European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 31, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday May 31, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 5 Twilight zone defendants cleared los Angeles a a jury found Twilight zone director John Landis and four associates in Nocent of involuntary manslaughter Friday for the movie Sci deaths of actor Vic Morrow and two Chil Dren nearly five years ago. Morrow 53, and Myca Dinh la 7, and Rente Chen 6, were killed when a helicopter hovering amid special effects explosions was engulfed in a fireball and fell on ton of them. The Superior court jury had deliberated for nine Days after the 10-month rial of Landis associate producer George Forscy jr., production manager Dan Hingham special affects coordinator Pau Stewart and helicopter Pilot Dorcey Wingo. The defendants sat motionless and prosecutor Lea Purwin d Agostino Shook her head As court clerk Sylvia feline read the words not guilty 15 limes. The verdict ended nearly five years of Complex litigation and an acrimonious trial stemming from the tragedy that struck at 2 20 . On july 23, 1982, at the Indian dunes movie location. It was to be the last night of shooting for a Sci men of Twilight zone the  in the segment directed by Landis Morrow was to hoist two vietnamese children under his arms ind slog across a River As bombs exploded around them and a helicopter hovering overhead opened fire with machine guns. Firefighter Jack Rammer on hand to fight Poten tial blazes on the set recalled in his testimony How the helicopter crashed in a virtual firestorm. There was too much of a firestorm he testified. The helicopter Blades were kicking up dust and debris. You could t see  when the smoke cleared he recalled he rushed 10the helicopter and began pulling out passengers. There were immediate reports that the children had been working illegally that the helicopter had hovered too Jow that the bomb blasts were Loo Large. Law enforcement agencies began probes and the families of the victim hied lawsuits. It was nearly a year before indictments were is sued and the defendants were arraigned and pleaded innocent on june 24, 1983, the same Day Twilight zone the movie opened in Heaters nationwide. When the trial opened last july d Agostino called 71 witnesses including the children s parents and members of the movie Crew. She look jurors on Field trips to the location and to movie studios where they viewed a film of the disaster shot by six cameras. One key witness production Secretary Donna Schetnan quoted Landis and Folsey As suggesting before the Accident that they could Jjo to jail for using the children illegally in inc explosive scene the defense called 6 witnesses including lanais and Wingo who portrayed themselves As being care Ful and safety conscious. Landis recalled the deaths and said he would never film such a scene again. Wingo who said Twilight zone was his first feat Urc film said his experience As an army Pilot in Vietnam qualified him for the scene. Friends family dedicate Park to memory of Juk Cambridge mass. A family friends dignitaries and citizens gathered near the Charles River Friday to dedicate a Park to the memory of president Kennedy on what would have been his 70ih bin Day the life was lost but the Light will not go out sen. Edward m. Kennedy his Only surviving brother said in an address opening the s i acre stretch of grass Trees and benches in the Shadow of the Kennedy school of government on the Edge of the Harvard University. After nearly a Quarter of a Century he is still a Beacon in our Public life a Standard by which others Are measured a Man Olio so memory invokes our Best Days and our highest Hopes he said. And How fitting it is that his presence should be so vivid Here in this Park on the Banks of this River among those who sent him to Congress and first set him an the path that took him and so Many others to the a Spunta into of our h Iszory so now we dedicate this Park and say in All the Days ahead he will be with us Here in these Trees and Waters and in his words and most of All in the spirit of his dream which will never  the $2.5 million Park paid for by the stale is about a mile from inc late presi Dent s Birthplace in Brookline and lies in the congressional District that first sent him to Washington in 1946. The District is represented by Kennedy s Nephew Joseph p. Kennedy ii son of the Matesen. Robert of Kennedy. The Young congressman attended the dedication along with former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis. Also present were the president s two children John Kennedyjr. And Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg and two of his Sisters Pat Ricia and Jean and retired chief Justice of the United states Warren Burger. The late president s daughter served on the advisory committee that planned the Park. I can i think of a More fitting tribute or of a better bin Day present for my father she Slid before Reading a poem by Robert Frost. The Centrepiece of the Park is a Granite Fountain whose moving Waters invoke the Ove of the sea Felt by Kennedy. Sen. Edward Kennedy with the children at the late president Kennedy Kennedyjr. And Caroline Kennedy Schlos shag at dedication of Park Dod award contract for 3,299 tanks Washington up the Penta gon awarded a s3.5 billion multiyear contract to the general dynamics corp. Friday to build 3,299 m1a1 Abrams tanks in one of the biggest defense con tracts of its kind. General dynamics which builds a Range of weapons from fighters to sub marines is the nation s Only tank manufacturer the contract Calls for 870 tanks to be Deleiva Rcd the first year with 720 tanks to be delivered in each of the next three years and the remaininj1, 266 to be delivered by september 1991, the Pentagon said it marked one of the biggest a Multi year con tracts awarded by the Pentagon and inc biggest Ever Given by the army s tank automotive come the Pentagon began multiyear con tra cling save nil years ago in attempts to achieve More efficiency at lower costs by avoiding production line shutdowns and restarts. The multiyear contract enables us to efficiently produce the highest Quality product at the lowest possible Cost for our customer said Bob Truxell Vic president and general manager of Gener Al dynamics. The company will farm out the Eon miracl to three different factories with 50 percent of the work going to its Plant in Lima Ohio 40 percent to Warren. Mich. And 10 percent to Sterling Heights Mich. Georgia executes 3rd killer in 3 weeks Jackson a. Up William Boyd Tucker sentenced to death for inc 1977 slaying of a pregnant woman was executed in Georgia s electric chair Fri Day. Tucker was pronounced dead at 7 29 . At the Georgia diagnostic and classification Center near Jackson just hours after the supreme court Voied 6-3 to deny his plea for a stay of execution. Tucker was the third convicted killer to die in Georgia s electric chair in the past three weeks and the 10th since the state resumed executions in 1983. He was the 7ith executed in the United states since the supreme court re instated capital punishment in 1976. Tucker convicted for the 1977 kid Nap slaying of Kathleen Perry a preg Nant 19-Iear-old store clerk was originally scheduled to be executed wednesday evening hut the 11 the . Circuit court of appeals granted a 24-hour stay to allow an Appeal to the supreme coun. On thursday the supreme court granted a 24-hour stay for further review of the Case. But it decided Friday not to halt the execution despite questions raised by Justice William lire Nan. Bran run. Who dissented along with justices Thurgood Marshall and Harry i Tackman said Tucker s lawyers had presented substantial evidence that the trial court s instruction to the jury unconstitutionally shifted the Burden of proof to Tucker. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today ,. May 31, 1947 at least 94 people were killed and 25 others were feared dead As a result of five plane crashes in two Days in Japan new York Iceland the Netherlands and Alaska. 30 years ago foe a. May 31. 1957 Sam Hanks smashed the Indianapolis Speedway re Cord to win inc indy 500 Auto Ruck. His Speed averaged 135.601 Mph Well above the previous record of 130.840 Mph Sci in 9i4. 20 years ago today. May 31, 1967 after 16 years on the Mound for the new York Yankees Southpaw Whitey Ford announced his retirement because of recurring armtrout i. 10 years ago today. May 31, 1977 Secretary of state Cyrus Vance speaking in Paris pledge that the Carter administration will step up efforts to reduce she Gap Between have and have not nations and called on other Rich nations including communist countries to do likewise