European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 07, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday. April 7, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 9 1 by William h. Honan the new York times Bell returning to Okinawa people Jer am from delusion and ruled should a 15th-Century Buddhist Temple Bell seized by . Marines on Okinawa in june 1945 and exhibited As a War trophy at the Virginia military Institute in Lexington va., for the last 45 years will be returned to Okinawa this week. The so called Dai sen zen i Bell Hung for centuries in Feudal Okinawa in a Buddhist Temple whose exact location is unknown. Shinjun Oshiro one of the two representatives of Okinawa in the Jana Nese House of councillors described the Belt As a priceless a National  the Bell cast in 1465, stands three feet High and weighs 450 pounds. It is decorated with inscriptions praising Buddha and the Ryukyu an King Sho Kaikyu and declaring the Belles a deep and solemn military sounds will Wake and show How re stand  a a it a immensely valuable a said James Watt senior curator of asian Art at the metropolitan museum of Art in new York. A it was cast during a very Early period when Okinawa was the capital of the kingdom of the Ryukyu before it became part of Japan. Ryukyu an culture was then at its prime but very few cultural objects have survived from that period.�?�. A a prime mover in arranging for the return of the Bell was maj. Gen. Robert l. Day a retired Marine corps general who fought on Okinawa As a Young Corporal and squad Leader in 1945. A the Island was almost totally devastated by the fighting a he said in a Tele phone interview from his Home in Cali Tornia. A now they re trying to rebuild their culture and it seems Only right that. The people involved with the destruction should try to help  the Bell is to be formally unveiled on Okinawa at a ceremony on june 1. Speaking by Telephone from his Home in Okinawa Oshiro said he expected the Bell to be displayed in front of Shuri Castle an ancient Structure in Naha the. Capital of Okinawa which is now being restored by Public subscription he said the Shuri Castle commission a non gov pm mental body would also pay the Cost of shipping the Bell to Okinawa. Okinawan Are sensitive about cultural issues both because of the devastation caused by the War and because they feel looked Down upon As a Rural Backwater by so called a Mainland  the Battle for Okinawa which began on easter sunday 1945, became the last and one of the bloodiest infantry clashes of the Pacific War. . And japanese commanders recognized. That Okinawa situated Only 350 Miles South of the nearest of the japanese Home islands was the final Barrier to the invasion of Japan. In 81 Days of fierce fighting marked by a dramatic increase in the use of Kami Kazyc aircraft american losses came to 12,500. The japanese death toll Rose to 120,000, and More than 150,000 civilians a died. A a a a a a a a a six Days after the initial . Landing the 6th Marine div captured Nago Harbor a port in the nor hand there they found the  scheduled to head 3rd army div Karlstedt Germany a amps a Brig. Gen. Jerry r. Rutherford is to be promoted to major general and take command of the 3rd army div today. Rutherford had been commander of the 2nd army div fwd based in Karlstedt since August 1989. Both divisions Are serving in the Middle East As part of operation desert storm. Rutherford is to take command at the divisions Field Headquarters expected to be in either Kuwait or Iraq. He replaces maj. Gen. Paul e. Funk who since october 1989 has commanded the division headquartered in Frankfurt. Funk is to become the vice director of operations for the joint chiefs of staff at the Pentagon. Brig. Gen. Paul e. Blackwell was to take command of the 2nd army div fwd in a ceremony saturday in saudi Arabia. He was assistant Divi Siori commander for 3rd army div and commander of the Hanau military  police cited bad Kreuz Nach Germany the 8th inf div will recognize the support Given by members of the local German police Force during or oration desert storm at a ceremony tuesday. Brig. Gen. John p. Otjen the division commander will present awards to some of the More than 100 policemen expected to attend the event. German police patrolled the bad Kreuz Nach military Community during the War As replace ments for soldiers deployed to saudi.  of Merit Winner Wurzburg Germany a maj. Gen. Franz Werner the commander of the 1st German Mountain div has been awarded the . Military a legion of Merit an award rarely bestowed on foreign service members Werner was presented the award last month for his personal achievements in joint training Between the . Vii corps and the 2nd German corps. While serving As chief of staff of the corps Werner planned and conducted exercises and tactical seminars that help the two units work together. . Wilson a. Shoffner commander of the 3rd inf div presented the award at the German divisions Headquarters in  to retire in july Casteau Belgium a amps a the air Force has announced the retirement of . Gen. John a. Shaud currently chief of staff of shape. Shaud who retires july 1, has worked at shape since july 1988. His replacement has not yet been  birthday Ball set Stuttgart Germany a the . European come will Mark the army a 216th birthday with a Ball on May 18 in Stuttgart All ranks and services Are invited to the event which will feature entertainment by the usar eur bands country pop combo. For information Call ets 430-5277 or 5278.7th medical come hospitals get accreditation panel s of Heidelberg Germany a the joint commission on accreditation of health care organizations has Given the Green Light to 7th medical Comdr a 11 major hospitals in Germany Italy and Belgium. For the first time All the commands facilities were surveyed and received a three year accreditation from the joint commission whose standards Are the yardstick by which the Quality of . Health care is measured. The joint commission accredits More than 70 percent of the hospitals in the United states and also military medical facilities overseas according to maj. Ann Brazil assistant inspector general Headquarters 7th medical come. Army facilities began being accredited in the 1970s to answer congressional concerns about the Quality of health care at military hospitals. Though the average patient probably does no to think about the accreditation of a facility it a gives tangible evidence that care provided meets the National Stan Dard of care a Brazil said. A that is not to say that a no accredited Hospital can to provide Good car a she said a what accreditation Means is that there is a Structure in place that allows the practitioner to provide Good care a that there is a Safe building adequate policies and procedures and sufficient  in the past 7th medical Comdr a hospitals at bad Cannstatt and Wurzburg were not scheduled for accreditation because of their need for extensive renovation. However recently completed Structure and safety construction projects have brought the facilities a built As Early As the 1930s a up to joint commission standards. Four surveyors spent two months inspecting 7th medical come facilities As part of the accreditation Effort. The group included a doctor nurse administrator and ambulatory patient care Surveyor. The process will begin again in 1993.where eagles dare children of american service members stationed in the persian Gulf get a close up look at a Bald Eagle the National Bird of the United states. Horst testers the director of the Hellenthal Germany Eagle Park shows one of the Bald eagles he is Breeding to help preserve the endangered species. On Friday Niester played Host to 150 relatives of . Service members in the Gulf to say thank you