European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 30, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3 crisis in the Gulf former members of Field marshal Erwin Rommel a command reminisce about their desert experiences8 ly"aa0ll old so a vets from Rommel s command testify desert never changes by Peggy Davidson Kaiserslautern Bureau Pir Masens Germany a swarms of insects and scalding desert temperatures Arentt new problems for the . Army. Nearly 50 years ago . Troops along with German and British soldiers faced the same heat Sand and bugs that operation desert shield troops Are facing today. At a recent meeting of the Pir Masens Africa corps association More than a dozen former members of Field marshal Erwin Rommel a famed command offered advice and anecdotes for the american troops in saudi Arabia. A sanitation is going to be a big problem a said Karl Brill who was assigned to the 33rd Panzer reconnaissance unit from 1941 to 1943. The soldiers should work hard to maintain sanitary conditions to prevent illness Brill said. Several of the soldiers related tales of severe bouts of diarrhoea and dysentery caused by unsanitary conditions bad water and spoiled food. During the first year in Africa German soldiers who became sick were evacuated to cooler climates said Frank Miccio an american member of the association who qualified for membership because his american unit took part in the african Campaign. Soldiers who became sick later remained in Africa he added. Drinking plenty of water is the key to staying healthy in the desert said Rolf Landau who was assigned to Panzer regiment 8 of the 15th Panzer div. The German troops were provided with Only one liter of water each Day according to Landau or half what each Soldier needed to survive. To make up the deficit Rommel told his army to steal the supplies they needed from the British army. Water and other beverages weren to the Only supplies the germans acquired from the British. Herbert Schumacher from Panzer arty regt 15, proudly showed photographs of a British Coo stove he and his fellow soldiers had a a appropriated from a British unit and raved about the food delicacies they a picked up along the Way. Favourites of the German soldiers were Small peeled potatoes packed in cans of water and tins of milk. Occasionally German units bought White bread from the arabs to replace the hard moldy Black bread in their rations Miccio said. German rations also included dried fruits dried vegetables cheese in tubes and a canned meat. The meat was a combination of beef and mule meat and the cans were labelled with the letters a am a which the soldiers jokingly called a Salt Mann a or a old  German rations were wrapped in foil and spoiled soon after they were unwrapped. British rations were prize because they came in tins and stayed fresh. As today a troops Are discovering whatever the rations and whatever the army desert flies Are a plague. A you had to pick the flies off As you were putting the food in your Mouth a Miccio said while the others nodded m agreement. In the Middle of nowhere with no one in sight there were always flies. Gulf briefs so Oasis packages to be sent to Gulf troops Washington a amps a the Uso soon will ship 100,000 a Oasis packages to troops in saudi Arabia. The Small Blue Duffel bags Are stuffed with name Brand products such As powdered Coffee soft drinks pens playing cards snack foods Candy razors batteries paperback books and cassette tapes. Operation Oasis is a joint Effort of the Uso Philip Morris cos. And a number of other . Product manufacturers. A these products Are intended to provide a touch of Home to men and women of operation desert shield stationed in Remote areas with limited Access to life a Basic comforts a said Chapman Cox president of world Uso. Philip Morris has hired two Norfolk va., organizations military distributors of Virginia and a amp a sales co., to prepare the Duffel bags. The gifts will be shipped by military transport to saudi Arabia. Uso staff in the Middle East will work with local military personnel to coordinate delivery of the bags to troops in Forward areas.101 St airborne troops get double dose of ramp a Eastern saudi Arabia up the men and women of the 101st airborne div got a double dose of ramp a saturday night dancing in the Sands of the saudi desert. Rock a no Roll and rest and relaxation were paired for a concert by the units musicians the screaming Eagle band. There was no doubt about it a with troops coming up out of their seats and the More Forward women grabbing the hands of shy Guys and pulling them Forward to the dance floor a the concert was a hit. A a it a a Bright spot in an otherwise dim experience Here a said maj. Dewey Galius an Anaesthesiologist at the unit Hospital. A it was great. We just love it a said Rhonda Horrobin of Gadsden ala., who with Friend Dana Cassady of Pace fla., listened with Small . Flags tucked into the barrels of their m-16 rifles. Cassady took herbs out and waved it when the band performed country Star Lee Greenwood so god bless the .a.,�?� always a popular tune on the military circuit. Dancing is frowned on in saudi Arabia but there was no thought of that at the . Encampment where a Green plastic carpet was Laid Over the Sand for the band chairs and for dancing. The band broke Down into smaller units to Knock out some motown hits a such As Wilson Pickett s a Mustang Sally with an exuberant Call and response portion from the audience. At one Point an excited Corporal ran up and joined in by alternately pretending his m-16 was a microphone and a guitar doing a Chuck Berry a Duck walk across the stage to loud cheers. Members of the band when they Are not performing musical duties pull guard duty when command posts Are established away from their base Camp at an air base that cannot be identified. Is advised on do s and Don to in saudi land Washington a the Pentagon is advising . Troops to avoid discussions about the a jewish lobby with their saudi hosts. Also on a list of taboo subjects Are sensual commercials for perfume and lingerie. A the following items and topics should be avoided or handled carefully a according to a pamphlet written by the . Central come for distribution to some of the estimated 200,000 troops in and around saudi Arabia. At the top of the list of 15 a a sensitive items is a articles and stories showing .-israeli ties and  other strictures include discussion of a anti Arab demonstrations or Nti ments in the United states and of . Involvement in supporting  the Pentagon advises troops to carry the Booklet at All times. Also to be avoided it suggests is discussing or showing a sensual advertisements for perfume Blue jeans women a lingerie gambling alcohol Etc. Ads for pork or shellfish which Are forbidden by islam a other out of Bounds topics include a a discussing the a jewish lobby and . Intelligence Given to  a a referring to the Arab blacklisting of . Companies that do business with Israel or the Arab boycotting of companies that have Strong zionist representation in executive  the pamphlet has angered jewish groups. In a message to Secretary of state Dick Cheney the world jewish Congress said it wished to convey a your sense of distress at what appears to be a capitulation to bigotry and a surrender of our democratic  the letter from wac vice president Kalman Sultanik urges that the material be withdrawn from circulation. The american jewish committee also expressed to Cheney its a deep sense of Hurt and anger a and said that . Troops should not be asked to a submerge entirely those values of tolerance pluralism and open mindedness that have made the . A unique democratic  the Pentagon and state department mindful of the vast cultural Ana religious differences Between saudis and americans have issued a number of Bool dets setting out a a do a and done tsp since the troops began arriving in the persian Gulf in August. Most of the pamphlets include a Brief history of saudi Arabia and it monarchy and explanations of the Stric moslem code that governs saudi behave Lor. Alcohol is out for moslem and for foreign troops so is socializing with saudi women. Other guidelines for americans found in the pamphlets Are women should cover their legs and arms when out in Public women and men should not show affection in Public americans should not show the soles of their feet to a saudi by sitting with their legs propped on a table for example because the gesture is considered an insult americans  ask saudi men about their wives americans  offer their rations to saudis because they might contain pork which is forbidden by islam