics users said Fri agent Fred Reagan. Reagan has studied Bank robbery statistics since los Angeles began leading the nation a decade ago. These people have habits that Are costly and they have to keep getting Cash from  he said. Grayson said addicts find it much easier to walk into a Bank and demand Cash than to steal and then sell the property to fences for disposal. Bandits average about ,200 per robbery and face prison sentences of 12 years to life in prison if convicted. Last year 1,453 Bank robberies were committed in the counties of los Angeles Orange Santa Barbara River Side san Bernardino san Luis Obispo Ventura and a Small portion of Kern county about one in every four holdups nationwide Reagan said. He said the area had 880 holdups through october of this year with the year s total expected to reach 1.100. Grayson said holdups increase during the Christma season just like most criminal  he said the number of Bank robberies in december can be twice the number recorded in a typical month. Bui Reagan said he believes inc Christmas increase in Bank holdups will be slight. Young Kennedy runs for House Boston a Joseph p. Kennedy ii oldest son of the late sen. Robert f. Kennedy will seek the scat being vacated by retiring House speaker Thomas p. Tip o Neill jr., a state legislator said monday. Rep. Mary Jane Gibson of Belmont said Kennedy called her to say he plans to seek the democratic Nomi nation in the 8th District which covers parts of Boson and Cambridge and of her communities West of Boston. He called this morning and said he s running in the 8lh," said Gibson whose legislative District lies within he congressional Dis Ricl. He said he considered Many of Lions and said he decided thai inc congressional Seal offered the Chance for the most substantive Impact and that s what he s interested  Kennedy spokesman Slyven Rothstein refused to con firm the report bul said Kennedy has made a decision and will have an announcement  Kennedy 32, Heads citizens Energy corp. Of Boston which arranges to get Healing fuel at reduced rates for Low income households. His Cousin Edward m. Kennedy jr., the son of sen. Edward m. Kennedy d-mass., said in september he would not be a candidate for the scat. Al Casl Highl other democratic candidates have announced plans to run for the scat. Pleads innocent a Federal marshal escorts retired Cia employee Larry la Tai Chin foreground from court Mon Day in Alexandria va., after he pleaded innocent to espionage charges. Chin 63, who allegedly spied for China since 1952, is being held without Bond. . Judge Albert v. Bryan set Jan. 22 for a trial by jury. Israeli gives Church $7,000 after robbery new York a an israeli Busi Nessman on his Way Home from helping colombians displaced by Lasi month s Volcano donated j7.000 to St. Patrick s Cathedral on monday after hearing thai the Church was robbed Over the weekend. Last night i saw the Story on to and i was just mad angry that people should do that said Abe Nathan. There Are so Many places to steal from 1 can t under stand it. It s terrible absolutely terrible. Nathan operates a radio station called the voice of peace whose aim is to get arabs and jews together he said. Police on monday were still searching for the robbers who locked four Ushers and two maintenance men in a walk in Safe at the Ca Dihedral around 8 . Saturday. The pair who wore ski masks fled on foot with More than $7,000 in poor Box votive Candle and collection plate funds according to police capt. Charles Luisi. There were no injuries. Nathan said he called his Bank in Israel and had it wire the Money to new York. He said he Felt he owed something to inc roman Catholic Church because he was educated by Jesuit priests in u boarding school in  planned to leave tuesday for is Rael. There he said he will gather a Crew which will go with him to Colombia to help build a Brick factory so survivors of the Volcano can rebuild their Homes. Cruelly s very furry Christmas the incompetent  Pon t care weather i have a shipment of furs that must set to Market to a chalet near Santa s i must Pink not hit Way what to you mean the Ranj can t take off this \6 Ciufu a Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. Dec. 4, 1945 the cynicism wit which the nazis made their plans for Swal lowing Czechoslovakia months before thai country s partition was agreed on at Munich came to Light in the War crimes trials in Nuernberg. 30 years ago today. Dec. 4, 1955the East German government is determined to use new author flyover the Inland Waterways to Berlin to Force some kind of recognition from the Wisl German govern Mcnol according to press re ports. 20 years ago today. Dec. 4, 1965 the conviction of Hubert d. Strange in Anniston ala., by an All White jury came As a stunning Surprise to inc defense attorney. It was inc first con Vic lion of a while Man in the slaying of a Black Man in Hal state. 10 years ago today. Dec. 4, 1975 Archie Griffin the re Cord smashing tailback for Ohio stale University became the first player in history to win the Cove cd Heisman trophy twice