European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine helping hand at the Vietnam memorial by Linda Wheeler the Washington Post Arsha Sternberg with tears streaming Down Hor Cheeks and with her husband. Ken beside her stared Al the names of her brother and Cousin etched in the Granite of the Vietnam veterans memorial in her hand she held rubbings of Bolh names done or her by Volunteer guide John Bender. It was Bender who approached the couple from Jasper ind and explained that the 58,156 names Are organized by tray and yeas Al death on tha Long Black Wall. And i1 was gender who got a six tool ladder and scrambled to the lop to make the rubbings. It is Clear to loves the Wall that he believes in it Marsha Sternborg said thai is one impressive  her husband said. We have met few helpful people in Washington. He was not Only very helpful Hul very kind to  Bender 63. A world War ii Veteran and a reined foreign service Allicer seems always to be in the Center of a crowd of Touri Sis who Are drawn to the tall angular Man Wilh the kindly lace. The dark rimmed glasses a bit crooked after numerous pushes Back along his narrow nose collide with the Bright yellow baseball Cap that bin Dpi wears Al a Jaunty Angle. The heels of his Black Loal Hor shoos arc worn from the numerous brisk trips he makes along the cobbled path of the 493-fool-Long memorial Wall. People soem to love him Bender attributes his obvious Success in dealing with visitors Many still distraught about relatives and friends lost Long ago. To hts own life experiences. Well i am kind of a broken Down old drunk who has been faithful to a a for 20  to said win a chuckle i survived a bul with cancer. And i saw achoo duly during my War kit in All. I can relate to people with problems Bender said to chooses to spend his wednesday afternoons and evenings no to Wall because it makes him feel Good to help people understand and appreciate the memorial he is helpful on of Loci Days Well when he drives cancer patients to appointments or helps his daughter in a Day Wio cent i for More than 100 children. Bender has been honoured Tor his work at the memorial by the National Park service which named him the Volunteer of the year in 1984. Since the memorial was unveiled in 1db2, he has worked More than 2,000 hours to show people How to find the names they want to so and to " Ike rubbings of the names three years ago. He termed friends of the Vietnam veterans memorial a private nonprofit Vigani Iarion Hal strives to ensure that the Mcmo tial continues to Honor those who died in Vietnam and help in Healing the division and Gimel caused by the War in the rest of the country. Friends president Ira Hamburg said Iho group goes about its Woik through projects such As making Tho name rubbings for those who cannot come to Washington we have done More than 10,000 rubbings in the Pasi 18 months he said we also bring in enough volunteers Lor the Mon hey  Bender said the group s next project is a proposal to the National Park service to build a permanent one Story museum near the memorial to store All the souvenirs and keepsakes Lell Al the Wall such As yearbooks Teddy bears and military medals which Are now kept in a suburban Maryland warehouse Park Ranger Terry Barbel who until recently was in Cha get coordinating of Lucieer activities said the 160 Volu Leeis who help at the memorials and monuments along the malt no of critical importance to Tho Park service. She said Atoui to work a the Vietnam veterans memorial visitors to the Vietnam veterans memorial search Lor the name of their loved one. To Absolu Loly need Thorn she said. A can t get along without Hern. And to can use 35 Many More As there Are people willing to help Oul. What the volunteers do is assist people on a one to one basis end that is what makes a visit to Washington  she said. Everyone is bewildered by All the names and vhf n a Volunteer Steps Forward to help and you can see she bewilderment fade and be replaced by understanding  the other Day Bender stepped up to Loroy Vogt of san Antonio and asked it Vogt needed help. Bender looked up Iho name of Henry Garza for Vogl in his Large Green covered directory and Lound Iho name on panel 12 East. Lino 44. Then he and Vogt walked to the panel and jointly made a rubbing of Garza s name on a special form printed by Iho friends. Afterwards. Vogl carefully held Iho rubbing. Henry and i grew up together to said solely. We were Best friends i went into the air Force and he won Inlo Tho Vogl said use was pleased Bonder had approached him. "11 was like he looked Inlo my heart and knew i needed help to said i hied to give him Money but he would l take it. I am used to people Only being helpful if they arc going to be paid for  Bender stepped into Iho Pathol a Jogger who seemed oblivious to the crowd of visitors on the sidewalk. As the Man tried to push past Bonder Tho Jogger was slopped by a powerful grip on his Arm. Running is prohibited Here Bender said quietly to Iho startled runner. I know the sign is hard to see bul you cannot run through hero " Iho Jogger Shook free and walked slowly away. Bender said joggers and people who come to the memorial with Large blaring radios Upsel him bul what concerns him More is the Avalo a group of children sunday september 25. 1988 who Havo Boon Given Noil Kimation about the memorial. They will to laughing and shouting and it s Clear they Don t understand whore they  he said. So i go right up to them and say excuse me did any of you lose a Friend or relative in Vietnam Well if he is dead or missing his name is on this Wall they quiet right  Hamburg who is also a Volun Loor Al the memorial said in is Bender s directness that works so Wel Wilh Iho visitors. He is a dynamic person he said to does t wrap himself inside and just land Thoro hugging Tho directory to is always making Eye con act. People Are hungry for knowledge about the memorial and John is ready to talk to  Ono of Iho things Bender is most ready to Lalk about is Security at the memorial. He thinks there is Plonley in place already and thai the news of the scratches on Izreo of the panels was overblown it seems to me Iho real Story is that there has Boon no vandalism despite the Moie than 15 million Viss lors Here since 1982," he said. Those scratches wore just someone acting stupid. Some child playing around whal is important is Hal we have had no Graffiti and no Spray  bul Bonder has done More than simply be helpful to visitors. In was he who devised the system of counting Sines of name by 10 to find tha right Lino More quickly according to Hamburg Al Lisl he used Little paste on dots to said then everyone agreed it was a better system and the Dols were engraved ii was also Bender who persuaded Tho Fine arts commission to change the prep Sod design of Iho Nigel lights for the memorial to one that would be less Likely to cause people to trip Hamburg said. Iii could i would clone John to said if we had a John Bender on All shifts Ihen the Merofia would really be serving the  the stars and stripes Page 13