European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 30, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                              Page 4 the stars and stripes tuesday May 30,1989 Hurricane trackers Call for More satellites Coral Gables. Haap fore casters preparing for thursday s opening of the Atlantic Hurricane season wish they could predict the arrival of new technological help they say May be Cru Cial to Ever growing coastal populations. The air Force has agreed to Fly Hurri Cane reconnaissance flights for iwo More Sears but has made it Clear it plans to phase out the missions. And Only one satellite is available for tracking Hurri canes. We just have nothing right now to lean on says Ken Mckinnon a spokes Man for . Rep. Tom Lewis of North Palm Beach. Fla. Who has introduced a Bill in Congress to keep Hurricane Hunt ers Hying at least another five years. We be got one satellite. And they re Tell ing us it la do the Job if it . How do you track weather the air Force does t want to be in Anlu d. We have in the  few years examined our need for manned weather reconnaissance and feel there s no real compelling military reason spokesman . Col. Darrell haves said. We re not disputing that the Hurri Cane Center and the weather service need the data. We re just saying there May be More appropriate agencies to provide the  he said adding that the service had approached the National oceanic and atmospheric administration about taking Over the flights. Besides the flights forecasters depend on radar and satellite data. The single working weather satellite was t intended to be alone. A second satellite failed and a replacement for the failed Craft was blown up in an Accident on the launch pad forcing forecasters to make do. There Aie new satellites on the Hori Zon said Bob sheets director of the National Hurricane Center. But they be been due for a Long time and Aren t expected before Laic 1990. It is a major concern for us sheets said. Forecasters also Are worried about a shift in the pattern of Hurricane activity in recent years. Since 1985, sheets said. There seem to be More hurricanes and they re More Likely to hit the United states. We May be in an  he said possibly Back to the pattern of the "40s. 50s and 60s when we had a tremendous number of landfall  Max Mayfield Hurricane specialist at the National weather service in Miami said experts Don t known enough yet about hurricanes to Tell if this is just a Peak in activity or a return to the 50s and 60s. Now we can Sec past the Antilles out into the Atlantic and Oscr toward Hawaii on the  forecaster Hal Verrish said. We d like to be Able to see All the Way to Africa which is where Atlantic hurricanes develop he said. The need for improved tracking sys tems is important because More and More people arc moving to coastal locations Likely to be affected by storms. I spoke to about 5.000 people on the West coast of  sheets said. Ninety plus percent of them were from the Midwest or Northeast and had just come to Florida. They really have very Little concept of what a Hurricane  during the average Atlantic Hurricane season which stretches from june through the end of november six Tropi Cal storms will grow into hurricanes with heavy Rains and winds of 74 Mph. Donna in 1960. Struck the Florida keys at Marathon then raked across Naples and fort Myers before weakening Inland. Last season. 505 people died in Atlan tic hurricanes that included Gilbert and Joan. Gilbert killed More than 300 people and did heavy damage in Mexico Jamaica Haiti and the dominican Republic As it blasted across the the Western Caribbean and part of the Gulf of Mexico including the Florida keys the Florida Straits and Cuba. Joan hovered off the coast of Centra America for Days before howling in with top winds of 135 Mph. The storm cause mudslides floods and other damage in Nicaragua Costa Rica Colombia and Panama. Pm Anthrop of Hammer feed on 9isf birthday ids Angeles a about 550 guests Sang the praises of Armand i Lammer on the 91st birthday of the philanthropist and chairman of Occidental Petroleum corp. The party at the Beverly Hilton hotel on sunday Nigil included performances by the los Angeles Phil a harmonic with Cellis Mstislav Rostropovich and violinist Isaac a Lorn accompanied by baritone Sherill Milnes. Host Danny Thomas read congratulatory wires to Hammer from presi Dent and mrs. Bush soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir King Constantine of Greece the Duke and Duchess of York and French president fran i dammit Cois Mitterrand and his wife Danielle. The birthday Toast to Hammer was Given by enter Tainer Helen Hayes. Hammer had a crush on the actress 56 years ago. When i was 35 and you were much much younger he told her and the crowd. My dreams to create a meaningful peace in a world free of nuclear weapons and the defeat of cancer in my lifetime Are closer to reality than Ever be  Hammer said. The Bridge that was the Road ends abruptly and tragically at the great Miami River in Ohio where a temporary Bridge collapsed last week during heavy rain and flooding. As Many As four cars arc believed to have plunged into the swollen River near Miamitown when wooden supports that held the Roadway deck failed. News of Pilot s death ends lingering despair Lenox. Mass. Apr canc Etc Coakley waited 22b a its for the  news she Calls her Best Mother s i Jay Gilt Ever the re Assurance that her son died instantly when ins Jet crashed in Vietnam. Of. What a  said Coakley. 84. I just Felt 1might die and never know. Now i have  i he Long missing remains of Navy it. C mar. Wil Liam f., Oakley were to be buried tuesday with full military honors in a cemetery1 near the House his father Ami Grandfather built a half Century ago. The funerals Nuiji also Bury the fears of the family that for two deciles  not know the Pilot s Fate. Coakley. Wearing the pin that designates her a Gold Star Nietner. Said she Learned of her oldest son s Fate just wore Mother s Day. The remains were among 17sets  the defense department has positively identified since the vietnamese government turned them Over live months ago. I just had such tremendous Faith that god would answer my prayers she said last week while seated in he living room below a photo of her son with former presi Dent Lyndon Johnson and Johnson s wife. Lady Bard. William Coakley was 33 and on his 44th combat Mission when his skyhawk Jet went Down on sept. 13, 1966. Over the North Vietnam province of Thanh Hoa. His death came Only six weeks after his youngest brother was hit and killed by a Drunken Driver in their Hometown. Handsome and smart William graduated no. I in his class at a private Jesuit High school in 1953, reaped honors at holy Cross College and was sent by the Navy to earn a master s degree in political affairs at Harvard University according to his younger brother Robert now 51. He had the world the Way you d want  said Robert who Heads the guidance department at the local High school. As a Navy social aide William escorted actresses and socialites at while House parties from 1963 to 965, but gave up his prestigious Job to go to Vietnam. He fell it was t right that he was in the while House and his friends were out there fighting his Mother said. He returned to Vietnam after his brother s death although he could have stayed Home on compassionate leave. He would have been Back in Lenox in another three months and had decided to go to medical school. He knew what he was facing when he went Back to Vietnam because they were facing terrible terrible Odds up there Robert said. The Navy was very Short handed with  he said the Navy never Learned what caused the Jet to go Down. Another Pilot noticed it was off course and radioed to William to straighten out. The last thing he said was i m trying " i is brother said. Robert called the next two decades a Nightmare. The terrible uncertainty the lingering despair of no knowing Are feelings 1 cannot accurately describe he said in a speech five years ago. The uncertainty vanished with a forensic report from Navy officials last week. It s amazing what they can Tell said Robert who said he did not want to go into details to spare his Mother s feelings. The most comforting things to us were that no. I there s no question it was Bill and secondly he died