European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 2, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and stripes tuesday october 2,1990allies roles come full Circle in 45 years Byke Clauson staff writer Berlin when col. Prank Howley and his men camped in berlins Grunewald Forest the night of july 1, 1945, they had already got a taste of what would become bitter relations Between the soviets and the other three occupation governments. The Day before Howley had attempted to enter the City with 500 soldiers to begin the american occupation of its assigned sector of the City. But soviet troops outside the City refused to allow the entire group to pass and reduced the number to 37 officers and 175 enlisted men. Four Power administration had begun acrimonious by and got steadily worse. The american British French and soviet governments had agreed that postwar Germany would be administered by an Allied control Council and that Berlin would be administered by an Allied Komman Datura. The soviets abandoned both of these relatively Short lived four Power bodies setting an Early direction to the next four decades of German history. The role of the allies in the three Western sectors quickly changed from occupiers to defenders. Three years after they moved in the Berlin blockade forced them to launch the Airlift flying tons of food and Coal into the Western half of the City. It was the first test of their resolve to stay in the City but it would not be the last. Access to West Berlin remained a sensitive Issue for years the four Power occupation agreements did not address or specifically guarantee it a the Western Al news update lies assumed that Access was naturally part of their occupation rights. Periodically through the 1950s and 1960s, the soviets stopped or slowed traffic on the Helmstedt Berlin autobahn corridor and rail line and at times harassed Allied flights in the air corridors. Each time the allies protested vehemently and the soviets backed off. Restricting Access to Berlin was an easy Way for the soviets to get the Western allies attention. By the late 1950s, the East West division of Germany and Berlin was nearly Complete. In 1955, East Germany became part of the Warsaw pact and West Germany a member of nato. In 1958, soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev gave the Western allies an ultimatum to leave Berlin within six months or the soviets would sign a separate peace treaty with the East germans and turn Over All matters concerning Berlin including Access to the East German government. East Berlin was already the capital of East Germany but the soviets insisted that West Berlin was an Independent political entity and that the Western allies rights of occupation were no longer valid. There was some disagreement within the Allied governments about How to respond to the soviet demands. Some politicians thought that West Berlin was not Worth fighting for. Khrushchev himself said it was not Worth starting a War Over. Ultimately the allies stood fast and the soviets quietly let their deadline pass. The Border Between East and West Germany had Long been sealed by 1961, but West Berlin still was a very wide Gateway to the West. On aug. 13, 1961, the East germans sealed that Gate with Miles of barbed wire later reinforced by Concrete Brick machine guns mines armed guards and dogs. The Western allies were caught off guard when the Berlin Wall was built and they did Little but protest and watch. The debate continues As to whether Allied sol diets could have immediately halted the Walls construct Tion. The american Garrison had already shrunk to about 6,000 soldiers and the British and French garrisons combined totalled about the same number. Quot Gen. Lucius d. Clay the former american military governor in Berlin returned to Berlin in 1961 As Ftp Slouf Trutlin 1?  a a la a. West berliners that they were not going to be abandoned but their physical isolation was Complete. Ten years later political frictions Over the status of West Berlin were eased with the signing of the quadripartite agreements. West berlins link to West Germany was confined and rights and Means of Access were regulated. Now 45 years after Howley slept in the Woods the americans Are beginning to leave. On monday the  come in Berlin was deactivated and the . Commandant maj. Gen. Raymond e. Haddock is out of a Job. The Allied soldiers will remain in Berlin a at reduced numbers a for a few years since their Complete withdrawal is tied to the soviet pullout from East Germany. The american Garrison now numbers about 6,400 soldiers and airmen. The 4th in 502nd inf regt is due to be pulled out in March As part of the Overall troop reductions in  ordered to pay san Juan puerto Rico a a Federal jury has ordered a manufacturer of room partitions to pay $5.1 million in connection with a 1986 new years eve arson fire that killed 97 hotel guests. The . District court jury found air Wall inc. Guilty of nine counts of negligence and 10 counts of failure to warn users about possible hazards associated with its foam filled dividers at the Dupont Plaza hotel. It was not immediately Clear what potential hazards were cited by the jury which decided the Walls contributed to the fast moving fire. The arson caused Blaze was linked to a labor dispute in puerto Rico a most populous City. In a separate trial three former hotel employees were convicted of murder in 1987 for setting the fire to pressure management to give in to Union demands. However the Union which has denied responsibility says the men acted independently. Village outside West Berlin says thanks Farewell to americans Berlin apr the Village of Stein stricken just beyond the