European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a a the stars and stripes wednesday june 13. 1990 missionary Johnny Connelly holds his 2-year-old son Josiah while Connelly a wife Janice holds Josiah a Teddy Bear As the family arrives monday at Charleston Airport after an evacuation flight from Liberia. Hundreds who fled Liberia arrive at Charleston Airport Charleston . Apr hundreds of . Citizens returned to America on monday after fleeing War torn Liberia where rebels Are trying to topple the government of president Samuel k. Doe. A it feels wonderful. It feels great to be Back in the United states said the Rev. Henry Hungerpiller a 69-year-old Orangeburg native who has served As a missionary in Liberia for 35 years. The evacuees urged by the . Government to leave the West african nation because of warfare flew on sunday from the capital of Monrovia Liberia to Abidjan capital of neighbouring Ivory coast. They transferred to an american trans air chartered flight and arrived at Charleston International Airport at 12 25 . At least 170 of the 349 passengers were children Many of whom received stuffed animals from salvation army workers at the Charleston Airport. Many evacuees declined to talk to reporters apparently concerned about the effect on friends in Liberia or their chances to return. But those who did speak said fighting was intense and Many appeared thankful to be out of the country. A most of the people in Monrovia Are very much afraid a Hungerpiller said. A we did no to see any fighting but they were getting closer and closer All the  Hungerpiller worked at a Bible school of about reporters help Bush celebrate 66th birthday Washington apr president Bush turned 66 on tuesday and several reporters trooped into the Cabinet room wearing children a birthday hats in Honor of the occasion. They were rewarded with laughter and applause from Bush and the Republican congressional leaders with whom he was meeting. The lawmakers had already burst into a chorus of a Happy birthday As the first wave of Media representatives entered the room. A a it a a vast improvement a a smiling president told the reporters in the silly hats. He then gave them a birthday present by waiving his Rule against answering questions at these so called photo opportunities. There was one catch. A Only those wearing hats get their questions answered a he said. Bush said he did not know if soviet 600 students 12 Miles outside the capital until it was shuttered because of the fighting. Conditions in Liberia Are a terrible. There is fighting All Over a said Solon de Joachim an educator and businessman in route to new York with two sons and two daughters to meet his wife and five other children. Johnny Connelly a 26-year-old missionary from Madison ga., said Basic necessities in Liberia were in Short Supply before he fled with his wife Janice and their 2-year-old son Josiah. A a it a very tense. Commodities Are running Short. Rice is disappearing and  is disappearing a Connelly said. State department spokesman Jay Rini said there Are no plans for additional flights from Liberia to Charleston. The evacuees were flown to Charleston because local authorities have experience handling similar situations Rini said. In 1983, american College students were evacuated to Charleston following the . Invasion of Grenada and last Spring military dependents from Panama were evacuated through Charleston. In Liberia on monday peace talks Between government and rebel negotiators aimed at ending the civil War stalled As rebel officials had difficulty getting their negotiators to the site in neighbouring Sierra Leone. Of Kansas Waves a Flag As he joins gop leaders in singing a Happy birthday to president Bush. At right is sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming. President Mikhail s. Gorbachev had sent him a birthday card. But he added diplomatically a a in be got to be careful. He May Well have sent  Bush was being feted with a ceremony tuesday night at a Black tie gop fund raising event in his Honor the annual presidents dinner at the Washington convention Center. Some 4,000 guests were paying $1,500 apiece to attend the event expected to raise several million dollars for Senate and House gop candidates. Cuts will harm service members Cheney says by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a military personnel not Tiai face Quot great violence at the hands of congressional. S cutters defense Secretary Dick Cheney tuesday 8 1 a if Congress does in fact take Down the budget Beix what the president has recommended i think we re e0� to do a lot of damage to the Force a Cheney said his remarks came during his final appearance in Capitol Hill before lawmakers begin dissecting next year s $295 billion Pentagon budget request. Chenev implored members of the Senate appropriations he sense subcommittee to View 1991 As a a transitional year for military  half of the Money requested for fiscal year 1991 is for manpower or related spending Chenev said. 3 there is a no compelling military justification Quot for the deep cuts being discussed on Capitol Hill he said the spending ceiling in the House budget plan would Force the Pentagon to Cut More than 100 000 service members beyond the recommendations in the presidents budget Cheney estimated while the Senate budget proposal would go even deeper. A a you re talking about cutting 140,000 uniformed personnel next year a he said. A some of that can be handled through attrition but Only part of it. That Means we have to throw people out on the Street freeze promotions reduce pcs moves transfers. A a we would end up doing great violence to our most important asset our people a he said. Cheney has taken a combative stance in recent months with his former colleagues whom he has criticized for advocating deep cuts without offering specifics. Although he started to strike a More conciliatory tone in the Senate hearing he reverted to a favorite theme what he sees As a tendency by lawmakers to restore funding for the programs he targets for cuts a every time i Cut something out of the budget it gets put Back in some Way or another a Cheney complained citing the v-22 Osprey tilt Rotor aircraft. A an environment where we re talking about having to Lay off 140,000 service members next year is not a very Good environment to scrape up $26 billion for an aircraft whose Mission can be handled through other Means a he said. The framework of the 1991 budget request was created before the sweeping changes in Eastern Europe and the soviet Union but Cheney said the Pentagon has revised the request to begin reflecting those changes. A it does in fact begin to embody the kinds of changes that we think Are appropriate in our forces Given those changes that have occurred in Eastern Europe a he said. A but this is a transitional budget a he said. A the 1992-97 package that is now in preparation will to a much larger extent embody our Long Range plans and  leak in shuttle being repaired Cape canaveral Fla. A Columbia returned to a hangar tuesday for repair of a Hydrogen leak that will ground the space shuttle until August Nasa started rolling Columbia off the launch pad before Daybreak. The shuttle completed the 3�?~/2-mile trip nearly six hours later. Columbia was to be secured on a Pedestal and Access platforms were to be placed around the shuttle said Agency spokesman George Diller. Columbian a flight with the $150 million Astro Observatory was called off two weeks ago when the leak was detected during fueling. Nasa officials suspect the leak is in or near a tight cavity Between two Metal plates that connect the orbiter and the external fuel tank. The tank will have to be disconnected a Job that can Only be done at the hangar. Atlantis is scheduled to be taken from the hangar to the launch pad on saturday for a secret military Mission next month