European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 27, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Sas Jim Dof Hoin Loland Schneider holds a photo of his daughter Corin who was killed in the air show Accident. Mccanch joked during a Telephone one Asalion hoping to be reassigned eventually to West Germany the slightly built Mccanch said he would tend an air show again Only if i could make sure i was someplace sate like an armoured coping with pain and fear although a new baby daughter his Wile s support and a return to Church have helped his recovery Karl Heilig can t say that he s recovered trom the excruciating psychic and physical experiences left him by the Ramstein air show. I have problems with planes Hying overhead every so often. It makes me jumpy said Heilig. A soft spoken intense Man. Like when i m driving Home and a plane goes Over. If you can t see them you Don t know where they re at. It makes me nervous when i can t see physically Heilig s Burns have mended Well although to has limited movement and stiffness in one Arm when he extends it. The Blue jeans he decided to Wear that Day saved his legs from the Burns that covered the rest of his body. Memories of painful Burn treatments known As debridement the scrubbing away of the top layer of skin linger. So do recollections of his screams and those of other Burn patients they Lake off your skin Down to the Heilig said. At first they did t use enough painkiller. I told pm they had to give me some More or i was t doing it anymore or i was going some place else i just hollered and screamed and cried the first few Days. It was the worst pain you could Ever go through " Heilig received medication every three hours to Dull the pain i could Tell when every three hours was coming up without even having a watch he said. I thought about pain a but other memories remain equally Clear such As the thoughtfulness of schoolchildren and other Well wishers who sent cards and visited a neighbor recorded Many televised reports on the air show for him and his wife compiled a scrapbook of clippings on the disaster. He still looks at the collection occasionally believing he must Deal with the Hurt. What bothers him is the insensitivity of people he Calls vultures the Gawker who see his Burns and accost him to comment on their origin. You Lake it Swallow it Heilig said. And hell never again go to an air show. It s nothing against the military he says quickly or against a particular flying team. But it could happen anytime. It s not just that stunt team or that stunt. It s any kind of Pilot. You just never to took a deep breath. You just never help Long out after the Accident was do Tori naval s Way of testing her ability to master her nerves. Help for survivors by Deedee Arrington Doke Kaiserslautern bureaus he flu tag inferno seared the memories of spectators victims and health care workers alike. Some tear flying. Some grow anxious when they see air Rall flying overhead for others the recollections May Lead to nightmares or substance abuse. The people we re seeing now react very negatively to the seeming endless Litany of air Rall crashes said Cap. Kevin Mulligan chief of psychological services at the Ramstein a mental health clinic. Mental health professionals Call these responses Normal reactions to an abnormal in the weeks and months after the disaster a variety of mental health care services was made available to . Forces personnel and their families peaking the first week when up to 70 people a Day attended group sessions at the Ramstein clinic. Soon after the disaster a special team from Rhein main a also visited Ramstein s mental health care clinic to guide professionals there and to help other victims. During the anniversary weekend further assistance will be Given. The West German state of Homland Pfalz where the base is located the Catholic Church and the protestant Church Are paying for a three Day Retreat near Kaiserslautern. The Agenda includes Large and Small group discussions stress reduction and meditation the gathering of about 45 people is being led by or. Hartmut Yatzko and his wife Sybille a Counselor Hartmut Yatzko. A psychosomatic illness specialist in Kaiserslautern believes that response to the Ramstein disaster May Lay the groundwork in West Germany Lor greater acceptance of mental health treatment in other crisis situations. He said German officials failed to consider potential mental health care needs of victims and their families help must Start at the beginning you can t solve the problem when to u submerge emotions Yatzko said. One year alter we see now the help we have to give these people. We realize How much More we have to do to Cope with this even among americans mental health authorities Are concerned that not All people who needed psychological help received it. Mulligan fears thai aug enters workers who were thrown into emergency jobs suddenly May have escaped detection. You might have someone who usually works in finance and accounting who has augmented duly As a Security policeman Mulligan said there were so Many aug enters out there. Those Are the ones we had a Tough Lime getting even health care professionals were in need of mental care alter the disaster. At Lan Stuhl army regional medical Center or. Col Lewis Kurke said after the Accident thai stall members told him i keep smelling burned to help the staff the Hospital sol up counselling sessions with chaplains social workers and other trained personnel. The sessions allowed people to relive the experience and emotions of the Accident and share them with others who were having similar reactions said Kurke chief of psychiatry at the Hospital. Hearing other people s stories helps weave an individual s own experiences into an Overall Story so the memories Are less disruptive. One Hundred and filly people went through those sessions Kurke believes this is Why there Are no known reports of Hospital staff members suffering from emotional or psychiatric problems brought on by the. Accident. As a result of the air show disaster counselling sessions for staff members Are now included in the Hospital s mass casualty plan. Coral Bung 10 Ali report medical writer Jothi o ago Jno ,1989 the stars and stripes Page 15
