European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 4, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Continued from Page 13 Booths offered everything from to shirts to Hals to lace curtains and doilies camera buffs snapped photos of a b-1 bomber and other aircraft on display while others armed Voth baskets of food settled Back on Lawn chairs and blankets to Wail or the show. At 12 30 p.m., it. Col. Mario Nadmi and his Lallian freeze Tricolour air show team waited in the wings As e . F-16 fighting Falcon streaked overhead in a comic Mosaline flyby. Twenty minutes later a French team new past in eight red. White and Blue Dassau Breguet Alpha jets streaming red White and Blue smoke far away from the crowd and from a great height three of the French aircraft flew in a semicircle in one direction while tour flew the same pattern in another direction. The brightly coloured Jet smoke trailing behind left a perfect heart shape form in the sky. A Lone French Jet coming from the fear pierced its Middle. Obviously enjoying the performance the crowd heartily cheered. Stalf sgt. John Flanagan had decided against moving closer to the runway Wilh his wife and two children. We had talked about going tip there but i had my zoom Lens Wilh me so i really did t think i needed  Al 3 35 p.m., Flanagan was Slanc fing about 200 feet from the runway snapping stills of a difficult heart shape Man Euver being attempted by the italian team when his Minolta Lens caught an image of disaster. One of the Lallian planes crippled from a midair collision with two other members of the Lallian team suddenly careened ominously Tail Down toward part of the crowd gathered just North of the runway. There was this incredible silence the Wiesbaden airman said. It was like the crowd was in Shock. There was just local  an explosion followed by a tremendous whooshing sound sent a wave of flaming fuel and debris Over the crowd near the crash site Flanagan said. And that s when people snarled running  some fell killed instantly. Many ran. A few of them stopped and. Compelled by something thai went beyond their own fear turned Bach toward the tire to help. As one woman sprinted from the scene another woman stopped her. The woman just asked me if i had seen a Man with two Little girls up there said the one who had been running. She said i m so worried my husband and children Are up there " in the aftermath of he crash thousands of survivors searched or mends and family finally wending their Way to a base theater which had been converted into a makeshift casualty information Center Al 8 p.m., Virginia Howard a Volunteer helping at the Center looked up from the list of More than 400 people reported missing. Everyone s in Shock Howard Saa. People Don t know what they re saying. They re just looking monday the Long process of sorting out information about the Ramstein tragedy began on monday aug. 29. What had caused the crash How Many had been injured and killed who was responsible and How to prevent Simitar tragedies were questions that began to absorb those touched by the disaster. Throughout the Day death figures on what was quickly identified As the world s worst air show catastrophe involving spectators fluctuated. Officials said at least 40 people were dead. Most believed the loll ultimately would be higher. Hampered by a Lack of identification on victims officials turned to unclaimed cars and denial records for information. Many of the most seriously injured in comas or badly disfigured by Burns made Early identification an impossibility. West German defense minister Rupert Scholz who in the weeks before flu tag had defended the show against objections from opposition political parties. Announced a ban on stunt flying for German military aircraft Scholz asked Allied nations to find safer ways to conduct flying demonstrations. At first . Officials seemed to leave the question open saying they would evaluate future performances of precision flight teams. The air shows. They said had value As a demonstration of equipment and training and As a recruiting tool. In the afternoon Scholz along with nato commander Gen. John r. Galvin . Ambassador Richard Burt and Gen. William l Kirk Safe commander were among those attending a Throe hour meeting a the Cannon inn at Ramstein Ablo discuss the tragedy. In a statement Kirk expressed grief Over the tragedy. We extend our deepest sympathy to those of All nationalities who lost loved  details began to emerge of the hundreds of spectators who risked their lives to help others injured in the crash. One Young airman spoke of holding a badly wounded person together Wilh his hands until help arrived. I think god put my feeling aside so that i could get in there and help he said. Meanwhile maj. Giorgio Dimartino. An Lallian air Force spokesman talked about the puzzlement of those who knew the skill and discipline of the three pilots killed in the crash Leam Leader Naldini soloist it. Col. Ivo Nul Arelli and capt. Giorgio Alessio. The recce Tri Colori is the Pride of our air Force and their pilots Are absolute tops said Dimartino. Their exhibitions Are daring and everything is tried and tested again and again. But we Are dealing Wilh human beings and machines. When you Fly the