European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday september 23, 1990 the stars and Stripe crisis in the Gulf musical gis not forgotten by Uso donor by Gary Pomeroy staff writer the Uso has received a lot of different items from people in support of operation desert shield but an Anonymous German woman made the most unusual contribution to Date 15 Harmonicas. The woman called the Uso office at the Frankfurt shopping Center and was instructed to leave the items with the guards at the Entrance. A she said she wanted to give something different a said Jim fran son director of the Frankfurt Uso. A i did no to even get her those Harmonicas Are among a staggering number of items donated through the Uso and various military units to soldiers passing through Rhein main a on the Way to or from operation desert shield. Franson estimated that about 5,000 Marks Worth of 10 pfennig pieces have been donated mainly by military units. The bulk of the coins Are kept in a a huge can at the Rhein main tent City so soldiers can use them for phone Calls Franson said. There Are a few at amp to calling card phones in the tent and some Bunde Spost lines nearby Franson said. A Many of the soldiers passing through were stationed Here in the past few months and still have friends in the area a he said. A if lines Are too Long at at amp to they can also use pfennig to make collect Calls to the Reading material is a High priority for the soldiers and they have not been disappointed with the tent City a Book collection. A we have easily gone through 100,000 books a Franson said. A the books Are there for them to take. Most Are taking two or aside from Reading material soldiers have been Able to Brush up on their Dart throwing skills on Dart boards supplied by Marlboro cigarettes. The company has also supplied 4,000 decks of cards 3,000 shaving bags and a thousands and thousands of Ink pens a Franson said. The Uso logo has become synonymous with free food and the tent City is no exception. Franson estimates that the 30,000 guests of the tent City have scarfed Down 750,000 homemade cookies since it opened aug. 12. And the Rhein main commissary has supplied Day old bread to make 5,000 sandwiches from luncheon meat supplied by the red Cross. There seven satellite television Courtesy of morale welfare and recreation Franson said. About the Only commodities that the tent City needs Are envelopes writing paper a and volunteers. A i tried to work alone but two people Are needed a Franson said. A a it a become my second the tent City is staffed around the clock by Uso volunteers from Hanau Wiesbaden Mannheim Baum older Darmstadt and Frankfurt. Franson said potential volunteers should Contact the Uso first. But if they show up at the tent City a a we re not going to turn them away a he said. What a coming Down in Gulf one of the oddest aircraft in the military a Arsenal is the av-8b. The Jet was Landing Friday aboard the amphibious chaplain adapt with by Vince Crawley staff writer with the 20th engr brigade in saudi Arabia a Christian chaplains usually sew crosses on the camouflage covers of their helmets but chaplain John Shedd uses velcro. A in the compound i can put it on a said Shedd 35, an army Captain and a presbyterian minister. A but when we have any Chance of Contact with our Quot saudi hosts i done to want to offend so his crosses Are removable. Shedd a unit the 27th engr in from fort Bragg n.c., was just arriving in saudi Arabia on Friday morning and men in arabian Robes were All around them at the air base. Therefore Shedd kept his crosses out of sight in his top right pocket. His unit belongs to the 20th engr brigade but Shedd said his Mission is More spiritual than just looking after the menus morale. A a in a not a morale officer a said Shedd assault ship Nassau which is cruising the Gulf of Oman As part of operation desert shield. The harrier which takes off and who originally is from California. A a in a Here because i allegedly have a slice of the bigger picture and i can help keep Peoples feet on the tie fort Bragg combat engineers had just touched their feet to saudi Sand that morning and they did no to know that a contrary to Advance reports a the desert was relatively Cool. For the first time in a month a thin Sheet of Cloud veiled the Sun slightly diffusing the shadows. A pretty soon Well be playing poker for quarts of water a a Soldier joked As he boarded his bus for parts unknown. A you know there a no gambling in this country a a Stony faced platoon sergeant snapped. The sergeant was sgt. 1st class Steve Mcquarrie 31, of Oakland calif., and he said his troops had been a thoroughly briefed on How to behave in saudi Arabia. Mcquarrie said he likes being a combat Engineer because its a an intriguing Job. Jack of All trades master of a lands vertically was designed to support ground troops and carries guided missiles or conventional ordnance. Cross ways a we can do everything a he said. We re Good at building things laying minefields taking minefields out blowing things up and Community not Long ago his men spent three months in Central America building an Airstrip in Honduras. So hot weather should be nothing new to them he said. Spec. Jamil Massengill agreed. A a it a something like Honduras a the 25-year-old from Salem n.j., said. A most of us Are basically used to this. The Only difference Here i think is the Honduras he said is drier. Jamil Means a a Beautiful in classical arabic and Massengill said he has an islamic name a Jamil Atullah. His father he explained a is into Massengill however ended up with his mothers protestant Faith. First sgt. Johnny Joyner 39, of the battalions co a said that in the years to come his men would be Able to Tell their children and grandchildren about their desert lets Gulf marines take courses Syracuse . Up1 Syracuse University is offering marines in the Middle East a Chance to continue their education while participating in operation desert shield a military official has announced. Under an agreement with the Marine corps the University will offer correspondence courses to service members in the persian Gulf said Rusty Schmitt the corps coordinator of education services for opera Tion desert shield. The eight Independent study courses Are intended to give a Broad orientation to the historical political religious and other traditions of the strife torn Region. The courses also include an introduction to astronomy a for service members eager to know More about the starry desert skies a and elementary concepts of mathematics. Schmitt estimated that 1,500 marines will enrol. A such Independent study is intended to enable troops to make constructive use of free time while stationed in this Remote location and continue their education a he said. Each self contained course will be delivered in special packets designed to withstand Field conditions in Remote locations University official Linda Kristensen said. The so called front line program is scheduled to begin in late october. Officers and enlisted personnel will have a year to Complete the course work and earn Syracuse University credits while stationed in the Middle East Schmitt this saudis use Indian numbers an article last week in the stars and stripes incorrectly said that the numbers used in saudi Arabia Are arabic. Actually As several Sharp eyed readers pointed out arabic numbers Are those used in the West and much of the rest of the world. Saudi Arabia uses what Are called Indian numbers. India by the Way uses arabic numbers. Go figure. And his velcro troops to saudi a
