European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 27, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes lard ears Page 11 letters dear Ann Landers in response to strictly Anonymous Usa whose husband drank like a fish you told her she was Strong but you did t encourage her to leave him. If she has been supporting her children without her husband s help it would be a lot easier to do without him around. I know. I did it but it was Tough sledding. I too was so fed up that i had thoughts of running  but i just could t leave my kids. We Are stronger than we know. And we Are not alone. I am eternally grateful to Al anon for putting me Wise to myself. I was an enabler who remained in a marriage for 17 years knowing that i never loved theman. After he lost three businesses and was found guilty of a Federal offence i finally said enough what could be worse than this i did not have the support of my parents. They were afraid of what the relatives would think my in Laws Haven t spoken to me in four years and May never speak to me again but that s of. I got into the mess alone and i will get out of it the same Way. I am learning to Trust for the first time in my life. I m scared. I make mistakes but they Aren t fatal. Have accepted the fact that i m human. No More playing super mom. My children Are learning to be Independent for the first time. We Are going through adolescence together. And we re going tomake it hallelujah m. In Gloucester  a thanks for a wonderfully upbeat letter. I love your can do approach to life and your courage is sure to be contagious. I d like to recommend a Book that will help those who Are living with an alcoholic or have the problem them selves. It is getting better inside alcoholics Anonymous by pulitzer prize Winner Nan Robertson. This is a poignant and brutally Frank Story of a highly successful journalist who for years was a closet , through a.a., she turned her life around. Her insights Are marvelous and her Story is an inspiration. The publisher is Morrow. The Price $17.95. Dear Ann Landers please again just one More time blast the slobs whenever Send thank you notes. I swear i will buy a dozen papers and Send your column to All my relatives i am fed up with announcements for graduations showers weddings and new babies. I wind up sending Money because i Don t know most of the people Well enough to select an appropriate gift. I never hear from them until the next time they have something to announce. I did receive a note recently. It read dear Uncle i finally graduated College etc.,  no mention to dear aunt who spent half a Day shopping for the gift. I be been married to dear Uncle for 36 years and my name has t appeared in the obits As yet so i guess i m still Here. If the graduate had waited for dear Uncle to buy a card and sign a Check he would have waited a very Long time. Thanks for letting me spout off Ann. I m serious about sending copies of your answer to All my rela Tives. Aunt Softie in the hinterland dear Softie Here s your letter. Start clipping Dearie. Your beef is plenty legitimate. I Hope others who have been similarly abused will clip it too. Has suggestions for complainers if you can stand Reading one More response to complaint letters i have something i would like to share with everyone stationed overseas. I realize this will not Stop the complaining but maybe it will make you appreciate what you do have. I try to read the stars and stripes daily when we get stand am often amused at All the complaint concerning an and cafes. I notice that almost All these letters Are written by people stationed in Ger Many. I decided it was my turn to write after Reading the letter from the Guy who could t understand Why the Daytona 500 Lascar race was t shown Onan. I was stationed in Germany for three years so know what is provided. I know that within the Kaiserslautern area As Well As Many other places you Are provided with Large commissaries two floor exchanges Large Sho Pettes audio photo shops and furniture stores to name a few. If you noticed the plurals it Means there Are More than one in that area. An May be a Little slow with the 3-month-old soap operas last season s prime time and tuesday night football but it still provides some live sports and allele As soon As it is made available. In the year since i left Germany i be heard it has continued to get better Here at Iraklion Crete we Don t have the above mentioned  our facilities Are Small handsome audio photo shops furniture stores Etc non existent. Our television station ebs does t offer live sports and prime time is a season behind an but i m not complaining. I have Learned that the key to surviving overseas is  it s not easy but you should at least try it. Look at what you have and be thankful. I know that there Are places elsewhere that have less than Iraklion not Many but a few. If your installation does t offer something that Youcan t live without find a Way to get it or look for an alternative. If you have family or friends in the slates ask them to Send you Var tapes with your favorit programs or your favorite Brand of an item the Exchange does t carry. Shop by Catalon for clothes shoes or household goods. Cata logs should be Avail Able for Check out at your local Library. If this in available ask if it can be started. This will do a lot More than just writing a letter to the stars and stripes. If you Don t have Faith in the postal system to sen you the things you ordered try it. It May take a few Days longer but it will get to you. If it does to Don immediately blame the military postal system. Mail gets lost in the states also. We All knew that by transferring overseas there would be certain sacrifices we would need to make such As leaving family and friends behind learning anew culture in a foreign land and doing without Cable to and shopping malls. But whether we requested Tobe stationed overseas or not we Are Here and we have to learn to Deal with it. Take a look around your installation and begin to enjoy what s there. Here at Iraklion we May not have much of a shop Ette Exchange or commissary but we have the Friend Liest people working there who try to do their Best Forus. Additionally we have functions and events on the base to improve troop morale and the culture night life and beaches on this Island Are the Best. In Case you did t get my Point i m trying to say you should make the Best with what you be got and Deal with it. Adjusting to new ways in t always easy but it