slightest mistake or breakdown can spell  by the end of the Day authorities believed at least 42 people had died in the crash. More than 200 of the 350 people injured remained hospitalized. Tuesday on tuesday aug. 30, investigators issued an Appeal to spectators who had videotaped or photographed the midair collision to bring their film to the investigating Board Lor examination. In Italy aul homilies said the fatal air show collision Likely was caused by the Solo Pilot. Mutarelli flying too late into the formation of nine other plane. We Don t know How or Why said Dimartino the Lallian air Force spokesman. It could have been a number of things and Well have Lowaita Lor the results of the investigation Tor an answer officials of an annual Cleveland Ohio show said the fatal Man Euver attempted sunday by the italians had been banned two years ago Lor safety reasons. In the pierced heart stunt the 10-plane Leam splits at the lop of a High Loop. Five planes descend in one direction while four planes descend on opposite paths All trailing brightly coloured smoke. As the paths of the nine aircraft Cross to Complete 4s-d.v.o there Vaa oils incredible silence. It wat just Ilka Iha crowd was in Shock. There a adjust total  the Bottom of a heart the 10th Soto plane cuts above the formation at a 90-degree Angle piercing the heart like an Arrow. Al the Lime of the Cross the Solo plane files directly toward the spectators. By tuesday night the death toll stood at 49, Wilh fewer than halt identified. In dozens of area hospitals More than t75 others remained hospitalized. Four of the most severely burned were moved to Brooke army medical Center in san Antonio Texas. Wednesday wednesday. Aug. 31, the first american victim was identified As Pic Genevieve r. Riggs 36, of the 110th my co in Mil Schweiler Many countries began studying their policies regarding air show safety and some opted to impose More restrictions. Clarifying a statement made on monday defense minister Scholz said the United states and its allies must obey German Law and comply with a ban on All stunt Hying. A spokesman for the . Embassy in Bonn said ambassador Burt was confident that the United Stales will comply Wilh German  also during the Day the German Green party announced it had filed manslaughter and assault charges with a state prosecutor against German and . Officials responsible for the Ramstein show. In the evening about 1,500 people marched through the streets of Kaiserslautern behind banners thai read the victims warn no More air shows and we mourn the dead from the air  the air Force confirmed 52 victims most still unidentified. German authorities said that of the 360 people injured. 1 66 remained hospitalized. Thursday routine nato training flights were grounded thursday sept. Of in Honor of the victims of the Ramstein a crash. At a Chapel in Kaiserslautern army chaplain col Larry Kelly spoke of the crippling pain left by Many. To survive such., spiritual pain we a test cry. Whether privately or publicly and vent our anger that our loved ones have been taken from us  German and . Officials who Brgan coordinating their efforts agreed late in the Day on a death toll of 49, including two americans. The officials identified Joshua Frymyer 9. The son of the  military policewoman killed in the crash As the second american victim. Friday by Friday sept. 2. Many of those who witnessed the tragedy tried to put their feelings Down on paper including children at the Miessau child development Center near Kaiserslautern who spent the Day writing get Well cards to those injured in the crash. Three year old Cheryl Waddle wanted to Send her card to a Man in the Hospital because his face and eyes Are dead and they tried to put a band Aid on it. And they could to and there was blood on  others including Many germans wrote to air Force Brig Gen Lawrence e. Boese commander of the kaisers Lauler military Community. There will be Many people now blaming you your men and the air Force a German wrote. I Only Hope that you have the strength to Bear this. 1 thought you should know that at least one of your guests realized How excellent and Brave your men acted american officials said Only three of the 49 victims remained unidentified. The dead included 39 germans the three Lallian pilots two americans one from the Netherlands and one my France. Officials reached a consensus on the number injured. The most serious of the 172. In 45 hospitals were expected to need treatment Lor at least a year saturday officials updated the death toll to 51 after two More injured germans died. Two other bodies were identified As germans. In the morning hundreds turned out Lor a Tri National memorial at St. Nikolaus Catholic Church in he town of Ramstein. . Ambassador Burt made a Promise that the Ramstein tragedy would never be repealed. Sunday s tragedy has brought Home to each of us the fragility of life and made us recognize anew the limits of Man s Mastery of his  and minister president of Rheinland Pfautz Bernhard Vogel made a request that the disaster not break the Bonds Between germans and americans. Ramstein should not become the Symbol of  Vogel said. It must remain the Symbol of Friendship and  sunday september 4, 1968 the stars and stripes Page 17