European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Home More a Kim Rowley guest columnist its funny How being so Many mites from Home has made me appreciate some of life a most simple pleasures. Pleasures i d taken for granted until a few months ago. Take Yards for instance. As i peer Down onto the Asphalt Street in front of our German apartment i can to help but picture How wonderful it would be 1o sit on the swing in my parents Yard and watch traffic go by. Home for me is Bolivar tcnn., a town about 70 Miles cast of Mem Phis. Population a 7,000. Favorite pastimes a visiting Granny and papa on weekends eating and sitting in the Yard and watching traffic go by. Here in Mai Bronn a Village just North of Wurzburg my husband and i have no Yard. We have a Balcony from which we look at our neighbors Yards. Perhaps you say Lawn where you re from when i was a Little girl 1 would hop on my banana Scal bicycle with its White Wicker Basket attached to the handlebars and ride around in circles in the front Yard. Meanwhile mom dad friends and family would pull up Lawn chairs under a Shade tree and sip iced Tea and Shell purple Hull peas just picked from the Garden. As a kid 1 grew bored just sitting there and i sure hated shelling peas. My momus not going to believe this but i d be glad to Shell some peas right now or shuck com for that matter. The smell of Ripe vegetables and freshly Cut grass would be a Welcome and familiar Aroma. The germans have Beautiful Flower gardens decorated in vibrant col ors. They be made me miss the Pink and White azaleas that Bloom faithfully in front of my parents House. I see roses Here and think of the Rose Bush Back Home and the roses my father picks from it every year to place on my grandfathers grave. The germans Yards in my neighbourhood Are Small compared to the wide open spaces where i played As a child. There does no to look like much room to run and Romp around. Our neighbors daughter who looks about 4 years old rides her bicycle in the Street. She reminds me of myself 20 years ago As she rides in circles singing and chanting to herself. Perhaps this All sounds corny me getting this excited about having a Yard and a Garden. But these thoughts have reminded me that its not just the malls television shows and 24-hour convenience stores that i miss. Its those simple moments i shared with my family that i never appreciated until now. Kim Rowley is a military family member living in Mai Bronn West Germany. The secret weapon Dennis Anderson guest columnist id you Ever wonder if the air Force consid i ered bats in the development of the stealth fighter think about it. Bats use radar to detect the presence of objects in front of them and the stealth fighter is designed to be invisible to radar. Common sense says we could have a serious Bat problem. Allow yourself to imagine an unpleasant scene an innocent flying rodent soaring through the Southern California skies gorging himself on Mediterranean fruit flies. All Clear in front. Or so he believes. Then All of a sudden he is obliterated in an unforeseen head on collision with a multimillion Dollar example of the finest our military Industrial Complex can Crank out. Holy guano think of the bad publicity which of course military generals like about As much As the surgeon general likes filter less cigarettes. Now Alt this is just pure speculation on my part. There might not be a problem at All. To find out for sure the air Force needs to run a Bat test. Codename crusted crepe Sicular look it up. My proposal is to run a Squadron of stealth fighters Over Carlsbad caverns at dusk just when we should have maximum by Bat density. No need to inform the Public in Advance just Fly. When the jets get Back Home airmen can Check the aircraft for by Bat damage. If there is none they can then triumphantly report to the worlds Bat lovers both of them that the Pentagon Ever thinking has anticipated the potential for by Bat danger and has thoroughly checked it out. The Happy results can be exploited As a shining example of the Pentagon s commitment to wildlife. If bats Are As i suspect indeed sacrificed the air Force can merely never report the test and laugh off the very suggestion of one. Of course in a future world War the caverns would have to go undefended. And if the pilots miss Carlsbad caverns completely they need not Tell anyone not even the Secretary of defense. After All Why change now they can Tell him a a done to get excited sir its nothing to make a by out  capt. Dennis r a Anderson is assigned to the a Headquarters of the 32nd army air defense come Darmstadt West Germany. Feedback what was your favorite duty station and Why staff sgt. Roger White 7241st All group Izmir Turkey 1 loved Thessaloniki Greece. The beaches were very close and the whole area has a lot to offer in cultural and work experiences. 1 ended my Lour by getting married to a greek woman. Master sgt. Henrietta Jones Ankara air station Turkey Clark a in the Philippines from 1975 10 1977. Modernization was just beginning to take place. Being overseas has broadened my horizons. I be been to 32 countries pretty Good on a poor person s pay. Sgt. 1st class Bruce Hill he co Vii corps Stuttgart West Germany fort Hua Chuca Ariz. Its part of the last Frontier its the old West. Tombstone is close by Tucson offers a lot and Nogales Mexico is Only 30 Miles away. Everyone should experience Nogales. Tech sgt. Myron Higgins 7241st a group Izmir Turkey eight years at Randolph fab near san Antonio Texas. I was a Volunteer emergency medical technician for the local Community and involved in a program called. Quot we love our country Job and air  it made Tor an exciting tour. Lisa Lough family member living in Heidelberg West Germany Heidelberg Beautiful Heidelberg a Beautiful German City with wonderful american facilities. Its a great place to be. Compiled by stars and stripes staff Page 4 c sunday july 15. 1990