European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 4, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday May 4. 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 British Kwh a bus a in from the town of Ilar Low dance the evening away at Raf Milde Liall s Hok Call disco held biweekly at the Hob i  i creation Center. Is Oava Din ww1 by Amy Geiszler Jones  Raf Mildenhall England the Lour bus pulls up at Mildenhall s Bob Hope recreation Center a few minutes before 9 . Every other thursday. A Stream of Young English women file offend push through the Center s double Glass doors. As if by Cue americans begin to wander in servicemen in Cowboy boots and baseball hats who order Long necked buds from the bar. The disc jockey Cranks up the Bass Knob and disco tunes Star pounding through the tangle of Vinyl chairs around the dance floor. Hog Call has begun. The biweekly disco which organizers Bill a Community relations event is a throwback to the War Days when american gis were overpaid oversexed and Over  and British women were trucked on base in what British men called meal  Mildenhall s program began in 1971 when Rosalind Bennett the base recreation Center director transferred from Raf  had started a similar bus and dance program at Wethersfield in the Early 1960s in an attempt to increase morale by increasing the number of women at base social events. To Start the Wethersfield program she contacted several towns in search of Large numbers of women factory workers finally settling on Harlow near London. Bennett stayed with Harlow after moving to Mildenhall and for the past 18 years the air Force has been sending a bus to Barlow s Mecca Dingo Hall to transport local women to the Mildenhall dance. The women ride the bus for free but usually hip in about 50 cents a trip for the Driver. About 25 to 30 women make the 1 Vij hour journey to the base today but a few years ago women used to cram the buses three to a scat according to Maggie Lawlor one of the Ilar Low regulars. It used to be  she said. Bennett declined to specify How much the bus and disco Cost saying Only that the program supports itself through Concession sales of hot dogs soft drinks Beer and wine coolers. Whatever the Cost Harlow residents Kathy Vince and Karen Castro Welcome the dances. We just love meeting the americans because they arc polite and they know How to treat a girl Vince  arc More exciting than British  Tania Smith agrees. English men Are  she said. This is a Novelty for  she said she started going to the disco a few months ago with Sandra Buxton a self styled Recruiter for the disco w to tells potential newcomers. There s nothing like this in  the name \ log Call was coined by an american Serviceman interviewed about the disco in the late 1970s, according to Bennett. It May be said with a tone of fondness but 1 Don t care for it she said. We discourage using the term because it s such a derogatory  Buxton however brushes aside the name. I m not like that so i Don t care she said. The disco usually draws a considerable number of american men. Particularly around 11 . When the base s enlisted Galaxy club shuts Down. Attendance by British men except for the occasional local is rare although the dances Are open to everyone. Some american women also attend the disco but again usually Only after club hours. Despite rumours that some of the British women arrive looking for a place to spend the night men at the disco said they come for a drink and a Little socializing but nothing More. It s a Stop Between the club and the dorms for an extra hour of partying plus the drinks Are  said senior airman Bob Almeida of the 5th Mobile Aerial port so. Master sgt. Rusty Miller a disco Concession worker said the dance remains popular because  on temporary duty. I be been coming to hog Call when i m toy Here for 12 years said staff set. Tommy Reed at Pope Ash . If m around i at least come by for one drink. I m a married Man but i come for laughs and  Bennett said the British women Are banned from the disco for three months if they Don t get on thebus at the end of the dance. She said she sometimes sends a staff member to make sure that those who got off the bus at 9 . Gel Back on at Midnight. But Mary Mccoy a worker at the disco said i have seen some of the same girls i saw at the disc walking around the base the next morning wearing the same clothes and wailing to catch a bus Back Home Lawlor the self appointed Chaperon for the British women said she always rides the bus and anyone who boards in Ilar Low had better get Back on when the bus leaves the rec Center. If they Don t get Back on they re banned said Lawlor 32. She said any women who miss the bus one week can t get on the next and. If they miss a second and third time Lawlor bans them for life. It is hardly Worth having a bus if everybody stayed she said. Although americans attending 1 log Call say they like the change of Pace Many give Low Marks to Bennett s busing. I can t believe in 1989 that women Are still bused into an american base said one airman who asked that his name not be used. They Tell us in the air Force that women should have equal Opportunity and then they still bus in British women. This disco is like a meat House he continued. Sure it s great for the morale of some people but it s hard to believe they do this. What girl would want to come to something called hog Call he said he comes to the disco for the 75-eent Beer. It s sad they have to bus females in said senior airman Anna Nelson of the 2176th comm so. It they bus women in they should bus males in but actually they should t bus anybody in. This is like a meal  busing women to the base is like advocating free sex said Melinda Moos of Beck Row the Small Village outside the base. It s a Good idea to have a disco somewhere away from the club but they should t bring women in like  responding to the critics Bennett said simply they Don t have to  and she added there arc no plans to Stop the busing. We be never thought of stopping it she said. I Don t know if we d have enough women come without the  Harlow s Lawlor also Hopes the busing never slops. The dance is a Prelly Friendly place Prity harmless she said. I still Grilc to people 1 met seven or eight years ago. The friendships an relationships Are the same Here As you would make in any