European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 02, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28. The stars and stripes saturday february 2,1991of pos mias Seymour Johnson fab . Apr president Bush on a morale boosting visit to military bases Friday consoled the wives and children of airmen downed by Iraq and told them a we were doing everything we could to find their Hus.  sixteen Days ? into operation desert storm Bush spoke repeatedly during stops in North Carolina and Georgia of sacrifices still to be made. But he also told Flag waving crowds that iraqis ability to wage War a is being systematically destroyed and de Clarid a we arc on course we arc on schedule and things gown Llu. The president met with the wives and children of two men listed As missing in action and two listed As prisoners of War. The White House declined to identify the families on the advice of the Pentagon. White House press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater described the private meetings As serious but not Overly emotional. A i think the president was very impressed by their courage and they were very supportive. They said their husbands believed very strongly in what they were doing a Fitzwater said. The meetings took place at Seymour Johnson fab in Goldsboro ., after Bush spoke to a Large crowd of military families and praised the valor of . Forces in the persian Gulf. Bush referred to the missing indirectly when he said a today while some May be a prisoners of War and others May have made the ultimate sacrifice a lifetime of democracy and Faith in god keeps their spirit  a. The president reported on the War Dur ing visits to Marine air Force and army bases. Thousands of military personnel and their families turned out to vigorously cheer their wartime commander in chief. A i heard on the radio the president is going to North Carolina to lift the morale of the people a Bush told a Large crowd at Cherry Point Marine air station. A let me assure you its the other Way around after seeing this  \ recalling the Long ovation Given to american troops during his state of the Union address Bush said a i Hope that Saddam Hussein in his Bunker somewhere in Baghdad saw every single minute of  to the Many children in the audience Bush said a your parents Are enduring the hardships of War today so you May know the blessings of peace  in his first Stop at the Marine base Bush noted the iraqi attack against american forces in saudi Arabia that killed 11 marines in the first ground casualties of the War. A a a a. A a a a. He praised the fallen marines As a american  a a it comes As no Surprise that the marines fought with great distinction and fought very bravely a Bush said to loud applause. A their professionalism and sacrifice will end the Nightmare a in a absolutely confident of that a will end the Nightmare of iraqis brutal occupation and ensure that Kuwait is once again free a he said. The trip was Bush a first excursion outside the Washington area this year and his first visit to military installations since he spent thanksgiving Day with troops in the Gulf Region. Planes from Page 1 source said coalition air forces were attacking a a significant enemy Force that is attempting to mass itself North of the. Kuwait saudi  the source speaking on condition of anonymity provided no figures Tor the size of the iraqi Force. He said Allied troops were firing at a a armoured vehicles from a significant enemy  a they have kind of done what we were hoping they would eventually do a he said. A a significant Force has come out from under its bunkers to prepare to come South to test Allied defences. We can disrupt this Mac ceases scheduled flights at hell Nikon hell Nikon a Greece a amps a the military Airlift come ended scheduled flights in and out of Hel Len Ikon a on Friday. A but we May still have some unscheduled flights coming in a said capt. Lisa Jeffery spokeswoman for the air forces 7206th air base group at hell Nikon on the outskirts of Athens. Ltd. Hellenic Kong a Mac detachment det 3 of the 625th military Airlift support group at Aviano a Italy also ceased operations Friday Jeffery said. A total of 109 . Military and greek workers Are assigned to the detachment. A they Are now concentrating solely on their part in hellenic Kong a draw Down activities As called for under the terms of the 1990 bilateral agreement Between the / . And greek governments a Jeffery said. Under that agreement hell Nikon is scheduled to close to june 30. Det 3 was the largest Mac detachment in Europe Jeffery said. It provided passenger cargo and mail services for the defense department and other . Government agencies in Greece the Balkans the Middle East and Eastern Africa. V the detachment supported More than 2,000 flights yearly Jeffery  collapses Dies while on guard duty kitz1ngen, Germany a amps a a 3rd inf div Soldier died Early Friday while on guard duty on Larson Barracks a division spokeswoman said. Sgt. Ted c. Jack 28, assigned to he Btry 4th in 3rd air defense arty collapsed in the guard building at the front Gate of the Cavern 1st it. Donna Mcaleer said. The Soldier a stinger anti aircraft missle crewman was pronounced dead after being transported to the German Hospital in Kitzinge a she said. Quot Jack a native of Ville Platte la., is survived by his wife Stephanie and two sons. Medical authorities Are investigating the cause of his death Mcaleer said. A formation  however Stevens said the movement did not mean the iraqis were preparing to launch a major offensive. A we do observe movement a Stevens said during a daily briefing Friday evening. A we do not necessarily  that there is any major