European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 23, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday. March �3, 19bb the stars and stripes Page 5 . Quietly boosts Panama Security troops sent to guard american property fives h Norman Black a military Wriker Washington the Pentagon has quietly increased the number of Security personnel in Panama dispatching More than 300 soldiers to ihi1 strife Lorn coun try in the past week officials said. Two thirds of Throe dispatched during the latest troop movement were Mem Bers of the 503rd my in. Which ii head quartered at Fon Bragg. N.c., inc Penia Jon said. The Rcola Imler were  from fort Eustis a. And fort mood. Texas. Capt. Naney , a Pentagon spokeswoman said in response to a query thai "112 members of the 503rd military police battalion have deployed to Panama to augment . Security forces in that  this deployment of military police is not in response to any incident but Sim ply Good planning in View of the current urn Psi in  the deployment began last Friday and is a prudent measure consistent with the Panama canal treaty to fur flier safeguard the canal and . Lives property and interests in the area she said in addition to the maps about Eoo sol Dirks from fort Eustis and fort Hood were dispatched "10 assist in the move ment of these additional Security Force personnel and to augment . Southern command Security forces she added. Those soldiers arc army Airfield movements control personnel the spokeswoman said. The latest dispatch of troops conies less than a week after the Pentagon or dered slightly More than 100 Marine and air Force Security personnel la Panama to bolster Security around the Panama canal and nearby military Haso. All told about 420 Security personnel have now been sent to Panama to join the roughly 600 servicemen who already were assigned to Security duties with the . Southern come which i headquartered there. The Southern come which oversees All . Military operations in the Region has about 10,000 servicemen aligned to it. The Pentagon s Security concerns Stem from the administration s Effrom to in Seal panamanian strongman Gen. Man Uel Antonio Noriega. Although no moves have been reported against american servicemen or their dependent defense officials Are Laid to be concerned that Noriega might Lush Back at the United states by attacking or sabotaging facilities there. Poltergeist Iii Star s death creates problems for Mem App nolo Glen Lucr o Motif la Fri jul ind Oliver Robins cower in fear in a scene from pal Turg 1st  los Angeles a tins recent death of child Star Heather o Rourke Hai left Mem studio executives in a quandary Over How to Market her him poltergeist 111" without appearing to exploit the 12 year . Normal adults and obviously fathers like myself might be very offended said Barry Loric. Mem s senior vice president for marketing. O Rourke died feb. 1 of septic Shock caused by a Bowel obstruction. She had completed the film scheduled for release june 10, last Spring. She was Best known for her lines they re Heck cafe and they re Baba pack which helped sell the first two poltergeist films. In poltergeist 111" o Rourke s character. Carol Anne still haunted by ghostly beings is sent to live with relatives in Chicago. Although Loric said the films generally Appeal to icon age audiences whose members Likely would t be disturbed by o Rourke s death he added he could imagine angry letters from adults denouncing an and Campaign that appears to Trade on her death. The studio pans to test audience reactions to apr ious and campaigns shown Al screenings before releasing the film june 10. Lone said Mem has also asked the movie s other main stars Tom skerrit and Nancy Allen to avoid interviews thai would Lead to questions about o Rourke. Loric said the studio is worried about tabloid exploitation particularly because one actor on each of the previous movies died shortly after shooting was completed. Actress Dominique Dunne who appeared in the original 1982 film was strangled by an to Boyfriend in 1982. Julian deck of poltergeist ii died of cancer in 1935.  in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. March 23, 1948 in a vast currency conversion operation . Occupation personnel throughout the world turned in their old military payment certificates for new ones. 30 years ago foe a. March 23,1958 film producer Mike Todd was killed in the crash of his private air plane in the rugged Mountain country of West urn new Mexico. Ills wife Elizabeth Taylor had not accompanied him on the flight because of a cold. 20 years ago today. March 23, 1968 three passengers hijacked a venezuelan Airliner with so people Buard and forced it to Fly 900 Miles to Cuba where it landed with its fuel tanks almost pm pay. 10 years ago a Day. March 23, 197b Karl Wallinda. 7j, who cheated death for More than half n Century on the High wire fell 190 Tea to his death while performing in High winds in san Juan puerto Rico 2 killed in explosion in Center of Antwerp Antwerp. Belgium a an explosion sunday morning destroyed two houses in the Center of this port cily killing two people and injuring four while two others were missing police said. A police official who asked not to be named said the 6 . Blast Vita probably caused by a Gat leak. The bodies of a Mother and her 3-year-old daughter were recovered from under the rubble and the father was hospitalized suffering from Shock. Murder robbery probe focuses on ship s Crew Mayport is. A. Al1 like the fog that Rolls in from she Atlantic shroud ing this base most mornings mystery continues to surround Pic payday robbery und murder of the destroyer John Hancock disbursement officer. Sometime Early starch 15, Afler it. . Katish Prasad finished his watch at Midnight someone shot him in the head at Clour Range choked him and shoved his body into a storage area and vanished with s94.619 in Navy payroll and Blank checks. This base stunned 10 months ago when 37 sailors were killed in an attack pm one of its ships the frigate Surk in the persian to Ulf. Is reeling from what veterans say is a crime like none in memory Here. The naval  service which is probing the to car of 1 a sat s killing in conjunction with the Duval county sheriffs office has been mum about the investigation say ing it will remain so until there is a break in the Case. The sheriffs office also refuses to comment on these. However because visits to such a ship Are lightly restricted the investigation is focusing on the 320 officers and enlisted men aboard the destroyer. That feeling is there. People Are looking about asking questions trying to find out what is going on com Mand master chief Petty officer cur tis t. Cook said in an interview. The Navy is refusing to say if there lire any leads if it has any suspects or if the investigation is focusing on Mem Bers of the Crew. However Navy and civilian investigators have been inter viewing members of the ship s Crew. Even though Navy personnel without specific business would have difficulty boarding the ship the killer could be someone who slipped through the Security Gate Al the base and a checkpoint in the pier got on the ship committed the crime and escaped. Chief Petty Oitker Art Rico a Navy spokesman said. Mayport is is Home to 35 ships including two aircraft carriers and has 18,500 Active duty personnel and 3,000 civilian employees. Pm sad the Only son of Indian barn parents Rameshwar and Mil Holcsli was a strict vegetarian unusual in the cat and Poi docs Navy. As the Man responsible for handing out pay Prasad probably got to know More people than Many others during his nearly three years in the Navy. He smiled a lot. He a Friendly and he always said hello so the rest of the Crew. He probably could Tell you by sight the name and probably the pay record of everyone on Board Cook said. Prasad s Mother in a Telephone interview from her Home in pork Forest iii., said his death was the realization of the family s wont Nightman. We did t want him to join. It was scary for us because you never know what is going to happen she said. He had a degree in business administration front Trie University of Illinois and had planned to go to graduate school Afler the Navy relatives said. Officials said thai at every Muster since he body was found no one has been reported missing from the ship. We know exactly where everyone is Riccio said adding hat Al nut one fourth of the ship s personnel is on duty at any one Lime and others must Check in daily unless they arc on leave. The ship s disbursement office is a secure area like a Bank and he combination of the Safe was issued Only to those with a need to know Riccio said. When he disbursing office door we found open an immediate search for Prasad was called Laid it. Cmdr. Tim Taylor. Prasad had Gollon off duly Al Midnight then spent the Nihl in his stateroom Taylor said. Investigator initially thou he Prasad had absconded with the Money but they found his car still parked on the pier and shortly afterwards his body was found in an isolated storage area one deck below his office