southwestern City limits of West Berlin is Only a Small footnote to the cold War Era. But it looms Large As a Monument to German american Friendship. That Friendship was celebrated saturday As Village residents turned out to say thanks and Farewell to the american soldiers who were their lifeline to the West. After world War ii the Community of 200 people became part of West Berlin and fell under the american sector. But when the Berlin Wall went up the Village was Cut off from the Metropolis by a narrow strip of East German territory. Only one Road link was open. Strict controls hampered residents on trips to Berlin. Villagers feared there would be a total blockade. That did no to happen a thanks to the americans. . Military officials posted military police in the Village and american helicopters made Supply flights. Those flights ended in 1972 sifter East West relations improved but the . Army aviation unit that flew the route kept up ties with Stein stricken. The Farewell gathering held in a sunny Poplar Grove did no to feature any brass bands or elaborate ceremonies. The people of Stein stricken brought Home baked cakes and pies. Children clustered around maj. Gen. Raymond e. Haddock commander of . Forces in West Berlin As he handed out badges that said a Deutsch amerika Nische Freund schafts a German Ameri can Friendship. A we must protect this German Ameri can Friendship and Widen it in the fixture a said the Village s mayor Jurgen Klemann. It is a theme that has been often expressed in the final Days before the unification of East and West Germany on wednesday. Commentators warn that the present peaceful course of events and Germany a allegiance to the Western nato Alliance could change if the United states turned to isolationism and the germans turned to anti americanism. The residents of Stein stricken believe they owe their Western Standard of living a and their freedoms a to american Protection. But not All West germans share their View. Will future generations of germans remember the missile disputes and the earsplitting Low level training flights of the . Air Force or will they remember the 1948-49 Berlin Airlift and the special attention paid to Stein stricken Haddock said in his Farewell speech that a we have an obligation to keep alive the memory of the Airlift and the chapter of history written in Stein stricken. A Tor they indicate the Points at which the history of Germany and the United states of America was a common one a he  names 2 pilots killed in f-15 crash in saudi Arabia a two . Air Force pilots killed in the crash of their f-15 fighter Jet in saudi Arabia were identified by officials monday As maj. Freter s. Hook 36, of Bishop Calif., and capt. James Poulet 34, of san Carlos military Border Liaison offices shut Down Freter s. Hook 36, of Bishop Calif., and it James Poulet 34, of it Calif. The . Military command said the f-15 was on a a routine Low level training Mission Quot on sunday when it crashed in the a Southern arabian  Nurnberg West Germany a amps a five american Border Liaison offices along the fast dissolving East West German Border closed monday according to army officials. Border resident offices As they Are also called ceased operations at Coburg Kro Nach Hof Weiden and Cham Saia Winf ried Blumel a spokesman for the 2nd army Cav regt. The closure is another step in the removal of the american military presence from what was once a heavily guarded and fortified Border the regiment ceased regular Border patrols at the end of december. Each resident office had been manned by a handful of army specialists who spoke fluent German and worked in civilian clothes. The soldiers served As a . Army Liaison for German Border and customs officials. They also acted As a Point of Contact for local German officials. Since 1951, they reported such things As Border incidents and Man Euver damage Back to the american units Blumel said. Since 1981, they have been under the operational control of 2nd army Cav regt which did military Border surveillance in the Vii corps sector. Walter Nebgen a spokesman for v corps would not comment on the status of Border resident offices operated by the 11th army Cav regt at bad Hersfeldt Fulda and bad Neustadt. The command gave no details concerning the cause of the crash but said it was being investigated by a Board of  an article yesterday incorrectly said that the two f-15 Crew members killed in sundays crash were the first air Force Fri embers to die in saudi Arabia. An air Force staff sergeant was killed aug. 12 Wien he was hit by a military truck on a darkened runway. . Closes Liaison Mission in e. Germany Heidelberg West Germany Gen. Crosbie Saint commander of the . Army Europe on monday shut Down the . Military Liaison Mission in East Germany. The . Observer Post in Potsdam was established under a 1947 Accord. Under the pact the Western allies and the soviets have offices in each others occupied zones of Germany to Monitor each sides installations and activities. The soviets operate three missions in West Germany. Britain and France also maintain missions in East Germany. It was not known monday whether the other countries also planned to inactivate their missions which each employ 14 service members. The cold War relationship Between soviet and . Observers at the missions was not without incident. In March 1985, a soviet sentry shot and killed an unarmed . Army major who was assigned to the Mission in Potsdam. Arthur d. Nicholson or. Was left to die without medical Aid and the soviets later said he had been a caught red handed taking pictures in a restricted area. Three years later the soviet Union apologized to the United states for the incident