European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 11, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 a the stars and stripes. Thursday april 11, 1991thesijf european edition circulation 185,000 col Gene e. Townsend Usan a. ,. Obj Mancley publisher Quot Bernard a. Zovistoski  editor a ill cot. Gayle w. Fix Usa a Deputy commander Mart Kolnicki. Production manager ,. Bob Wicker managing editor Deane b. Mcdermott circulation manager switchboard 06155-6010. Ets 348-5741 or 5823 telex 419-332. Business Tel fax 06155-601376, news Tel fax 06155-601416 mailing address Apo 09211-4211 or Post Fach 11 14 37, 0-6100 Darmstadt 11,  06155-601 plus Extension or ets 348-8 plus Extension. Vav . News ext 237, 255, 282, 226, 326. Sports ext. 225, 269, 263, 332,321, 221, features ext. 230, 245, 341. Letters to editor ext. 208. Education Jimi Jones ext. 226. Business Randy Mcclain ext. 326. Bureaus Bremerhaven. 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Bremerhaven civilian 0471-b516b, ets 342-8119, Rhein Mai Nab civilian 069-692050 or 692565, ets 3306025 or7103,1etex412712., Tel fax 069 a 694087. / a. Kaiserslautern civilian 0631-57070 or 57079 ets 4897100. Tel fax 0631-50690. Munich civilian 089-6901503 or 6901504, ets 440 6556 Tel fax 089-699-1606 Nurnberg civilian 0911-712558, ets 460-7001. A Stuttgart civilian 0711-546743, ets 420-71/s. Quot Greece Athens civilian 9923390. A Italy Vicenza civilian 0444-515358. Ets 634-7545, Tel fax 0444-300-641. Spain . A Madrid ets 665-5807, civilian and Tel fax 003416561465. A a. Turkey Istanbul civilian 664372, Tel fax 0090-1 1664372 United kingdom Newbury civilian 0635-44768, Dan 266-3209 advertising display ext. 247.309. Classified ext 349. This newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication Tor members of the military services overseas contents of the stars and stripes do not necessarily reflect the official views of or endorsement by. The  government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of advertising in this publication including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department at detente or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. Everything adv edited in this publication shall be made available Lor Purchase use or patronage without regard to race color religion sex. National origin age marital status physical Handicap political Atli Litton or any older Norv Muril Factor of the purchaser user or Patron. R enough family jokes i am a 31-Ycar-old dependent wife wifi six children we arc stationed at Icahn a. My husband has been deployed since december. I am amazed at the. Insensitivity and thoughtlessness some people have displayed in comments about the size of my family. Done to get me wrong we All enjoy the jokes. I done to even mind the questions. What i do get furious about is when others make comments in front of my children implying that As individuals my children Are not As important because there Are a so Many of  it is amazing How often we hear these. Comments. I would like everyone who is not As fortunate As i am to know something. Every member of my family is very important to everyone in the family. No one is so insignificant that they a re not missed. I love every child at least As much As other mothers love their children. Every first tooth every first step every first school play and every Puppy love crush is important to me. The Joy of watching my sixth ride her rocking horse and the anxiety of taking my fifth to his first Day of pre school to not less because in be done it at another time with another child. A Alice Hayword Hahn a Germany a v  a v   a Quot a done to blame Montgomery i guess its Titie to beat up on British Field marshal Montgomery again. A recent writer should try to be More of acc. Tive before he makes sweeping accusations that Montgomery was behind the difficulties encountered by Patton. A a Ini fact Patton himself was responsible for most of his problems. Rash actions some of which resulted in disciplinary action dogged his career. But for the foolish behaviour he displayed in a Hospital in Sicily he might have had Gen. Omar Bradley a command of 12th army group in France after a Day. His disastrous Choice of nazis for postwar positions of leadership in Germany As Well As his ill advised comments toward the soviets finally resulted in his Relief and being a kicked  the accusation that Montgomery so politicking resulting in Patton a heavy casualties in Sicily is oversimplification if not error the Only strokes of tactical brilliance achieved in Sicily were those the germans permitted the allies to achieve. The terrain was exceedingly rough and the germans were Well prepared to conduct a fighting withdrawal through. Some of the most difficult terrain Ever faced by a mechanized Force. True Montgomery wanted to beat Patton to Messina. Equally True was the fact that Patton wanted. To. Beat Montgomery. This was no secret. Several of Patton a abortive end runs May have played a role in ending the Sicily Campaign but there is no denying the fact that his rivalry with Montgomery influenced his actions. Both men possessed monumental egos and it is a tribute to Gen. Dwight d. Eisenhower that he Ever got them to work together. As for the statement a the Only place Patton suffered very High casualties was Sicily a the american dead of the Metz and Saarland campaigns would dispute this. The fact that Patton was one of our greatest and most effective generals does not justify blaming Montgomery for things that did not go Patton s Way. As for a Montgomery s ingenious plan to liquidate a British airborne unit in arnhem a this is another Case of the writer not bothering to research the facts. Operation Market Garden was executed with the full Blessing of the supreme commander Eisenhower. Montgomery could have executed nothing without Ike a Blessing. The other Point missed is the fact