European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 03, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Request line tugs at Heartstrings by Gary Pomeroy staff writer a to like to dedicate a song othe iraqi army a Deadbeat club by the b-52s Quot Manf in Levy knows that radio listeners do not like having radio programs tampered with. A so when an Europe converted its pm a Rock format to 24-hour requests and dedications on jan.8, Levy an Europe s chief of radio expected the studio phone to ring. It rang . A Quot one Hundred Calls a minute were possible Quot Levy. Said. A a a. A a a a a a a a a a. A a a a a. V but to Levy s pleasant astonishment no one complained instead Calls poured in from wives children soldiers and germans requesting songs for troops in operation desert storm Calls came from Berlin to Kaiserslautern and from Giessen to Munich jamming the switchboard at an Headquarters in Frankfurt. The positive response to the request format was so immense that the switchboard was shut Down for a while the first evening. The new format admittedly a Gamble was devised during the 30-plus consecutive hours of news coverage that began when desert shield became desert storm. The goal was to make the audience feel Good about themselves. A release Quot Levy said. The emotion of the caters Many of whom had family and friends in the persian Gulf was overwhelming As Well Quot at first it was really getting Tome Quot said broadcaster sgt. Amy Young callers were just so upset you had to talk to them and Calm them Down before they actually got recorded because their voices were cracking it tugs on you really bad. I Don t have anybody Down there so i can t. Even comprehend what they re going  would you play right Here waiting by Richard marx7 it s dedicated to my husband . 7 Quot we re in the information business Quot said Chi Dave a Reidmuller a broadcaster who has spent a considerable amount of time on the air and answering phones lately., Quot but we re in the morale business too.�?�. Reidmuller said his role is not unlike that of a bartender who hears people pour their hearts out. A Quot some of the Best Calls Are from the wives Quot he said. _ Quot they break Down when they Call you and then you can sit and talk to them for a while and bring their spirit up just enough and they Start laughing. That makes it yom feel a lot better.�?T�?T.7 a v. K a a moods and tastes of callers vary however Quot the Guys want to hear Macho songs Quot Young said Quot women want love songs. Children dedicate songs to parents usually dads a a. Young mentioned a 7-year-old named Tony a  you can t touch this by . Hammer to Saddam Hussein Quot she said. Sgt. Willie Hoffacker is one of Many non broadcast staffers who volunteered to answer the  and pull. Songs from the music Library. His most memorable Call was from a German Man in Stuttgart who requested Don Mclean s american pie. A Quot he was an sex nazi Captain who was a Row during the second wot id War Quot said Hoffacker. Who works in Afna a financial management division. Quot he was in total agreement with what we re doing in saudi Arabia Quot. Some people have put a lot of thought into dedications Reidmuller said he recalled some 3rd army div rear. Detachment soldiers in the Frankfurt area who Telef Axcy a 50 dedications mostly to Saddam. The list contained Highway to hell by acc the King of Wishful to inning amp a go West and dream a  dream Chi. Dave Reidmuller left and sgt. Willie Hoffacker play requests for troops in saudi Arabia. A amps Ken George 2 top five dedications from a distance a Bette Midler. A god bless the . A Lee Greenwood Pray a . Hammer. Right Here waiting a Richard maix.�?T. Wind beneath my wings a Bette Midler. Vintage dedications to Saddam Highway to hell a a do c run like hell a Pink Floyd Coward of the county a. Kenny Rogers Sonria make you sweat pc amp a music factory disappear inns. _ of me by mama Cass the soldiers also wanted to hear Louie Louie by the kegs men a not As a dedication but Quot just because it s a Good song a Reidmuller said quoting the Tel fax -. Although the network has resumed airing its weekly countdown and specially shows Quot we Are going to leave blocks available for dedication Quot Levy said Quot it s too  _ the network is taping some of the programming and will Forward it to the desert shield network for possible replay there a spokesman for Dan said the network would try to work in some of the dedications with the abundance of material the staff is receiving from All Over the world. But airtime in saudi is not the primary goal for the european staff members. Their main focus is on  they Are providing for their local listeners Quot in Many ways it s like somebody who keeps a diary Quot a Levy said. Quot nobody is Ever going to read that diary. Nobody is Ever going to get in touch with those feelings except that person and it does something positive for them just to it have written it  the caller said his name was . He was 11 j ears old and wanted to Hoar you re in the army now for his dad -. Quot love him. Miss him and Hope he comes Hon to soon a and Safe Quot disc jockey Reidmuller is overwhelmed by the number of Calls to an Headquarters in Frankfurt. Page 16 the stars and stripes sunday february 3,1991