European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 17, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Distant troops Are never far from our minds John Windrow c were standing in the newsroom at Midnight gelling ready to go Home looking through the frosty third floor window at the Frozen parking lot below. Nothing moved. A. A Mikei the copy desk chief was showing off his latest Miracle Gadget a Remote control car starter. Me hold a Little Box Tiit looked like a transistor radio Complete with Antenna. Pointing it toward the parking lot he pushed a Button and a red Light flashed. Outside we saw the icy White exhaust come puff Pul of puff from his car s tailpipe. Mike could wait a few minutes and walk out to his warmed up Auto. Their someone said Quot this is what we re in the persian Gulf for right Quot everybody laughed. Not Jolly laughter it was cynical and bitter. I went to the Gulf once a not the persian Gulf a the Gulf of Aden. Its in the same neighbor it a an extra flips a peace sign in a the doors one of the new Spring films. Page 11.\ into am a truly liar St is aiding americans baffled by the German language and Law. Page 6. Hood. Was boiler officer on a Cruiser and we were Over there because the russians were. It was a real Garden spot the Gulf of Aden. Back behind the forced draft Blower in the no. 3 fire room it. Used to get up to 135 degrees. When we went topside a to Lake the air a As one of my chiefs liked to say Sand blew across our shoes there Wasny to any line where land met seaon the horizon just shimmers of heat. Everything on the ship seemed hot to the touch. We rationed water we ran out of milk and fresh fruit we did t get any mail for a month. Not much compared to what the troops arc putting up with in saudi Arabia but enough to make me remember and Capa Thiec. One thing i remember most is wondering if anyone outside of my immediate family gave a Damn about what i was doing including the Powers that be who had decided that i needed to go there. We had it me special Drill to break the boredom. We would put All four boilers on the line Crank up to 30 knots come screaming Over the horizon and Circle a soviet ship that was anchored to a buoy out in the Middle of nowhere a and i mean nowhere. Just to let the had Guys know that we knew where . It did no to seem to bother them much As they never moved their ship but we did it Day after Day. Most of the russians were standing in the Chow line with their Metal trays waiting for whatever delights russian Cooks create for breakfast at a sea. A. A a a a a a a a a a a a a a a. They would wave and we would wave a some v. Times wed make a few obscene gestures but we did t really mean it a and intelligence . 3 knowledge is Alia matter of timing ironing  be a pressing problem a from the cover.4-5 United Germany merges its militarize feature _____.�?. 6 throwing two books at German Law trends. Football cards give learning a boost Inhat do you do during Winter months books. 8-9 a the big sleep Quot follow up does no to make it Peter Arnett is a wanted Man Odds amp ends .10 european water and other foreign objects miss manners and Horoscope to plus 11 More turtles More Julia coming this Spring television listings. 12-14 local Cable and satellite schedules. On television. 15 Kenny Rogers and other reasons hot to Egiy Home Home entertainment. 16 the latest videos and the Nielsen. Fast track. 15 a Imi Rogers talks a a a godfather quiz this weeks films. 18-19 los Angeles according to Steve Martin Complete Art fes circuit listings classified ads. 20-23 like l laugh 21 Dave barn cartoons from around the world on both ships would snap photos. A at least the Kab knows we re out Here a one machinist male said.  ��.�. A a a a a a. A that was the part that rubbed you the wrong a Way. Back Home everybody was going to football games learning the latest dance Steps having. Nights and weekends off looking at the girls on the Beach and there you were Day after Day. You really wondered if anybody cd. It used to worry me that no one. In America seemed to know anything about the military or to even know anybody who was in it. There a no draft so those who can Dodge the obligation do so in droves. You can to really blame them. In be met an awful lot of people in the Volunteer army and they re Good people. But anybody who think site a purely Volunteer is dreaming. America s social policy is in such sad shape these Days that a Large segment of the population has to join the service just to get their cavities filled. If the sons and daughters of the wealthy had a Chance at going to combat it might make a differ once in How often we go to War. Who knows it looks to me As if we re not willing to ear Pool for gasoline but we re willing to die for it and that dots no a make much sense. But then i thought it was crazy to Chase the russians around the Gulf of Aden 16 years ago. Whatever we were doing something worked. The Easty casties done to seem nearly As dangerous As they used to.1 but i think about those troops to saudi Arabia. I think about them every Day. John Windrow is a former stars and stripes editor now living in Minnesota. A Topps sports picture cords students Are getting a kick out of a new learning tool a football cards that carry More than players statistics. Page 7. Sunday a weekly supplement of the stars and stripes editors John Taylor a Sarah Buttorff a Art director Sharon Kilday production Lisa Williams Denise Adams editorial assistance Louis Pierce. Marian Hamilton Page 2 c sunday february 17, 1991