European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 6, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday augusts 1988 the stars and stripes Page 5 at to grand to rebuild Naples Uso censer Washington a the United service organizations announced thursday a $1 million sponsorship Grant from american Telephone & Telegraph co., the largest such Grant in the history of the organization that provides services for military personnel and their families stationed overseas. A portion of the Grant will be used to rebuild Thueso Center in Naples Italy which was destroyed in a terrorist attack recently said Uso world president Charles t. Hagel. About half the Grant will be used to produce six overseas Uso celebrity entertainment Tours this year and in Early 1989. The balance will be used to Hel support Uso facilities and production of various Uso publications. The Uso has 175 locations around the world pro Viding services and programs to More than 5 million military personnel and their families. The civilian non profit organization receives no . Government Money. It raises Money for its an Nual budget of $20 million from charitable donations and corporate sponsorships. This Grant is critical if we Are to fulfil our responsibilities around the world Hagel said. At to has supported Uso activities since 1982, contributing about $200,000 to the organization be fore the latest  company also has joined with the Uso for the past three years during the Christmas Holiday to provide a video Hookup Between military personnel stationed overseas and their families in the United states. Underage we ii hero pleading for go benefits Washington a Calvin Gra Ham had a Lump in his Throat thursday and could t testify but House speaker Jim Wright made the Case for the disabled world War ii hero who has been denied military benefits because he lied about his age and enlisted in the Navy when he was 12. From a narrowly Legal Point of View perhaps those who so Long have thwarted efforts to restore simple Justice to Calvin Graham May feel they were justified. But on the basis of common sense ethics morality valor simple decency Justice and fairness they were painfully wrong Wright a Texas said. The denial of full benefits to Calvin Graham brings a pall of shame Over the government of the United states the speaker said As his wheelchair bound constituent sat at his Side during a hear ing by a House judiciary subcommittee. When asked whether he wanted to testify on legislation to give him disability benefits and Back pay Graham 58, said i be got a Lump in my Throat right  Graham of fort Worth says Patriot ism was at a fevered pitch in 1942 when weighing 125 pounds and standing at 5 foot-2, he joined the Navy in Houston and was assigned to the battleship South Dakota As an anti aircraft gun loader. After shrapnel ripped through his rep. Martin Frost a Texas confers with Calvin Graham 58, before a congressional hearing to Grant the military benefits Graham was denied from world War ii. Mouth during the Battle of Guadalcanal Graham said he remained aboard the ship s deck applying tourniquets to those who had lost an Arm or leg. The military has fought Graham at every turn since he was slammed in the Brig in Corpus Christi Texas upon his return from the Pacific and it took the Navy until 1978 to Grant him an Honora ble discharge and award him his medals including the Bronze Star Wright said. In 1980, the government decided to give him $337 in Back pay for the three months he spent confined in the Brig and his mustering out benefits. He was also granted disability status for one tooth although he said he lost All of his Teeth because of War wounds. Legislation introduced by rep. Martin Frost a Texas seeks to Grant Graham disability benefits for his Mouth injuries and Back pay with interest. Graham s Story was the subject of acts television movie too Young the hero earlier this year. Wright said the government has turned a cold shoulder to Graham eve though president Roosevelt is said to have offered his help shortly before his death and president Reagan in a califor Nia radio address during his Campaign for the presidency described Calvin Gra Ham s Case As the kind of problem he wanted to address if elected. So let s help him do  John Thompson Legal counsel for the veterans administration in response to questioning by rep. Barney Frank d mass., said he had not heard of any re quest from the administration to help Graham. Thompson said there was no need for Frost s Bill. Graham re joined the service when he reached the proper age and served with the marines during the korean War. He said he broke his Back and his right ankle when he lost his footing and fell from Apier in California and those injuries now keep him in a wheelchair. I remember everything that happened to me that year like it was yester Day he said in an interview. It Burns in my mind. I dream about it a  Hertz fined record $6.85 million for consumer fraud new York up Hertz the world s largest Auto rental company admitted thursday it bilked customers and insurance firms by inflating car repair costs and agreed to pay $22.5 million in penalties including the largest Fine Ever levied against a corporation in a consumer fraud Case. The penalty includes the $6.85 million Fine and restitution of $15.7 million to be paid to More than 110,000 customers and insurance firms of the rental car Agency . Attorney Andrew Maloney and new York attorney general Robert Abrams said. In pleading guilty to Federal charges in the $13.7 Mil lion scam Hertz admitted it systematically overcharged for rental car repairs after collisions during a seven year period beginning in 1978. The 2 /2-year Federal investigation began after a Dis charged Hertz employee in Massachusetts reported the inflated Billing practices to the insurance crime Preven Tion Institute an insurance Industry association. The Institute conducted its own investigation and then contacted the . Attorney. The scheme was to inflate the repair costs to Hertz up to a higher Price the so called retail Price by a number of methods phony v9uchers, phony appraisals and phony repairs Maloney said. Hertz bilked customers with inflated appraisals concealing the fact it received a substantial discount on Auto parts and repairs in some cases As High As 22 percent because of its huge Fleet of vehicles Maloney said. In some cases Hertz employed a bid system to consign Auto body repairs but awarded the contract to the lowest bidder then attempted to collect the Price of the highest bid from its customers Maloney said. Hertz also billed some customers for repairs that were never made he said. Maloney said the Federal plea agreement which pro Vides full restitution orders Hertz to Deposit $13.7 Mil lion into a special fund to be disbursed to More than100,000 victims by a court appointed administrator. Committee oks Bill blocking construction near Battlefield in the stars and stripes40 years ago foday. Washington a a Bill authorizing the Federal government to seize More than 500 acres of a Developer s land adjacent to a historic civil War Battlefield was cleared thursday for House floor action possibly next week. The House Public works and transportation committee approved by voice vote an almost identical measure to one passed earlier by the House Interior and insular affairs committee. The Public works version however stipulates that $30 million in Interior department rather than transportation department funds be used to study whether roads should be closed in the Manassas National Battlefield Park in the Virginia Countryside West of Washington. Rep. Robert Mrazek d-n.y., an Early sponsor of the Bill said the House May vote on the measure wednesday. The Bill would allow the government to seize 542 acres adjacent to the Par where a Developer has proposed a Mas Sive shopping Complex add the tract to the 4,600-acre Park close two roads run Ning through the Battlefield and build new roads around the Park. Congress became involved in the Dis Pute when Northern Virginia Developer John t. Hazel announced plans to build 1.2 million Square feet of retail space 1.7 million Square feet of office space and560 Homes next to the site of two major civil War Battles. Aug. 6, 1948 president Truman was hopeful of a satisfactory settlement of the differences Between the West and the soviet Union Over Germany. 30 years ago foday. Aug. 6, 1958 soviet Premier Nikita s. Khrushchev rejected Western terms for a Summit conference and instead demanded an immediate United nations general Assembly session to order Western troops out of the Middle East. 20 years ago foday. Aug 6 1968 the 1968 Republican National convention got under Way with Richard Nixon holding a sizable Lead for the presidential Nom Maton but gov. Nelson Rockefeller of new York insisting it was still a Ball game. 1 0 years ago today. Aug 6, 1978 two baptists in soviet Kirghizia received labor Camp terms for setting up a sunday school class to teach the scripture in violation of soviet Law