European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 21, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday january 21, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 defense buildup made unit feel at Home by John Millar Wiir Burg Bureau Fulda West Germany the eight year defense buildup under the Reagan administration came to a close Friday but not before soldiers of the 11th army Cav regt received a much needed slice of that pie. For three units of the regiment a new 300-bed, $4.9 million building is the answer to everything from Over crowding to a Lack of unit cohesion. Until the building was turned Over to the regiment this month the troops were spread put Over Downs Barracks with soldiers from one unit living in different buildings in several locations. I be had people living All throughout the squad Ron said 1st sgt. Charles Adams of howitzer Btry one of the units moving into the new digs. This is the first time we be been Able to get them All  spec. Joe Murrell of he troop said the new building Means he won t have to go All Over the world to see other members of the unit. He said the old Barracks had half the people Here and half on the other Side of the  aside from not going to another building to conduct unit business soldiers also like the fact that they won t have to run several blocks from their Barracks to troop formations. Pfc. Anthony Campos who lived in the old howitzer Btry Barracks for a year and a half said the new Barracks Are Way Way  he said the old facility had 20 soldiers using two bathrooms. Now he shares one with just three other soldiers. Other soldiers noted that the new building no longer requires that they take showers at half hour intervals to ensure getting hot water. Still others like pvt. 2 James Manuel of he troop Are pleased with the new Barracks less cramped conditions two in a room instead of four. There s a lot More privacy he said. That s what i enjoy is the  eager to move his soldiers into the new building it. Col. John Baer the regiment s 1st so commander called the Barracks one of the most important pro pvt. 2 James Manuel of he troop 1st so Lith army Cav regt sets up his bed in his new Barracks. Is John Millar jets to affect this regiment and in particular this Squadron in  the cavalry Barracks is part of what has become a $500 million a year project in Europe according to Robert Rodehaver of the Frankfurt Engineer area. More than 30 new Barracks currently Are under design for service members in Europe and another 100 Are either under construction or recently have been completed said Patti Pattison spokeswoman for the . Army corps of engineers in Europe. Pattison said the main thrust behind the construction is to replace antiquated facilities providing better living conditions for  she remembered cases As recently As 1980 when roofs were fall group plans Center devoted to Berlin Airlift by Ron Jensen staff writer Rhein main a West Germany a visitor Center and museum dedicated to the Berlin Airlift will help educate germans and americans too Young to remember the historic event one of the planners said Friday. It s part of the american heritage it s part of the German heritage said Gerdi Rausch business manager of the Luft Briecke chapter of the Airlift association. The association initiated a Campaign this week to raise $ 1 million to build a visitor Center that will include a museum souvenir shop and cafeteria plus a rooftop platform for viewing activity at Rhein main a and the neighbouring Frankfurt International Airport. The 4,000-Square-foot Center will be built on the opposite Side of the autobahn from the air base and the Berlin Airlift memorial Monument which was built in 1985 by the association As the first phase of a memorial Complex planned to include the Center. That Monument is a replica of the one at Tempelhof Central Airport in West Berlin which was dedicated in 1951. We know that so Many of the younger Genera Tion both German and american Don t know what the Monument Means Rausch said. The Ger mans should be grateful Are grateful that the americans saved Berlin with the Berlin  the visitor Center and museum will explain the meaning of the Monument she said. The Airlift began on june 26, 1948, to combat a soviet blockade that prevented supplies from reach ing the 2.2 million residents of West Berlin. For 462 Days flights left West German airfields including Rhein main a to deliver food and other goods to airfields in Berlin. It was the biggest Airlift in history Rausch Model of proposed Berlin Airlift memorial. Says. Every 1 Viz minutes a plane was flying  when the Airlift ended on sept. 30, 1949, Ameri can British French and German Crews had trans ported 2.3 million tons of goods on More than 277,000 flights. Rausch said the initial construction will Cost $ 1 million with another $2 million needed later to staff and maintain the facility and grounds. Individuals organizations and foundations Are being invited to donate to the non profit association. Rausch said the arrival of funds will determine the starting Date of construction. We would like to Start construction As soon As we know we have sufficient funds to get the build ing started she said. The Luft Briecke chapter of the Airlift association which was formed in 1984, also is expecting an addition to its Monument site this Spring. A c 54 spymaster one of the planes instrumental in the Airlift will be placed near the c-47 gooney Bird that has been there since the Monument opened. The c-54 is now in Switzerland and has been promised to the association on indefinite loan Rausch said. It will be flown to Rhein main Abas soon As weather permits. These old air planes have to have Good weather she said. Ing in on soldiers. We re seeing the result of work that began in 1980." although some Barracks projects take six to eight years from initial planning to completed Structure Rodehaver said the average time for new Barracks construction is three to four years. Barracks go up quicker when the funds Are there and Congress approves of the project. The latest two year Pentagon budget forwarded to Capitol Hill Jan. 10, proposes funding for an addition Al $18 billion for quarters and other new construction. Should Congress approve the plan As proposed units at 13 locations in West Germany Italy the nether lands and England would be in line for new Barracks or dormitories. Catholic visitors believe no mias remain in Vietnam los Angeles a . Roman Catholic Arch Bishops who visited Vietnam believe after talks with local Bishops and the foreign minister that no missing american soldiers remain there an archdiocesan spokesman said thursday. Los Angeles archbishop Roger Mahony chairman of the . Catholic conference International policy committee and archbishops Theodore Mccarrick of Newark and Edward o Meara of Indianapolis spent Jan. 4-9 in Vietnam to open talks on Church concerns. Mahony said that in separate discussions with the vietnamese foreign minister and the Bishops of Viet Nam that they the delegation have come to the conclusion that there Are no mias remaining in Vietnam said spokesman Bill Rivera. Rivera said normalization of relations Between the United states and Vietnam would have to include a full and open discussion of mias and whether there Are any remaining the spokesman said. The delegation said the vietnamese leaders to whom we spoke renewed their commitment to work with the . Government to help provide a full accounting of americans missing in  Mahony also said that in the last year the Vietnam Ese government has released from prison 95 priests who were chaplains in the South vietnamese army although it will not allow them to practice their Faith. The delegation suggested to foreign minister Nguyen co Thach that the . Catholic conference the organization of american Bishops would Welcome those freed priests in the United states to serve areas where vietnamese immigrants Are concentrated. The Mia question was Only part of a Broad Mission to Vietnam that was designed to show support for the Church there and open talks on religious Liberty humanitarian needs immigration and refugees. The vietnamese people Are suffering from the Lin Gering hostility and indifference of other nations including the United states the archbishops said. They Are recommending that the United states encourage a less repressive attitude in Vietnam by establishing diplomatic relations and sending monetary Pidto the country