European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and Stripe thursday november 15,1990life insurance no longer ensure firms limiting or refusing policies for Gulf troops by Randy Mcclain financial writer Frankfurt Germany a sgt. 1st class Matt Lorimer figured it would be a simple matter to double his life insurance coverage before shipping out for the persian Gulf with the 3rd army div in coming weeks. He figured wrong. Lorimer a 32-year-old husband and father of one eventually obtained a new $100,000 policy from the National Western life insurance co. But that Only became necessary after Prudential a company with which Lorimer had Long done business walked at increasing the value of his 6-year-old $50,000 policy. Quot it was like a slap in the face a said Lorimer who lives with his wife Birgit and 2-year-old daughter Sarah in a suburb North of Frankfurt. Quot i know business is business but its just hard to believe at a time when american soldiers Are going Down Range that american companies would abandon them a he said. Lorimer an artillerymen by Trade is not alone. Hundreds of . Service members bound for duty and perhaps wat in the persian Gulf Are scrambling to find american insurance companies in Germany still willing to write policies for them. Since Early september a majority of insurance firms operating overseas have either ruled out writing policies for service members altogether or have placed strict limits on the coverage amounts they re willing to Supply. American general corp. Of Houston for example will write no More than $100,000 Worth of coverage for soldiers in ranks e-5 and above $65,000 for e-4s and no More than $60,000 for e-3s. Other big companies including itt life insurance of Minneapolis John Hancock and Prudential Are declining to write policies for service members on Alert for Gulf duty unless the customer is willing to buy a policy that includes a a War  that clause Means death benefits will not be paid if the policyholder is killed in armed conflict. For most soldiers buying such a policy would defeat the purpose of getting life insurance in the first place. The strict rules Are creating headaches for service members trying to put their affairs in order in the Days before shipping out. But ironically the Tough underwriting standards imposed by some insurance companies Are proving to be a Blessing for the handful of firms still writing military business for All Comers. A my agents Are swamped a said Johnnie Walker who represents National Western life an Austin Texas based firm in Germany. A the Pace picked up about a week ago when they put six units Here in Kitzinger on Alert. Some have been told they la be gone by  Walker said his firm takes Pride a in the fact that we Are not deserting a Market that we be been Active in far  a he said Many customers Are coming to his office upset and with High Levels of anxiety. Quot we really have people panicking dependent wives with tears in their eyes coming Down Here saying what should i do its just tougher to get insurance now Quot a. Said. A some companies have pulled in their  Walker and several other insurance agents who Are continuing to solicit military clients said their business has increased 30 percent to 50 percent in recent Days and the Pace continues to increase. Raymond Marshall european director for american National insurance co. Of Galveston Texas said his firm is doing a land office business. A we Are actually getting More activity a he said. A and in the insurance business its a Little unusual when people Call  american National is putting a limit of $100,000 to $150,000 of insurance on new policies for servicemen Bers depending on their rank. But Marshall said that s enough for most clients. A your position is that the clients have been with us in Good times and we want to stick with them in the bad a he said. A Marshall added that american National May re evaluate its insurance sales policy if a shooting War started. News updates .-Iran relations Washington a president Bush has extended the state of emergency with Iran stemming from its 1979 seizure of the . Embassy and american hostages in Tehran Iran. Iran seized the . Embassy in Tehran on nov. 4, 1979. Former president Carter declared a state of National emergency with Iran 10 Days later allowing the . Government to freeze iranian assets and impose other economic sanctions. The last of the remaining 52 hostages were released by Iran on Jan 20, 1981, just after president Reagan was inaugurated into office. Missing girl returns Chicago apr a mentally handicapped 11-year-old girl missing since october has returned Home safely and a teen Ager living Down the Block from her Home was charged with kidnapping police said monday. Until april Hall came Home sunday authorities did not know if she had run away or had been abducted. But police said they now believe she was being held just a Block from her family s North Side Home in the apartment of 17-year-old