European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 4, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Widowed continued from Page,15 a a a a a a a  she wrote. Quot you Are the Only one who can set me tree from it. The heaviness which seems to crush me to death calms Down very fast because the Day on which ill see you approaches forever yours your wife Hedi Quot _ a thursday feb. 28, was the first night of the cease fire. The ground War had wrecked Hedfes nerves that week. She had even hit one Ohhet children in her class. A something she said Shehas never done before or since. She could sense it she said  was wrong. A a a a a a she went to downtown Bamberg alter work. Dodge _ had always wanted a Black leather jacket and she found one but. She said Quot i Felt so weird when i bought it Quot then she went by her Mailbox and found four letters. From him a. At a Little after 9pm she finally got Home and started getting balls from other wives who had Seldom talked to her before they woul cask her How she was doing then hang up and another would phone a a a a at about 9.30 . The Doorbell rang she answered it and found three men in uniform standing on her front a step. A. A a a a a a a a a Quot i just looked at Thorn and i knew Quot Hedi said. She invited them inside and they spoke politely for a while Quot before one of them told her the message. She said she a amps Vince Crowley remembers the wording precisely Quot your husband was killed in action in Southwest Asia by enemy  even two weeks later after she d seen the body a during a Brief private showing before the burial a his death did no to seem completely real to Hedi it still does t. She decided that Dodge  want to be buried in a military cemetery but no one in his family could afford a plot. The Beck family however had a space at the tiny cemetery in Lohnau and a Florida veterans group offered to pay the airfare for Dodge s family to attend the services. -. Aaa. And Dodge she said had always liked Germany. The funeral was something of a spectacle and. Afterwards she was t sure it was such a Good decision to Bury him in Germany local newspapers ran the Story a Quot us Soldier died in Gulf War widow Only 18 years  More than 100 people attended the service at her parents farm. A people Quot she said Quot just came and. Came and  a a she oked darkly that she should Start charging a. Admission. Start her own business.  /&Quot/., _ a sometimes i Start doubting if there is a god Quot she said As she drove alongside the main River after visiting her husbands grave. A  paused one of her Many Long silences that Day then went in a of prayed for. Dodge every night and every morning and whenever i got the Chance but there Aro so. Many Weyes who did no to Pray. And their husbands Camo _  a a v Here West of Bamberg the  wanders Between the Hass mountains and the Steiger Wood past the kind of gentle Hills and tiny villages that make. A a a. A Hedwign it left Hedi and her Mother Elizabeth Beck. Above the three men who died from Bamberg s co a 82nd engr in from left pfc. Aaron Howard sgt. Dodge Powell sgt. William  sigh for Germany. When Dodge s family a Riding from the Frankfurt Airport to the funeral everyone remarked at the Beauty of the land in contrast to the. Relentless flatness of an East Florida City. Hedi does no to especially like it Quot everything i do Here and everywhere i go reminds me of him Quot she said As she sped past the music scene the drab looking danc club where they met. A a j a a. A a a. A a. A a a. A a. Although she Hadnot known them before the funeral Dodge s relatives accept her Quot As a daughter Quot Hedi a so. This summer she a moving to Florida to stay with them. She wants to  he grew up see what he saw visit the places he used to visit. Then she plans to Start College there probably in Pensacola she wants f keep working with disturbed children entering Warner Barracks in Bamberg to Check her mail Hedi drove past a sign that had just been put up Quot Welcome Home desert storm heroes Quot the painted bedsheets said. A a a Quot which heroes a she asked cryptically Quot the ones who Are dead or the other ones Quot Dodge Powell is one of the heroes who Are dead i lies in a soldiers grave at a country cemetery. Perhaps he did not believe in what he was fighting for but he fought within sight across the rolling Farmland in not Village nearby there is a Field where he used to play soccer empty this afternoon /. A  had always been happiest in Germany his wife said.  Here that they had met and Here that he. Thought he had found something to live for. So he will stay Here in the Foothills Between Schwein and Bamberg. Forever readers action Linea plea to save cafes sewing Section q a this May seem a trivial problem for some but for those of us who shop regularly at local cafes fabric and sewing Supply sections cutbacks in this department will Hurt. Quot /. A 1, As Well As. Many others in my Community have fully utilized he cafes fabric and. Sewing department for. Personal family and household needs hobbies gifts. School classroom and Community fund raising projects a i have submitted my objections on the customer a comment form to my local cafes store. A. Will my voice really make  on cafes a decision closing fabric and sewing sections How can we the customers prevent cafes from reducing this department to Basic Needles and thread ,. Terrill major a a a a a a Mainz Germany master sgt Dayton p. Strickland customer relations he cafes Europe replies during the past several years cafes has. Noticed a significant decline in sales of sewing items. _ consequently it is no longer feasible for every Exchange to carry a full line of fabric and sewing supplies. However in an Effort to continue providing service for our sewing customers we have opened Large centrally located stitches and crafts shops at Raf Lakenheath in England and Stuttgart and Frankfurt Germany. A. We also planto open shops at Ramstein a and Furth also Irr Germany smaller stores will continue to carry Only the basics. Since you live near Frankfurt i encourage you to Chat out the stitches and crafts shop  write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort Quot striding to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or. /. Questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for it answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes ap0 09211-4211. All letters must be. Signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. A. A a. A Page 16 a the stars and stripes saturday May 4, 1991