European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 17, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Spanish Monument to the futility of War Story photos by Tony Nauroth staff writer n describing the remarkable landscape of the Lown of Bol Chite Spain various history books quote those who ought there during the Spanish civil War in the 1930s. Be Chile the stinking esl town i was Ever in is the Wiy one american Volunteer described it while burning corpses to prevent the spread of disease. Another Enid. During the night Bel Chile burned Wilh a ghastly realism no Hollywood my could Ever  and another be Chile was less a town than an unpleasant  and another grotesquely picturesque Belchine was a rubbish pile. Those who want o know what modern warfare does to a Community should visit the town of Belchine. About 30 Miles South of 2arago.ta on Spanish route c 222. When Ernest Hen anyway visited the town just Days after the first Battle in 1937, he found a town so ruined that he could not Leli where the streets had been. During Tho War be Chile straddled the Aragon front. It was. According to historians of minor importance. But Lor the Spanish republicans who sur rounded the town it became an obsession since in remained As a Pockel of resistance behind their lines. There wore 2.000 of Generalissimo Francisco Franco s nationalists defend Imp Pelchie they had turned the h in s next to the own Walls into lome /.",. And the Parish Church became i lio.,,-ii and Headquarters. Righting Lor the attacking republicans was Iho Lincoln battalion main up of United Stales Volunteer soldiers alter Mort in in a month old tort in Del Chile fell. Bui with the help of German and italian tank and dive bombers and using tac tics thai foreshadowed the Blitzkrieg Stral " y employed by Adolf Hitler in Cen trial . The nationalists regained Belchine on March 9, 1938 two Days later. Miller marched into Austria today Belchine remains As it did at the end of the Spanish civil War a whole new Lown has a Iovin one mile to Ihn West of  old thai remains a  to in Only pilgrims. Curiosity set kers my his tory duffs walk the few so diets cleared Nice the War.  holes in the comes of the Church and partial Walls be Erl a Iain if. Eerie lace to these . Espe i ill in the Long shadows of dusk when the to posts of the past seem to stir. Both defenders and attackers died for this insignificant obsession a pile of old and Dusty death perched on an end less plateau above the Ebro River chalked in Spanish on one of the big Metal sheathed doors which swing into the open air Nave of the Parish Church is a simple statement. Witness Ihor or  and love of the  Vilott to be Chile confront the sobering reality of v tuesday december 17, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 13