European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 11, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine has York Tamal Phat londoner fran Hamilton 43, it among hundreds of britons Moat of them lathered out at Wedlock by american servicemen who have taken up the search for their fathers in the last few Yean. British War babies seeking yank dads by Terry Trucco new York times e was Only 7 years old Al the time but Frank Hamilton vividly recalls the Day when his grandmother Lold him that his lather was an american Serviceman stationed in England in world War ii. I was really  said Hamilton who is now 43 and runs an office cleaning business in a London suburb my Stepfather was a drunk who would beat me up i was so glad thai this tremble Man was not my  As his Stepfather grew More abusive and his Mother More passive the boy decided of try to and his father would go to the american War films and when John Wayne led a regiment i d look Lor my dad Hamilton rec aimed Wilh a chuckle. He took up his search in Earnest 20 years la Lor. But without much Lucic then last year he joined a search and support group in London the transatlantic children s Enterprise or Trace. He still has not found his father but he has some new leads and he fools thai he is on Iho Light track. Being Par of a group has helped for years i loll a bit embarrassed to say i was looking to my Dud. But now i know there Are a lol of others like  he said in the last few years hundreds of British adults most of them fathered out of Wedlock by  servicemen have taken up the search for Irv Cir Fath Cri. Two new organizations Are providing crucial assistance although their work is hampered by a Lack of Access to american servicemen s records Trace termed in 1984, now has nearly 300 members and wat babes a Birmingham group formed the same year has close to 250. Other individuals Are looking on their own. The american embassy in London receives ten of to live letters a week requesting help in finding unknown american fathers inquiries Rise at Chrisl mss and after world War ii remembrances. War babes sad ii has helped about 25 ref rebors locate i hair fathers so Lar a founder of Trace Pamela Winfield said about a third of the members have Lound some news that is satisfactory to them whether of choir fathers or of their american families " even if a searcher suspects the father was killed in action or has since died most still want to know about their american relatives. Spurring the War babies who arc Well into their 40s, Wilh children and often grandchildren of their own is a sense of now or never urgency. Many redoubled their efforts afew Iho much publicized 40-year Cunion of a Day veterans in 1934. It s a desperate Sulu Avion said the founder of War babes Shirley Mcglade. 41, who located her father last year these men Are now in their 70s and 80s," War baby Jol n Mickey and her sons. Monday May 11, 1987 Many searchers Only recently Learned that hey had fathers to search Lor. The stigma of living a child out of Wedlock in Iho 1940s was severe and children were often told Little about their lathers. Janet 0 Regan a 2, manager of a Northampton dress shop Learned the name of her father Only 2v years ago when she Lound her original i m ii i lib Lii Icale that s when i realized he might still be alive she said my Mother had always told to he had been killed in the  the need to establish a family identity has sharpened As lie War babies have aged. Watching their children grow has also strengthened the urge to locate their fathers or Al least their fathers families. I have this very deep longing to find the other halt of the Moon said Joan Mickey 41. A London teacher. I Don 1 look like anyone in my family. And i be always fell a Little strange about that. I also feel i owe it to my sons Iii Don t do Somo Lhing now they May blame me for in later but it is not easy to find a la tier in anole or country after More than 40 years. Trace and War babes dispense lists of government and military offices newspapers and even schools hat have been helpful. One woman found her lather by advertising in the army times. The two groups have also Cul Ligated a network of people in the United states who have helped Speed up searches. Many of Hose searching Havo spent years writing to the wrong organizations or racing fathers to the wrong cities or slates problems olten compounded by a Lack of a Reforma for if All they know is thai their Tather s name is Chris and he came from Hackensack they Haven t a  said Winfield who is the author of sentimental journey Constable Londona Book about British brides of american servicemen Hal included a chapter on illegitimate children. I is usually necessary to know the Branch of service military unit and Home state of the father. The truly Lucky children know their fathers military serial numbers. Bui Many mothers will no discuss such matters. Some have blocked Oul the War years one woman had her Mother hypnos Rzad m an Eliot of pry out a few details for Many the biggest stumbling blocks Are the bureaucracy in the United states and in particular the privacy act of 1974, which decrees thai a Veteran s military records and address cannot be released without his or her permission. The policy of the military personnel Center in is Louis is to Forward a letter it it finds an address Loc the Man being inquired Abou. But Many world War ii records were destroyed by a fire hero in the 1970s some searchers have had Luck through alternative routes such As stale motor vehicle Deparl meals and the veterans administration but a growing number Are indignant thai military records usually he Besl Way to Trace veterans Are Olf limits ii my lather wants to reject me that should be his Choice not the government  said o Regan the Public Cilen litigation group in Washington a Branch of Ralph Nader s Public interest lobby. Public citizen is working Wilh a group of British War babies to help them gain Access to military records through he Freedom of information act which allows anyone including non americans to request records from a government Agency what the War babies want is an address and we maintain that that can be released because no privacy is at slake said Joan Meier a lawyer Wilh the group my guess is thai the problem is in part a bureaucratic one. But there is also a kind of Puritan Bias against these people. Many feel in would be an intrusion and an embarrassment Tor the servicemen and their  Many War babies assert that the . Government has deliberately denied them Access in an Effort to shield aging servicemen and their families. Officials in the american embassy in London deny this. There is no government strategy to obstruct their efforts a spokeswoman said. The Crux of the problem is the privacy act which was really passed to Lessen government Access to personal  those who Are successful in finding their fathers arc aware that reunions can be traumatic for both lather and child and Musl be handled Wilh care most fathers found by the two search groups have happily acce Leo i hair children although a few curl rejections have occurred "1 certainly Don t want to intrude or cause a heart alack Hickey said and t Don t want anything from my father i Don t want to move to the  Rui i to want to know the stars and stripes Page 13