that the a abroad front strategy pursued by the allies meant that there was no Way to Supply All front line units All the time. Patton Rah out of Gas in front of Metz Montgomery had a competent plan to breach the Rhein River Barrier before 1945. The Choice of who would go ahead was Eisenhower a and the responsibility for ordering Market Gap Den lies with him riot Montgomery. Additionally anyone who has walked the 30th corps terrain in Holland read any of the history involved in Thi operation would be aware of the extreme difficulty involved in rapid exploitation by armoured units. On. The last stretch from Nijm Egen to arnhem there is almost no place a major motorized combat unit can leave the Road. Patton is not Likely to have done any better than British Gem Brian Hor rocks. A Resolute enemy and rough terrain will hold up even the Best commander. Vav a Quot \.v,-v 1 no i am not a Champion of Montgomery. He had his faults and was guilty of after the fact attempts to justify his failures in combat operations As Many generals have done throughout history., yes i was very Happy and proud of our Victory in the persian Gulf. But it is irresponsible to make invidious comparisons. A v Quot a Tim Wilson Stuttgart German sad Over past wrongs i have never in my life been so profoundly affected by an article in a newspaper As i was by a recent letter to the editor in the stars and stripes. The writer stated How he has Felt cheated because of the Way americans treated him and other veterans upon their return from Vietnam. / the sadness i feel is enormous. The sadness is for Alt Vietnam Veteran those soldiers that made sacrifices for their country then became the sacrificed. I want to say that you and All Vietnam veterans Are the heroes of my life. All of you have my utmost respect and admiration. I remember the Vietnam Era Well. I remember my High school friends who went to Vietnam never to return. I remember my pain when i saw the numbers flashed across the screen on the 6 of clock news telling How Many soldiers had been killed that Day. I remember the sickening feeling in my soul when i thought about those soldiers and the fact that they would never again touch the Green grass of Home. I remember the anger i Felt toward my fellow americans for their rebelliousness during the Vietnam War. And today because of your letter i realize my own shame for not standing tall against the protesters and doing my part however Small to balance the Scales. I failed you. You Are right it is too late for a Parade i can to Shower you with confetti but i can Shower you with words of appreciation and gratitude. The american soldiers in Vietnam were not at fault for the War a the politicians carry that Burden. I will never defend or try to justify the attitude of americans with regard to their treatment of Vietnam veterans i can Only speak for myself. Never doubt my admiration for you. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once wrote every heart has its secret sorrows which the world knows not and oftentimes we Call a Man cold when he is Only  maybe this quote can give insight As to Why some americans re letters to the editor acted As they did toward returning Vietnam veterans. V. A perhaps Many americans did not know How to Cope with what had Hap a opened to our country. Could it possibly be that their coldness was Only a shield for their sadness i done to know the answer. I do not ask that question in Hopes of vindicating anyone. I ask it because i too am searching for answers. I do know that All Vietnam veterans deserve respect from All americans. My Hope Fop this letter writer is that you soon find your answers so the Healing can begin. I wish i could take your pain away. The suffering has been there too Long. A Amelia Vav. Barefield Darmstadt Germany Vietnam vet remembers i recently read with much sadness a Vietnam veterans lament regarding How frustrated and cheated he Felt about his service in Southeast Asia. I too was a participant in the great american Experiment of our Genera Tori. And i too share this individuals bitterness at the indifference neglect and downright abuse Vietnam vets suffered from an ungrateful and uncaring Public upon our return Home. _ i will forever remember coming Back in the Middle of the night a perhaps a Symbol in itself a to be greeted by nothing More than an army reception team. A  v. After a transoceanic flight which seemed to take forever we were kept awake several More hours filling out forms and processing paperwork before being turned Loose to make our own travel arrangements for Home. A there was no fanfare no bands or parades and no Media coverage. No one said Welcome Home and thanks for a Job Well done. Having said ail that however i find myself with mixed feelings now that desert storm vets Are returning. As a fellow War vet and citizen i am both proud and appreciative of their Success. I am Well aware of their Sacri frees and glad to offer my congratulations to americans new heroes. Thank goodness they did riot experience the Long National Nightmare of my War. A Quot   to them i sincerely wish the Best and say that they truly deserve whatever benefits and privileges our great nation wishes to bestow upon them. A Richard l. Lane Heidelberg German yrs editor s note a letters from readers expressing their viewpoints or opinions Are published daily in this space. All letters must be signed. We Reserve the right to edit letters for clarity length and. Taste. Preference is Given to Shorter letters so that More can be published in a timely manner. Letters should be addressed to letters to the editor the stars and stripes Apo 09211-421l a. A  letters requesting information or assistance Are answered in a feature called readers action line which appears on Page 16 every Day except thursday and sunday. Such letters should be addressed to readers action line the stars and stripes Apo 09211-4211