Francisco Flores. He was arrested sunday and charged with abducting the girl described As having the mentality of a 5-year-old, provided a sketchy account of How she spent the time police said. Gulf gis demands for eyeglasses overburden army spectacle makers Heidelberg Germany a amps a army spectacle makers in Germany Are up to their eyeballs in orders for desert bound soldiers and have stopped taking orders for civilian Type eyeglasses through military medical facilities. A the needs of our deploying soldiers have to come first a said col. Bill Hames 7th medical come assistant chief of staff for logistics. A your optical activities division has a sudden requirement to make thousands of prescription sunglasses and prescription inserts for Gas  currently More than 6,000 sunglasses and mask inserts Are needed for desert shield soldiers said 7th medical come spokesman Bill Swisher. The suspension does not affect orders for regular Anny Issue glasses for soldiers he said. The . Army medical Materiel Center at Pir Masens in southwestern Germany fills Low Cost Eye Wear orders under a service known As the special order spectacle program. A if people have orders already in the system Well process those. It May not be As fast As we would like but we will take care of them a Hames said. He estimated that the outstanding orders will be processed within the next six weeks. There Are about 2,800 outstanding orders Swisher said. Along with filling orders for additional anti Gulf activists to to Patch Barracks eyeglasses and Gas mask inserts a number of soldiers from the optical division a an going to be More directly involved in desert  this assignment will further slow the process Hames said. Citing Security reasons Swisher could not elaborate on what the optical division will be doing to support desert shield. A once we be met this sudden requirement we fully expect to put the special order program Back in place a Hames said. In the meantime civilians family members and service members not deploying car order fashionable Eye Wear from Amy Anil air Force Exchange service optical concessions As Well As shops on the local Economy. Stuttgart Germany a amps a a peace activist organization is mounting a daily Campaign to convince Patch Barracks commuters that military action in the persian Gulf is wrong. Elizabeth Lempp an american member of Ohne Rii stung Leben or live without armaments said members will distribute pamphlets at the posts front Gate Between 6 . And 7 . Each Day for at least two weeks. The . European come Headquarters is located at Patch Barracks. The group said germans and americans Lay siege commuters s a no Iest 1967 Nobel prize for physiology said sumps to speak at the demonstration Abo mis from East and West and especially from the Federal Republic of Germany it would have been impossible for Saddam Hussein towage War a one flier stated. The peace group also plans to stage a National demonstration at 11 30 . Saturday at Stuttgart s downtown Schloss Platz to protest Daimler Benz armament exports claiming the exports would play a role in any persian Gulf War. V a ret red Harvard University biology professor who won the what he called the danger that preside Bush May act without congressional a Proval. Wald also plans to discuss u. Government attempts to downplay prompt Sals for a negotiated peace settlement an about the Case that can be made for Ira it grievances in the area. Wald who is visiting friends in Sruti gait criticized Saddam Hussein a action in Kuwait but added a this is no Craz Guy who a got a sudden idea its got Century of history behind  a. Vamp Uluis i history Olenina n. No gets 20 months in Drunken driving crash  Germany a amps a 28 ure of $724 a month for m my a a. Span Dahlem a Germany a amps a a 28-year-old air Force staff sergeant whose Drunken driving resulted in a friends death was sentenced to 20 months in jail a base spokesman said wednesday. Staff sgt. Mark h. Smith of the 52nd aircraft generation so pleaded guilty to one charge each of negligent homicide and Drunken driving that caused injury. His two Day court martial ended Friday. A panel of officers and enlisted personnel recommended a sentence that included the jail term forfeit ass amp Ziaul Saa Smith and staff sgt. David b. Betzel 26. Had been drinking Beer at the bases non-commisriones.?" dub for four or five hours on the evening 0f  17 a Friend tried to take away the keys to a Smith had borrowed but Betzel and Smith promised him they would take a taxi Home. Instead the two left the club in the borrowed car. About a mile outside the bases front Gate Sinai a Rove off the Side of the Road then Over corrected a spun into the opposite Lane where a car driven by Hai Stefan Herres 44, struck him. Broke his . Herres broke both Kneecaps As crutches. Betzel who was assigned to a Uund aircraft generation so died at the scene. Betzes blood alcohol level was 0.239, Hahn Sai Knuth s was 0,13 about four hours after the Accident