is possible. Having a Little Faith in your Community and learning to find alternatives can make your tour More enjoyable than you can imagine. Before you know it you will be stationed Back in the states with All of it s conveniences looking Back on your overseas Tours saying it was t so bad after  sgt. . Hackman Iraklion Crete Reader offers Way for army to look Good in an Era when Money is scarce and budgets Are tight i believe i have the answer to a problem the army is facing. The army must thin its ranks but at the same time it must have professional personnel to fill the remain ing positions. Yet recruiters continually ignore an entire segment of our society a segment that can do the army a world of Good in these Tough times. After two years of Active duty in the army an seven More in two other Branchesi have realized the importance of one s appearance and i think it is time the recruiters used these forgotten people of our great land. These forgotten souls Are the thousands of out of work actors and models. First the models would fill the enlisted member ranks Well. They already understand that it is not How Good you Are but How Good you  this knowledge can help today s professional army. Secondly the actors can slip right into the no ranks. Being adept they can act like they know what they Are doing. But most importantly they can act like they care for their people. They May have to be trained to carry a thermos and drink Coffee while watching others work but they Are after All experts in their Field and can be trained in just a Short period of time. Unfortunately we will not be Able to get rid of Al the dirt bags in the army. You know the kind those whose Brush Shine is gone by the end of the Day those who have grease under their fingernails. This is the kind who May actually be caught working heaven for bid. In this year of the army theme training Many of these dirt bags want to go out in the mud and rain and actually train not just sit inside and talk about it but that is another Story. Joseph l. Kuder Katterbach West Germany pen pals kindly publish my name and address in your pen pal column. I am 19 years old and enjoy play ing Ball games and going on outings. Merien Banglos South Poblador Larena siquljor6603 Philippines i would like to have pen pals from other places. I am 36 years old. I like Reading attending mass cooking and sewing. Pacita m. Samson South Poblacion Larena Seq Ulmor Philippines please list my name in your pen pal column. I am a 24-year-old German. I would like to Corre Spond with English speaking people in order to improve my English and to make friends from different countries and cultures. Ingrid feign alte Bah Hofstr. 25 6101 Sossdorf West Germany please publish my name in your pen pal column. I am 19 years old and a student. Jocelyn r. Maputi Banawan Public Market Banawan Negros Oriental Philippines i would love to have pen pals from All Over the world. I am 34 years old and have two children. I enjoy the outdoors and Riding horses. Tina Ogden 34 Grove Road upper Mill Oldham ol3 6jr lanes England i am a letter starved Christian family Man looking to correspond with people with similar interests. My interests Are talking and writing to people playing chess ism compatible computers photography talking sports sporting activities new York kicks diehard and sightseeing. If you re bored Send me a letter. Howard i. Ely Hub 3/60th . 09114 european edition col Jeffrey m. Cook Usa commander editor in chief it col Suzanne l. Phillips Usan Deputy commander editor in chief Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for members of the military services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by. The . Government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of advertising in this publication including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department of de sense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for Purchase use or patronage without regard to race color religion sex National origin age marital status physical Handicap political affiliation or any other non Merit Factor of the purchaser user or Patron. Military address the stars and stripes Apo 09211. International mail the stars and stripes Postrach 11 14 37, d-6100 Darmstadt 1 1germany. Tel military Darmstadt Airstrip 2376 741 Griesheim civilian 06155 6010 ets 348-6741 or 348-5823. Telex 0419-332. Tel fax 06155-601376. New York office room 401, 252 seventh ave. New York 10001, Tel area code 21 2 620-3333. News bureaus bit Burn Germany Mark Walsh building 102, room 21 of Pitburg a Box 2994, Apo 09132 Telephone ets 453-7052 or Pitburg Civ. 06561 Bremerhaven Germany Mark Walsh Telephone ets 453-7052 or civilian 06561 -5779. Kaiserslautern Germany Daryl Green Dee Dee Arrington Doke building 2899. Pulaski Barracks Apo 09227 Telephone ets 489-6585 or Kaiser Lautem Civ. 0631 -52104. Munich Germany Charlie Bowden building 16. B stairwell. 2nd floor. Mcgraw Cavern. Soured Apo 09407 Telephone ets 440-7320 or Munich Civ. 089-690-1800. Nornberg Germany building 21, William o. Darby Cavern Apo 09696 Telephone ets 460-7256 or civilian 091 1-712563. Stuttgart Germany Joseph Owen. Building 2302. Room 223, Patch Barracks. Box 171. Apo 09128 Telephone ets 430-8449 or Stutt Gart Civ. 071 1 -6877826. Mediterranean j. King Cruger and Alba Bragall. Naples Italy Box 56, Fpo by 09521 Telephone Auto on 625-1110 ext. 4880 or Naples Civ. 0039-81-7624049. United kingdom Dave Diehl building 436 Cess us Raf Mildenhall Apo 09127 Telephone Auto on 238-2226 or Mildenhall Civ. 0638 512226. Washington . Chuck Vinch William Bartman Oast a the Pentagon room 2e756, . Box 46095, Washington . 20050-6095 Tele phone 202-697-6695. Wurzburg Germany Janet Howells Tierney Telephone ets 348 5741 or civilian 06155-601237. Circulation offices Germany Berlin Civ. 8331846, Mil. 6187, ets 332-4412 Bremerhaven Civ. 85168, Mil. 8119, ets 342-8119 Rhein main Frankfurt Civ 069 692050 or 692565, Mil. 6025 or 7103. Ets 330-6025 or 7103, telex 412712 Kaiser Lautem Civ. 67070 or 57079, Mil. Vogel Weh 7100, ets 489 7100 Munich Civ. 6901503 or 6901504, Mil. 6556, ets 440-6556 Nuernberg Civ. 712558, Mil. 7001, ets 460-7001 Stuttgart Civ. 0711-8701496, Mil. 7176. Ets 420-7175. Greece Athens Civ. 9923390. Italy Vicenza Civ. 515358. Spain Madrid Mil. 00341 205-6600 or Civ. 00341 6561465. Turkey Istanbul Civ. 664372, telex 26174 sans to. United kingdom Greenham common Civ. Newbury 0635 44768 Mil. Newbury 0635 46263 ext. 209