European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 17, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 17. 1990 the stars and stripes Page 9 Over Here s4s airy Milur Iii i42 a a i my a Petty officer 3rd class Sanford Crawford is Back aboard the Forrestal after being rescued by this sh-3ii sea King helicopter. Dumb mistake and 12 scary minutes  Bureau aboard the Forrestal Sanford Crawford made a Small mis take last month while working on the Carrier flight deck. A second later he was plummeting 65 feet toward the Waters of the Mediterranean. Crawford a Navy Petty officer third class had been performing last minute checks beneath an about to launch a 6b prowler aircraft when he goofed and was launched himself. The Toledo Ohio native came out of his Crouch below the aircraft a step too soon thinking he was Clear of the exhaust of the twin engine aircraft an electronic eavesdropper and signal Jammer. The miscalculation put him directly in the path of the Jet blast Only 18 inches from the business end of the engine. Fortunately the Jet was idling. Its hot Blas blistered Crawford s neck Only slightly As it blew him Over the Side. I realized immediately that i d made a dumb mistake but i did t realize its consequences until 1 was falling through the air and looking up at the  said the36-year-old father of four. Crawford bounced Ofta steel safety rail on the forr Celal s Stern before Starling his fall. The railing bruised his Rump and May have knocked the wind out of him. I Don t remember hitting the water he said. In the Daylight the Carrier s Wake is a froth of Blue and while beaten by the Carrier s quartet of five bladed propellers. Carrier sailors fear being blown off the flight deck not such a rare occurrence and being sucked into the giant propel lers. Crawford though said he was pushed away from the ship by its Wake. I guess it s a myth that the props will suck you in and chop you up like tuna fish he said. Nevertheless Crawford was in deep trouble. His steel toed boots and heavy clothing kept him from rising to the sur face. I was tumbling around under the water and was really scared i said Jesus help me out of this and he led me  Crawford helped himself by pulling a lanyard to inflate his life Vest. He popped to the surface desperate for breath. "1 did t Sec the ship but i was t looking for it. I was Only trying to  help already was on the Way. The Pilot of an a-6e intruder bomber on the High deck had seen Crawford blown off the ship and had radioed the Man overboard alarm. A sh-3h sea King helicopter piloted by it. Tom Fitzgerald. 26, from Washington was just about to lift off As Crawford went into the drink. It look a minute for the ship to come into the wind. People aboard ship had spotted Crawford and had marked his position with smoke flares said it. Baxter goodly 26, the co Pilot on that Mission. We had to make two passes Over the area before we could spot Crawford in the 6-foot seas. He pretty much looked like a floating trash bag when we finally spotted him from an Altitude of about 100 feet. We descended to 15 feet and jumped our Rescue  said goodly a resident of Lake Charles la. It was Petty officer 3rd class Dennis Bernard s first Rescue. My adrenaline got flowing real Quick. Crawford was conscious passive and cooperative but it took me about two minutes to get him into the horse Collar and ready for  raid Ber Nard. 20, from Hallboro a. Operating the hoist was Petty officer2nd class Jim Zobrosky 22. From Ben Lomond. Calif. Crawford went into the water at 9 . The Helo had him Back on Forres Tal s deck 12 minutes later. He was bruised and had a mild Case of hypothermia from the 63-Degrec tempera Ture of the sea. Four Days later Crawford was Back at work trouble shooting aircraft on the flight deck. I wondered whether i would be apprehensive Crawford said. I looked Down at the water laughed and said i m glad i m Back up Here " visit shows Cheney very hostile n. Korea Gong Jak observation Post South Korea a Secretary of defense Dick Cheney peered through binoculars into heavily fortified North Korea on Friday and said the experience underlined Ameri Ca s determination to protect Freedom and democracy around the world. At a time when we Are welcoming changes in East Ern Europe and the erosion of the soviet position in the Warsaw pact it s important to be reminded that the United states and the Republic of South Korea still face a very hostile and threatening Power in the  Cheney said. He was driven up Steep Muddy slopes by jeep to this Mountaintop South korean army observation Post along the 2vi-mile-wide demilitarized zone which separates communist North Korea from the capitalist South. The Border Between the two Korea is one of the most heavily armed in the world and some 1.5 million troops keep watch behind barbed wire and bunkers on both sides. South korean it. Col. Chang Gwang in told Cheney that Gong Jak overlooked the Chorion Valley one of the main invasion routes used by the North at the Start of the 1950-53 korean War. A peace treaty has never been signed and the two nations remain technically at War. Chang said Cheney was visiting the site on the birth Day of Kim Jong ii the son and heir apparent of North korean ruler Kim ii Sung the world s longest ruling communist dictator. We never forget that we fought Here Side by Side. We re ready to fight the South korean colonel said. Cheney was flown to the Border outpost by helicopter after lunching with . Troops of the 2nd inf div. Dense fog forced him to cancel a visit to Panmunjom. The truce Village on the Border of the two Korea. The North and South have been divided since 1945. During his visit to Camp Casey Headquarters of the 2nd inf univ located 35 Miles Northeast of Seoul Che Ney passed dozens of tanks bunkers and guard Post covered with camouflage buildings painted in speckled Olive and Brown and soldiers in full dress Battle fatigues. Cheney reportedly asked to have an informal lunch with 12 noncommissioned officers with no generals  the special fare for the Day at Camp Casey s Warrior s club was a Secretary of defense Turkey club  Cheney explained the background of cuts in troop strength and defense spending to senior enlisted Menand asked for their comments one witness said. There Are 43.000 . Troops stationed in South Korea under a Mutual defense pact. Us. Officials said thursday about 5,000 arc expected to be withdrawn in the next three years. The Secretary told Seoul officials earlier that he wanted to Cut . Forces in Asia and the Pacific by 10 to 12 percent at least 12,000 troops Over the next three years. He said about 5,000 of the troops would be pulled out of South Korea and and Thor 7,000 to 9,400 would be withdrawn from the Philippines and Japan. There Are 120,000 . Troops based in the three countries. Cheney who will also travel to Manila and Tokyo said the troop cuts in South Korea would not be pushed  our commitment remains Strong Cheney said thursday. At a meeting with South korean president Roh tac woo on thursday Cheney reaffirmed Washington s Security commitment to Seoul and warned that the military threat from North Korea remains Undiemi  on thursday North Korea charged that Cheney was in the Region to observe South korean preparations for War against the North. In a radio broadcast monitored in Tokyo. North Korea also demanded a halt to .-South Korea team spirit military exercises under Way since Las month calling them nuclear War preparations against the North. At a news conference thursday South korean de sense minister Lee Sang Hoon said his government would give positive consideration to increasing its support for the . Troops. An american official speaking on condition of anonymity said Cheney wanted Seoul to double its $300 million annual contribution to the support of Ameri can forces. The official said Many of the details would not be worked out until fall. South Korea estimates it provides nearly $2 billion annually to . Forces such As the rent free use of land that is not counted in the american calculation