European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 2 the stars and stripes sunday december 25,1936 separated families see one another video program Hooks up relatives by Ianke How us Tierney a lilt writer Frankfurt. Wisl Germany two year old Melissa Wagasky can t. Remember the first time she saw her grandparents so after this past week she my believe they re television and her brother Stephcn 4 along with their father. Stephen an army sergeant and to licit Mother Jody Jot the Chance to visit with grandpa and grandma Wagasky in Dallimore via 3 Holiday link video teleconference set up in a Frankfurt broadcasting lower. The linkup programs one sponsored by . Sprint and the american red Cross and another by american Tele graph & Telephone my the United service organisations put Long Sepa rated military families in visual phone Contact with relatives across the Atlan tic. In addition i thu Wing asks i other wish Den services members were chosen for the teleconferences wednesday pvt. 2 Michael used his half hour to plan puns of his May wedding with his Fiancee Dawn Stewart in South Houston. The Soldier from he co task Force Warrior 12th aviation brigade said the video conference beat writing letters and talking on .1 Normal phone. also talked with his parents a bit before asking them to leave the room so he could have a few private words with Stewart his Girlfriend since High school. Litaker. 20, said he happened into sprint s of Holiday Homecoming program through Luck. I was sitting around the office one Day when the first sergeant came through Anil asked if anyone was from Houston he said. He said his fellow soldiers were kind of Calous about it another Guy from Houston was off that Day so i guess 1 got in front of him he added. The Wiesbaden airmen and soldiers also were Able to visit families in san Francisco Chicago Washington and Kansas City mo., in the sprint red Cross program said Gary Trotter. Correction a front Page photo caption in sat urday s paper was missing a few zeroes. The caption said the 70th trans co. 106lh trans in 4lh trans group had delivered 26,000 pounds of mail in the past two months. The unit actually has delivered 26 million pounds of mail in that period. .-.,. Wiesbaden red Cross station manager. It was really a Nice service Linker said. It broke the tension of being Over spec. Jeffrey t. Lauson his wife Denise and their 15-month-old son Jeff jr., were Given 15 minutes to talk with his relatives from Clinton my. I sent out an application three months ago and formal about it.", said Lawson who is assigned with Frank furl s v corps. Then my called me and said she was told about a video Call that was scheduled Between us. She thou it it was a joke. 1 thought it was in a rerun performance. Cap. Eddie Gwyn his wife Sonia and their children Andrea 3, and Jason 2, were asked Back fur another Holiday teleconference this year with their family from Landover my. When we did this last year it was tie first time the family had seen Jason Gwyn said. During Friday s linkup Jason and an Drea were attempting to sing Jingle Between fidgeting in their Par Ems laps. Since its inception in 1985, the holi Day link program has expanded to in clude More locations and families. Amer ican military personnel in Italy also were linked up with far away family members. All Petty officer 3rd class Nick Tatla expected to see Friday was his wife on a video screen. Instead he got the real thing. Tatla. Assigned to inc Cruiser diddle was selected by the us to Sec and speak to his wife Cindi. Talta 22, was the first of five sailors from the diddle and the frigate Mccandliss to enter the teleconference room at the italian Telephone company in downtown Naples. The fam Ilies were at at to offices in washing Ion. But it was adm. William Crowe chairman of the joint chiefs of staff who was on the screen when Talla in to Rcd Crowe asked it s your birthday today in t it Petty officer Talta yes sir the obviously nervous Tatt Asaid Well Crowe said we have a link birthday Surprise for that was ctn i s Cue. She stepped into the conference room in Naples with a birthday cake and a big hug for the Hus band the had t seen since three weeks after they were married june 18. Talla s expression reflected his sur prise. " 1 -. My birthday s on the 23rd of Decem Ber Tana said. "1 always received my Christmas and birthday presents together. This was the Best of those kinds Kont urge Jody Yarusky holds onto 2-year-old Melissa during video talk with grandparents. The Tattas both from Buffalo n.y., have known each other for five years but have been together for Only about a month in the past three years they were to spend Christmas in Naples then three Days in Rome where they will have an audience with Pope Joh n Paul ii after that they la get a few More Days together in Naples said to i Manino director of operations Al the Uso Mediterranean. The Uso is picking up the Tab i Martin said. There were plenty of other Lender moments when sailors and i hair families saw each other live for the first time since the Biddle and Mccandliss de parted from Norfolk. Va., in Early a gust. Petty officer 2nd class Kenneth Koch 26, also assigned to the Biddle saw his son Robert Christopher for the second Lime since the toy was born a month ago. ,. He had seen the boy once before also by video on a tape prepared by a restau rant in Norfolk where both ships arc homcponcd., on Friday tears formed in the Sailor s eyes. The infant fell s 2 a year old daughter Yvonne said Little during the 10-Minule session. As her Mother. Robin led the child out of the room the daughter came to life saying Bye Rupea idly right then if they d said that it was an Experiment but they could Lel port me through the satellite i d have done it said the Salem. Ore., resident i d have done it. Comb Ulm to Ltd fun stall Wrt Lwi Gary m4r in Naploi. Linly. And no in Iris Law Cdr Tri Din Faudt. Walt. Chaplains spread cheer lit Remot b Duvel White Bali Aesir. Turkey airman 1st class Victor Mendoza usually one or two people during his shift As a Security specialist at this Remote site in North Western Turkey ". _. .".-. And pm n then the visitors usually arrive just to Tell me my 12-hour shift is Over Mendoza the Holiday season such isolated duty feels additionally lonely if you re stationed in a country where Christmas is just another workday. This year How Ever chaplains and army aviators from the Izmir military Community joined forces to help soldiers and airmen at seven Sites and Eastern Turkey enjoy a Little Tail of Christmas. In the states or even in Europe everything slops for Christmas said chaplain maj Bobby Gardner inc senior protestant chaplain at Izmir. But in a moslem country Christmas is not celebrated by most of the population.". a dec. 19 through 22 whistle Stop Lou r of the Sites the chaplains conducted special protestant and Catholic Holiday services and distributed cookies for the men who were away from their Mendoza who was Al his Post during the serv ices chaplain capt Tony Williams brought cookies and Christmas cheer up the Snow covered Hill to the airman s Small guard Shack. Christmas is Llie Lough so Lime of the year for these Gardner said. "1 know what they arc going through because 1 served an unaccompanied tour at a Remote Silc in Eastern Turkey in 1983 it s we cat do is Lel them love them we re going through this together and we Haven t forgotten them. Chaplains normally visit the Sites monthly because most Are Loo Remote and Small to warrant full time chaplains. This year,"maj.gen. Thomas a Mchugh Deputy commander Allied land forces Southeastern Europe invited the Izmir chaplains to visit some of the Sites Over the holidays. The command s aviation element used both fixed Wing aircraft and helicopters to get the chaplains to Remote Sites along inc soviet iranian Border in Eastern Turkey and the sea of Marmara in Northwestern tur key i think it s super to get to bring these Guys a Lillic Laste of Home for the holidays it. Col Fred Ciaria the aviation element commander said. All of our pilots have been working on this. We Pul together a fist of All the Sites and made sure inc chaplains could get there in a timely Wynn 19 Jiff a a he Ald land Foice South Namm eix Opo in Feirer Turkey
