European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 22, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes tuesday september 22,1987 women Pofs say Challenge of learning prompted them to Fly by Janet d Agostino staff writer the fire Lime 1st la. Darlene Wilson look the controls of a helicopter she made her Slick partner sick. Hovering the Craft close to the ground required coordination she had nol yet mastered. It was like Riding a bicycle for he first time Wilson said. She eventually mastered hovering and the other skills needed to become a Pilot for cod 2z7lh aviation regt combat aviation brigade 1st Cav div at fort Hood Texas. Wilson 24, is the platoon Leader for six uh-1h Iroquois helicopters better known As Rucys 13 warrant officers and nine enlisted soldiers from fort Hood. The platoon is providing support during exercise certain strike. Wilson is one of five women pilots in the 227th. The Challenge of learn ing to Fly was the reason she and two pilots from he troop chose to be come pilots. It s a Choice of do you want to Fly helicopters or count toilet paper said 1st i. Melody Lutz 24, from Pendelton. . This is something you can t do on the outside. We come m at a Young age with a lot of responsibility. There s no Way our contemporaries in the civilian world have All this responsibility the women had to pass rigorous physical and written exams to be chosen for the yearlong aviation school at fort Reeker ala., where each of them was one of three or four women in classes of 80 to 90 men. The school included classroom study and practical raining. The first time you jump in the Heli copter you can t expect to  Luu snid. 1 st it. Laura Tewes 23, said i never thought i would master  the women said they must be con stantly Alert and have Good coordination to Pilot the aircraft. The second you let up something could happen Lulu said. You have to be aware of what s going on around  while the women said they sometimes meet men who Don t believe they belong in the cockpit Overall they have found support from the opposite sex. From left itt it Lam tires la it. Darlene Wilson and fit it Melody Lutz. The Guy i work with Are wonderful Wilson said. They support and help me warrant officer Joe Benlon. 31, said of the women they pull their own weight. They can do the Job expected of them. Obviously size does t matter said Benton who at 6 feet 2 inches Lowers 12 inches Over Wilson. Warrant officer Michael Tuten said having women in the platoon is like having Sisters around instead of Broth ers someone to Tell your problems to who is More compassionate. It is the men from countries who do not have women in combat units such As the British and germans who ire sur prised to see a woman step out of use cockpit the men mid. They Are in Awe and cant believe they can do the Job said warrant offi cer Monte Caldwel. However the american women re limited in the types of missions they can perform. For example they cant Fly at tack aircraft or carry troops into combat Bat the women said they did not feel slighted by not being Able to perform those missions. I m Personalty Happy where i am Lutz said. Woman who fled Cuba finds Freedom in army by to Vlf Boivin staff Milt Harse Winkel Germany pfc. Sied Garcia is Blunt maybe a Little too Blunt for her own Good. Shell look you dead in the Eye Tell you exactly what she thinks and stick to her integrity. There is no Retreat in her beliefs. Which is Why she had to leave Cuba. My Altitude toward the government was endanger ing my family the 21-year-old Havana native said. Her father a toy factory manager decided it would be better to move the family out of the country before Garcia s beliefs got the Best of her. If i think what i say is right then i say it said Garcia who works in the technical Supply Section for Mohawk observation planes. That s not allowed in Cita. In Cuba there Are no buts whatsoever. You put everything in danger from your Parent s Job to you own life if you speak out against the govern  Garcia who is working with the 1st military Intelli gence in Aerial exploitation on certain strike chafed Undene shackling cuban system. Everything was mandatory in Cuba. Your life is done before you re bom. They Tell you what you will study where Tiu will go to school what you will study but Garcia who is now stationed in Wiesbaden did nol go quietly into the Havana night. She was Only 14 when her father moved the family to Costa Rica but she knew already she did t like Fidel Castro s Cuba. They would have demonstrations against the , because the americans invaded Vietnam. But Russia invaded Czechoslovakia and nobody talked about  then there was her Friend. He was drafted by the cuban army at 17 and sent to fight in Angola. She has had no word of him since. She does t know if he is dead or alive. In Cuba you can be drafted when you Are 15 years old Garcia said. I Don t think that is right. My Friend never came Back from Angola Garcia her parents and two Brothers left Cuba in 1981 for Costa Rica. At the Airport they did some extra checking of the papers seeing if they could make us nervous hoping you d do something stupid. Then they would have been Abe to say we could t go Garcia said. But for once Garcia kept quiet. A flight to Freedom was at stake. Actions spoke louder than words at that Point. I told my Mother that i was not free until i stepped off thai plane in Costa Rica Garcia said. The family stayed in san Jose Costa Rica for three years with a relative. Because the Costa rican govern ment would nol let them work they bad to rely on the generosity of their relative for housing and food. Then they emigrated to the United states settling in los Angeles. Her father now works for 1st interstate Bank in California her 17-year-old brother is about to join the army As a medic and her 15-year-old brother is still in High school. Her Mother does t regret Leav ing although she misses the family she left behind. Garcia who plans to make the army a career and Hopes too to officer candidate school thinks serving overseas helps Moke american soldiers More appreciative of what they have it s an Opportunity for americans to appreciate their Freedom. Not everybody has the Freedom Ameri cans enjoy and by going to other countries you Eta understand better what is really going on she said. Joining the army was her Way of thanking the United states government for my Freedom he said. I Don t feel sorry for Cuba. 1 feel sorry for the people ten Back in  reunion of Mother and son ends 20-year search Schweinfurt. Germany a Elsbeth Mundi has been looking for the past 20 years for the son she gave up for adoption 38 years ago. She feared he might have been killed in the Vietnam War. Mundi said she tried to find her sob through Var ious West German officials but had no Luck. Everywhere i encountered rejection she said. After 20 Yean i thought now i m so old and maybe he s been killed in the Vietnam  . Army Reserve master sol Michael Newman who served in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969, began searching for his Mother on his first military exercise in Germany in 1984. His search through Telephone Book was to no Avail. She bad married and now had lie in name Mundi instead of her Maiden name Schotl new Man said. But when Newman arrived in Germany for this year s certain strike exercise he brought his adoption papers and old West German passport. Both the . And West German armies helped him in his search which turned successful when they contacted Mundi s sister Early last week. It s a feeling of Relief and Jay the strongest word that i can think of is elation in finally finding my natural Mother Newman said Friday at his Mother i apartment in Schwei fun. My father was  Mundi a frail woman of 58, has aft these years cherished a portrait of herself with her Only child then called Juergen. I be searched for him for at Lea 20 Yean Mundi said. And now i m very very Happy that he s  Newman who lives in Bryan tens was Bora in  a bavarian City about 21 mile North of Wurzburg. His Mother then unmarried and Only 20 Yean old was forced by her parents to put her baby up for adoption. Newman was adopted by an american Soldier who transferred Back to the United slates with his family in 1958. To add to the treasured photograph. Mundi now has a picture of her son daughter in Law Beverly and grandchildren Vaughn is and Melissa 13. Asked if the two hive plans to keep in touch Newman said i will bring my wife a my Mother s inn children la see her Protazy next sum Mer