European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 30, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday september 30. 1987 the stars and stripes Page 7 last combat Marine from world War retiring san Divcic a the Marine corps last Active july combat Veteran from world War ii is retiring after a career thai included two South Pacific engagements and .1 North vietnamese rocket attack. The marines have been my life chief warrant officer Chat pcs 6, rus sell said monday n a Telephone inter View from amp Pendl Clon Calif. W hcrt1 he h Matin Nal. "1 liked everything i did. Practically. Now i be reached Lii at magic age of 62 and without an act of Congress Why you be got to go  he said. Russell who has worked in ordnance dispersal safekeeping and recovery since re enlisting in the Marine corps in 1954, officially Rel Iris Friday end ing a 35-year career. He will be presented with a meritorious service medal during ceremonies at the base 40 Miles North of Here. When he retires the Marine corps will no longer have an Active duty Marine with world War ii combat serv ice said base spokesman Cpl Paul Hermann a native of Ottumwa. Iowa. Russell was drafted in december 1943 and re ported to san Diego for Boot Camp. Me was trained As an amphibious vehicle Driver and sent to the South Pacific where lie was participated in the inva Sions of pc Eliu near the Solomon in lands and Okinawa it was very heavily reinforced by he japanese Russel said of Pek Liu where there were 1,919 . Casualties including nearly 1,500 killed. In i. It was one of the most vicious Battles fought in the South  at Okinawa there were 4b.ooo Ameri can casualties including 12.wtt killed. I was very fortunate that with All the action i was in i was never Hurt said Russell who also ferried supplies to the South Pacific beaches and trans ported casualties to Hospital ships. Russell went Back to his Hometown and started his own business Hen he was discharged in 194&bul he re enlisted in 1954 after a meat parking Plant strike Hurt outturn a s Economy and he Orr i lend cd himself by loaning Money to friends left jobless by the dispute. I went broke. I w n bankrupt. Meantime the Marine clips had contacted me Aboul coming by i because they had a place for me he said. Russell was sent to Vietnam in i%9, where his Lour of duty was Cut slum by a North vietnamese rocket attack. I had a Little bad tuck in Vietnam he said. I was there the last part of 1969 and the first part of 1970. I was the officer in Thorpe of ammunition Supply at Danang. A Rick it attack Pui me in the Hospital fur  Russell said he finds it hard to be Lieve so Many years have passed. It seems like nah yesterday i a doing at Ili Iise thin. Hui Here s a lol of difference Between living 18 or 11 years old and being do he said. It s been a Good life. I Nik the Marine corps has been very fair to  Kussell wid he  l continue living in Falln Ronk. In not Horn san Diego county and will s i n ofe of his wife. Kami and their la i Iii Irvn. Me said in1 also Platy. To visit ins Hume town and look up old Eric Nult there. " Haven t been Back loot Lumaj in 10 years he said. "1  have anything planned just see ionic i lends and neigh bore you know Jusi Lossy  writers of Long lost world War letters located Raleigh. . A the . Postal service has tracked Down s3 of the 92 men whose tellers written when they were Young soldiers headed overseas in 1944, wound up in an attic Here. We wish we could find them All said Megaera a Harris a postal service spokeswoman in Washington who was credited with doing much of the detective work for the late deliveries. We be done pretty much All we can she told the Raleigh times in an article published monday. We re banging onto the letters but our search is pretty much  she said letters have been sent to 35 Stales. The 23s letter found in May i�s6 were written by Gaul men aboard the Liberty ship Caleb Strong White it was bound for North Africa. Fourteen were written by the nine former soldiers who have not been located. The postal service was t to blame for the loss let ters. The bag of Victory mail also called a mail had been entrusted to a Soldier on leave who for unknown reasons failed to Lake it to a Post office. The bag wound up in the Altic of the Home of the now dead Soldier s aunt where it remained until it was spoiled by an exterminator Michael Minguez who persuaded the woman to Lei him Lake it to the Post office in Hopes the letters could be delivered. Minguez took the letters to Raleigh postmaster Ross a. Krulski who promised Togiva the letters extra attention. Within a week he located John a. Cilz 64, of Sylva who had written to his father by the same name. Wartime censorship kept he soldiers from giving specific details Aboul their location or the name of their ship but Deil provided that information As Well As the names of some of he soldiers who had been on the vessel when it left Newport news  on May 3, 1944, and arrived in Oran Algeria on May 21 As pan of a 110-ship Convoy. Garulski found three or four More soldiers before turning the task Over to the postal service in washing Ion which began its search with help from the Veter ans administration the Nal Unal archives and several veterans groups. Kids say no to drugs children amp Irir pledges id just Lay on o drugs into a Mailbox fur deliver to Nancy Reagan at the White House. Ten million  in Iso chits across the nation Are Laling part in a drive to prevent drug abuse. Georgia Barbers seek razor ban to fight aids Albany a. A Georgia bar Bers concerned that they and their customers could become victims of aids transmitted through tiny cuts arc calling for a statewide ban on the professional use of razors. Bill Crane a spokesman for the Secre tary of mate s office in Atlanta said the Georgia state Board of Barbers has considered the Mailer informally without taking any action. Secretary of state Max Cleland s office is responsible for boards that set Stan Dards for 40 professions ranging from used car salesmen to surgeons. The virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome is spread through sexual Contact or through con tact with infected blood such As on shared hypodermic Needles or transfusions of injected blood. People with direct physical Contact with others where blood could be present should take extra precautions to avoid the virus Crane said. Professions that might be at risk include Barbers morticians dentists cosmetologists masseurs and Many health care specialists Crane said. We re not encouraging paranoia he emphasized. Obviously through Inci dental Contact you cannot get the Dis  Ben sikhs a Barber at Strickland s Barber shop in downtown Albany said he wants the Barber Board to Issue a ban on shaving. Barbers Seldom have 10 shave beards anymore but Many customers expect a shave around their necks and ears Fol lowing a haircut. A person who carries the aids virus could be in my chair but if i were to Cut him and touch his blood i could get the disease and d in from  Sikes said. Angry Mustang owner hands shirt $208 License fee to startled cashier great Falls Mont api Carl Gocksch paid his vehicle registration fees Bare chested adding the shirt off his Back to he 1208 he paid to License his 1967 Shelby Mustang. You might As Well take that too the 42-year-old great Falls Man told the wide eyed cashier at the county motor vehicle office As he tossed his yellow Short sleeved shirt on the counter and walked out. The cashier gave the Shin to office manager Carol Erickson who Hung it on a Coal rack after saying she should Send it to Helena. Gocksch vice president of the great Falls Mustang club said he paid the fee in the exaggerated manner o protest a discriminatory vehicle  he claims the Montana vehicle assess ment system that went into effect july 1 has  the values of several older cars and has driven taxes too High. For example he did he paid sj5 to License and Register his Shelby last year but was charged j2q8 this year. Although he paid the tax he has lied a complaint with the state tax Appeal Board and Wys he it i rung to organise others to get the Law changed