European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 16, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A big smile for this real major dad Cindy Chambers columnist rtt i hey called him a a smiling same a but i Only behind his Back. Anyone Brave i enough or new enough to address the Al Young Drill sergeant by that nickname quickly found himself examining grass at close Range. Overhead smiling Sam Podurgal counted out push ups one after another. Me was nobody a Den Mother. He was a soldiers Soldier a sergeants sergeant a Many a Man. You get the picture. A once while guarding a motor Pool he caught a a Soldier going awol. Rather than risk his escape smiling Sam simply imprisoned the fellow in a pitch Black grease pit until the maps could pick him up the next morning. This is the stuff Drill sergeant legends Are made of. He spent two years in Vietnam months at fort Leavenworth kan., weeks at the Pentagon and hours at the o club. Busy As he was he always remembered to bring Home something for his Little girl an Uncle Remus doll from Georgia a stuffed baby Alligator from puerto Rico. When he returned from the club i got my favorite gift of All a Beer  Home he ruled the Roost with the same. Calm sensible approach favored by Fred Flintstone. My Mother More than capable of running the House without help from anyone played a patient Wilma to his Fred. We changed be rocks every other year my two older Brothers and i looked up to dad with a mixture of admiration and intimidation a heavy on the intimidation. He did no to look at our rooms. He inspected them. He did no to talk. He cd Uca cd. And he never threatened a just delivered. A a a a a a / a a a a a a a a a yet this same Man could whistle a flight of the bumblebees so lil tingly you would swear he had an extra set of lips. He could pare an Apple so that the Peel came off in one Long Lovely spiral. And he could roller skate with perfect Grace tucking in his tie arid leaning in at the Corners like an olympic Champion. It seemed to me with the Blind admiration of a child that dad could do anything. He built us stilts kites and the first lethal skateboards our town Ever saw he could fix anything from a. Wrecked television to a broken heart. And naturally he expected nothing less than perfection from his three children. A a a a i spent a whole childhood trying to please him. If dad was driven to be the Best at everything he had Good reason. As a first generation polish boy growing up in Carri Egic pa., he was head. Mils a a a Crummy student tie was so nervous As a child that he stuttered in polish no Les Sand lost his hair by the handful. Later informing his parents he was joining the army they said a you will fail a which in polish sounds vaguely like a person choking on a piece of meat. Why not be a doctor they asked or a even better a a priest a. Dad knew the key to bettering himself Lay in the military where anyone could succeed if he worked hard enough. At first his accent was so bad that his Drill sergeant labelled him a the dumb contents Lee Baker and his son Tyler. Page 4. Tom Clancy gets a read on the military. Page 8.from the cover 2,4-6 at the sound of the tone it will be father s Day do you know where your children Are children sure know dad. Staff writer . Kominicki plus columnists Cindy Chambers and Rob Staggenborg explore. Cover photo by Michael Abrams with design by Wes Booher. Computers. 7 How do these things keep track books and language 8-9 Tom Clancy faces his readers Odds amp ends .10 stepping out with father to plus a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 11 movie Days at Frankfurt museum television listings. 12-14 local Cable and satellite schedule son television. 15 one Parent fathers singled out on video. 16 Paul Newman tries to Bridge the Gap Joe Bob Briggs. 17 casting the Stone age. This weeks films .18-19 Quot Only the lonely Quot full of Candy Complete cafes circuit listings. Classified ads. 20-23 last laugh. 24 Dave Barry could Discolour the White House  dad patiently withstood being the Brunt of the sergeants jokes while establishing his reputation As an excellent driven Soldier. The a dumb Polack who started out As an army Cook went on to earn a commission several Bronze and Silver stars a bachelors degree and two masters degrees. As a major he happened to run into the very sergeant who had teased him so unmercifully As a. Recruit. Resisting the urge to Call the sergeant on the carpet for a minor infraction. Dad simply Fin. Cred his Oak leaves and asked a not bad for a dumb Polack he a a mellowness came slowly to dad but it came. While serving As Deputy commander of Rock Island Arsenal he left his office one sunny Day and slowly Savoured an ice Cream Cone on the Headquarters Lawn. It was a turning Point he says when he discovered the world did no to come to an end just because he Wasny to running it. As the grandchildren came along dad grew gentler. He Sang to them read to them rocked them. Even changed a diaper or two. Mom is still getting Over the Shock. Dad retired from the army in 1972 and serves As a personnel director in Clarksville Tenn. He credits his recent Success on the Job to the fact that he has Learned to encourage his employees to give credit where its due and to be Liberal with compliments. 1 he says  he had known How to do those things when we kids were growing up. A it would have made your childhood a lot easier a he wrote me recently. Easier yes. But better trying to please Smi a line Sam was the hardest thing a and the finest thing a Many people had to do. Dad As i celebrate this fathers Day i  have changed a single thing. A Cindy Chambers is a military family member living in Schweinfurt Germany and a regular contributor to sunday. Only John Candy and ally Sheedy. Page 19. Sunday is a weekly supplement of the stars and stripes acting editor. Sarah Bottorff contributing editor Bucky Fox Art direction Wes Booher production Kelly Quinn Lisa Williams editorial assistance Marian Hamilton Louis Pierce Page 2 a sunday june 16, .1991