European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 19, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday april 19, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 25 Reagan lauds Merrill s army sports career by Bucky Fox staff writer Frankfurt that old basketball player Sam Witzel had a letter for that old sports director Bill Merrill. A letter from that old football player Ronald Reagan. This came in the mail from president Reagan said Wetzel who 35 years after playing at West Point is a three Star general and commander of v corps. He asked me personally to present it to  Merrill beamed his patented Way. He took off his glasses for the cameras and stared in concentration. Forty one years after fighting for Gen. George Patton and starting army sports in Europe Merrill received a presidential letter of commendation thursday in wet Zel s office. Congratulations on your retirement As director of the v corps sports program in Europe began Reagan s letter. Throughout your career you have been part of a special corps of americans that devotes its talents and energies to our servicemen and their Well  after Wetzel read it Merrill who retired last fall at the age of 70, said i Hope to be Able to contribute in some Way to improving relations Between americans and germans. I have a plan to get v corps soldiers to join German fitness  said Wetzel you see he has t  i retired retorted Merrill notorious for his bullish work habits but i did t  is photo by Dave Didio it. Gen. Sam Wetzel v corps commander reads presidential letter to Bill Merrill during ceremony thursday. Jim Brown who succeeded Merrill As v corps sports director said he s no longer confined to 40-hour work  i work 60 hours Merrill responded. Later Merrill said of Reagan s letter people said Don t bust your Tail because people Don t appreciate it but everyone appreciated it. All the troops  Reagan s letter concluded Nancy and i Are glad to share in this special time in your life and to Send our Best wishes for Good Fortune and happiness in the  playing with celtics ended years of failure frustration for Walton by Howard Ulman a sports writer Boston Bill Walton was t sup posed to be doing any of this. Doctors told him he d never play Basket Ball again. He was unhappy that an exceptionally successful career had been torn apart by physical and emotional pain. I love winning Walton said. I play to  it had been eight years since he had done that with regularity enough years of frustration and failure to stir him to action. Last june he initiated talks that brought him from the los Angeles clippers to the Boston celtics in a Trade for Cedric Max Well. This june he May help bring the cel tics their 16th Aba championship. I can t Tell you How Happy i am to be Here said Walton a decidedly different Walton from the one who made his last playoff appearance in 1978 with Portland. I m changing All the time Walton said. I m a different person than i was last week and i m a different person than i was 10 years  the California native for example has adjusted to East coast life i do a lot of the same things i just Don t do them outdoors and the one time vegetarian now plugs a Steak House on television commercials. I keep trying to improve myself he said. There is no question that he has improved the celtics whose 67-15 record was the league s Best this season the second Best in franchise history and the fourth Best in Aba history. But he rejects credit saying the cel tics were great before i even got  they re favored  Chicago in the Bost of five opening round playoff series that resumes sunday with game 2 at bos ton Garden and the celtics up by a game. Walton averaged a career Low 7.6 Points per game this season but the celtics did t get him for his scoring. His passing shot blocking and defensive rebounding have been outstand ing. He has also willingly accepted the backup Center s role without complaint. Walton had missed three full Aba sea sons with injuries but played a career High 80 games for Boston and averaged a career Low 19.3 minutes. Starting Center Robert Parish can feel Walton s contribution in his stronger legs and less painful body As he faces As Many As 26 playoff games. Having Bill around has Cut Down on my minutes Parish said. I m fresher than i be been in the past. What rubs off is Bill s enthusiasm for the game. He lives and breathes  Walton he s earned the respect of his teammates said celtics coach . Jones. He s brought enthusiasm intensity and a Library of knowledge about the game of basketball with  Walton paid a heavy Price for some of that knowledge. For years he had known Little but Success. He won 49 consecutive games in High school. His Urcla team won two straight Mcaa titles. He was a first team All american three years in a Row. He was the first player chosen in the 1974 draft. In 1977, he led Portland to its Only Aba championship. In 1978, he was the league s most valuable player. Suddenly his basketball world came crashing Down. He missed the next season with a foot in jury then signed with the san Diego clippers As a free agent. He played Only 14 games in 1979-80, when they were 35-47. Injuries kept him sidelined for the next two seasons. In 1981, the doctors told me i d never a photo Boston s Bill Walton. Some difference be Able to play even recreational basketball again he said. He returned in 1982 and played 33, 55 and 67 games during the next three seasons but the clippers Best record in that stretch was 31-51. It was just very depressing Walton said. You work at achieving your goals of winning and the results Are rarely  he despaired of reaching the playoffs again. I could have hoped for that he said but i had nothing realistic to base those Hopes  he discusses those years with reluctance and prodding. He willingly talks about Basket Ball and his current situation. It takes some time to turn the conversation to himself. My enthusiasm has always been Good Walton said. It s certainly been More re warding this year. Because of my role on the team and the amount of minutes i be probably had less pain than any year i can remember he added. The thrill is greater because he played so Long without it. Czechs rout . 5-2 in world hockey Moscow a Frantishek prok hakka struck for two goals and assisted on another in the first period to Lead Czecho Slovakia to a 5-2 Victory Over the United states Here Friday in the world hockey championships. Finland Defeated Poland 4-2 in the other game. This was the first Victory for the title defending czechoslovakian team in this tournament after losses to Poland Ger Many and Sweden and a tie against Finland in previous matches. This loss put the americans in jeopardy of not reaching the four team playoffs. The czechs Only slightly improved their chances of qualifying for the medal round. Dusan Pasek notched the first czech goal at 9 56 of the introductory period whipping a Low shot into the left unguarded part of the goal. At 11 21, Prohazka assisted Jiri Hrdina who connected from close in front. Prohazka got his first goal at 16 12 of the first period on a snapshot from the left face off Circle. Just Over two minutes later Prohazka scored his Sec Ond goal on a Power play to make it 4-0. The americans averted a shutout on goals by Clark Donatelli and Douglas Brown. Arn sports television baseball los Angeles dodgers at at Lanta braves 8 . Saturday. Hockey Stanley cup playoffs new York rangers at Washington capitals 2 30 . Sunday. Radio baseball Kansas City royals at to Ronto Blue jays 8 11 . Saturday. Basketball Sacramento Kings at Houston rockets 3 . Sunday