action about to  in the Field commanders Are also reluctant to specs a late. A a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a we know that across the entire Range he a making movements a said col. John Admire commander of a Marine unit. A what these movements mean in  run and where hell strike next we done to  Pool reporters said Friday that iraqi tanks had crossed into saudi Arabia about 50 Miles West of Khanji overnight and were engaged by . Marines. A in the encounter three iraqi tanks were destroyed by elements of the 1st Marine div the reports said. The marines called in air strikes and artillery support against the iraqi forces on the kuwaiti Side of the Border. No . Casualties were reported in the Battle which was in the same area where 11 marines were killed tuesday night and wednesday during an earlier skirmish. The fighting began thursday night after marines spotted iraqi tanks crossing South into saudi Arabia from the kuwaiti Border town of umm Hjul the reports said. Khanji has changed hands twice in As Many Days. The turkish police break up anti War demonstration Istanbul Turkey apr riot police using nightsticks broke up an anti War demonstration by hundreds of people leaving Friday prayers witnesses reported. Some fighting broke out Between the police and the demonstrators but there were no reported injuries. Witnesses said at least 10 people were arrested. The unauthorized demonstration involving about 400 people began after a group of Jim left Bayazit near the Istanbul University a the group marched ont4the main Street and gathered  the crowd then pushed past a police cordon and shouted anti israeli and anti american slogans. Police began hitting the demonstrators with night Sticks Stuttgart Germany a amps a two unions representing civilian workers who have held warning strikes at nato facilities have negotiated a 4.2 percent annual raise officials said Friday. But the or re it is Are continuing to seek a  tract that will increase social benefits they said. The two unions Are the Union of Public services transport and traffic and the Union of German employees. The a unions met separately in Stuttgart this week with nato representatives to discuss the new contract. A the new wage contract has already taken effect and will be renegotiated m december. The unions claim that 23,000 of the 60,000 nato workers will lose their jobs in the near future because of a hied troop cuts. Most of the workers Are employed at . Installations. V j they Are asking for new contracts that provide retraining programs an Early retirement program and a iraqis overran it wednesday and the allies recaptured most of it on thursday. Saudi Gen. Khalid bin Sultan said his forces which included troops from Qatar cleared the town of iraqi troops about 1 45 . Friday. The town was closed off Friday with roadblocks associated press correspondent Mort Rosenblum said. House to House searches were conducted to ferret out iraqi units driven Back to the City a Northern fringes. Marine it. Col. Mike Maloney of Boston told him that a a couple of groups of iraqis Are hanging around the desert near Khanji deciding whether to give up. But it looks like the saudis Are pretty much in control and we re just supporting  two six Man Marine reconnaissance patrols had been trapped in the City when Iraq invaded tuesday night. They hid from iraqi soldiers in buildings More than once avoiding detection when enemy troops entered the buildings in which they were hiding. A the marines could hear the footsteps a Admire said. A they could hear them enter and then  the streets of Khanji whose residents fled in the wars opening Days Are now littered with Booby traps and bodies. Soviet built armoured personnel carriers gutted by Tow anti tank missiles sat soldering their dead iraqi Crews still inside. . Army col Jack Petri a Liaison officer with the saudi forces said the american made Tow missile had been particularly effective against the mostly soviet built armoured vehicles used by Iraq. Stevens said _ Friday that More than 500 iraqis were taken prisoner in the Allied recapture of Khanji and that s03c. Of the pos Are cooperating with . And saudi officials. The Amy also officially listed As missing two . Soldiers including a woman spec. Melissa a. Nealy 20, who could not be found thursday. She is the first woman listed As missing in the War. Radio Baghdad has claimed it was holding women prisoners of War. Baghdad radio claimed Friday that three Allied air raft were shot Down overnight. Iraq now claims More than 180 coalition warplanes have been downed the allies put their aircraft lost in combat at 19.  also said ground hugging Tomahawk missiles fired from . Navy warships struck the embattled capital Friday. Two crashed in residential neighbourhoods narrowly missing the abandoned american embassy. A. ,. A. A Rase guarantee that Cavern workers will be hired for environmental cleanup programs when facilities close. This was our third round of discussions a said Otto Jung of the Public services Union. A the nato employee ii ivc begun to show greater  to  Tate. A v. A. Nato agreed to give employees whose jobs Are Cut three fourths a months pay for every year they have worked he said. Jung said this offer indicated Progress but that the Union did not feel it was sufficient. A we have agreed to a fourth round of discussions feb. 21 and 22,�?� he said. The unions negotiate at separate sessions but always Are awarded equal contracts. Although Union members work for nato forces their employment contracts Aie negotiated through the German finance ministry. About 12,000 Union members participated in three Days of warning strikes in december