European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 17, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 b the stars and stripes saturday August 17,1991 Romance was postcard perfect by Janet Howells Tierney Washington Bureau Washington girl meets boy. Friendship blooms. They fall in love get married live happily Ever after. Its a rather unremarkable Story until you consider that this couple did their courting through the . Postal service and embraced for the first time Only six Days before their wedding last january. But the Story of the Romance Between air Force staff sgt. Mark a. Clement and the former Tamra a. Finnegan began a year before they were married. Tamra who lives with her Mother in Fortson  a placed a notice in the pen pal column of the stars and stripes european edition hoping to make new friends overseas. A night shift nurse Tamra used the quiet hours to write letters. Sixty people answered her and. One respondent was a Young airman Mark Clement who wrote about his life As a russian linguist at Berlin s Tempelhof Central Airport. A we wrote about our interests and he Quot told me he was seeing a German girl. He sent me pictures of them visiting different places Quot Tamra said. Quot i was interested in someone at the Lime  staf sgt. Mark and Tamra Clement the Friendly letter Exchange continued through the breakup of both their relationships. On Mark s birthday Tamra spent 45 minutes talking to overseas Telephone operators in an Effort to reach Mark. �?o1 never gave her my number because of the expense of overseas Calls a Mark said. A but about 2 . In the morning i got this Call and we talked for half an hour or longer. A from the phone Calls i knew she was the Best woman 1 Ever talked to a he said. It was during that Call that their relationship took a new turn. Mark told Tamra he loved her. The Call was followed by a flurry of letters and postcards Between the two As the Long distance Romance began to heat up. Mark in a radio dispatched written message through the military affiliate radio system known As Mars told Tamra he was anxious to visit her during his upcoming january leave. The written word just Wasny to enough As the Flicker of Romance soon became a Bonfire. One month their combined Telephone Bill was $1,200. In late september Tamra and her Mother were visiting relatives in Texas when her Mother fell ill and had to be hospitalized there. A Mark kept in touch with me the whole time with letters and Calls a she said. A then he sent a dozen roses to my mothers room. That did it i was  in return for the roses the love struck woman sent Mark a Pinata a gift that struck sure As cupids Arrow. The Day Tamra returned to Georgia a dozen yellow roses and a big Teddy Bear were delivered. And in a seven hour phone Call Hist oct. 10, Mark proposed. A i never considered any other possibility and just said yes a Tamra  was waiting with open arms when Mark arrived on Jan. 7 at Buffalo s Airport. They were married in a Small ceremony on Jan. 12 by a Justice of the peace in a local restaurant and honeymooned in Savannah a. Although Mark had to return alone to Berlin on feb. 3, the duo agreed to write often and talk once a week. A we found out fast that that did no to work a Tamra said. A we talk about twice a week and have averaged three or four letters each  Mark who was reassigned to fort Meade md., was reunited with Tamra when he flew into the Columbus ga., Airport on aug. Lmh we hugged for about five full minutes a a Mark recalls. They later left on a trip up the East coast to visit new York and Niagara Falls. However Mark and Tamra have one More separation to go before they can finally be together in october. Tamra returns to her mothers House in Georgia while Mark leaves again on aug. 28 to attend a five week military course in Washington state. Blood drives announced to replenish Low supplies Heidelberg Germany a blood donations to european military communities have dropped since the persian Gulf crisis ended and usae Treur blood Bank supplies arc Low say 7th medical come officials. The blood Bank needs to maintain Between 250 and 300 units of blood for . Military medical facilities in Europe. Since blood cannot be used after 35 Days supplies must be constantly replenished. On wednesday the blood Bank had 347 units of blood 158 of which will be Good Only for 10 More Days. Several weeks ago the blood Bank had just 120 units of blood said maj. John Hatten commander of the 655th medical co which runs the blood Bank. Recent drives in Baum older and Pir Masens collected 274 units and 165 units respectively but a these drives were exceptions to the current trend a Hatten said. A drive last week in Kaiserslautern the largest american Community outside the United states netted Only 43 pints he said. The 655lh has scheduled the following blood drives to augment the blood Supply a tuesday a weierholt gymnasium a aug. 27 a Ramstein a recreation Center a aug. 29 a Baum older Neu Brucke Cavern gymnasium a sept. 9 a bad Kreuz Nach Rose Barracks gymnasium a sept. 24 a Ramstein a recreation Center a a Rcpt. 26 a Heidelberg Patton Barracks gymnasium All blood types Are needed however of negative the Universal donor Type is needed most he said. Giving blood is Safe officials insist. Needles used to draw blood Are sterile and discarded after one use and potential donors Are screened. People who have returned from the persian Gulf re Gion within the past 60 Days and a Small number of people whose assignment in the War zone placed them in an area where malaria is an endemic risk May not be permitted to donate blood said medical command officials. Navy to take part in North Star 91 Washington a amps a nine Navy ships including the aircraft Carrier America and 9,500 Navy personnel will take part in nato exercise North Star 91, Pentagon officials said thursday. Scheduled for sept. 10-19, North Star 91 is a maritime exercise that will take place in the North Atlantic and in Waters off the coast of Norway. It will include naval surface submarine and air operations. The exercise is a realistic at sea test of nato command and control procedures including sea control and support of land commanders that Are essential for successful multinational maritime operations. Naval forces from Canada Germany the Netherlands Norway and the United kingdom will join . Forces for the exercise. A total of about 17,000 Allied personnel will be involved most of them aboard the approximately 55 ships that Are expected to participate. About 200 aircraft including those deployed aboard ships at sea will also be involved. Planning and execution of North Star 91 is being coordinated by . Michael Kalleres commander of the Navy a striking Fleet Atlantic. He is a major subordinate to the supreme Allied commander Atlantic one of natos three principal military commands. 1,276 mines cleared from persian Gulf Kuwait apr the commander of . Naval forces in the Middle East says 1,276 mines sown by Iraq in the persian Gulf have been collected but the remaining mines a perhaps As few As 40 a present a continuing threat to shipping. A my guess is there Are about 40 More maybe 50,�?� said rear . Raynor , Taylor. A and the last 50 Are the hardest to  Taylor spoke at a reception aboard the american command ship Lasalle this week to Mark the official reopening of Kuwait a largest port to commercial traffic. Shu Weikh port on Kuwait City a Northern Edge was heavily vandalized by iraqi occupiers in he Oil Rich emirate invaded by Iraq on aug 2, 1990, was liberated by Allied forces on feb. 26. Taylor said the 12-nation min sweeping Effort would probably end in about six weeks after a we will have done As much As reasonable to  Taylor a command extends to the red sea. Where Allied warships continue to Stop and search vessels going to Aqaba Jordan to make sure they carry no cargo for Iraq in violation of the worldwide embargo. He reported "10 boardings a  1 Aylor said 30 to 35 . Ships remain in the Region including a Battle group in the Gulf headed by the air Cratl Carrier Abraham Lincoln. At the height of the persian Gult War there were six Carrier groups and Over 150 . Ships. Military Many airlines extend desert storm fare cuts Washington a amps a most major . Airlines have announced the Extension of their a desert storm thank you Quot fares through dec. 15, military traffic management come officials announced. The fare reductions which can be As High As 70 percent off regular prices were originally offered to Reward military personnel who participated in operation desert storm. Air carriers decided to extend the program in recognition of the Large number of service Mem Bers who remain in the Middle East officials said. To be eligible military members must prove they were stationed in the Middle East sometime during the last year. Immediate family members Are also eligible. Other restrictions May apply depending on individual airline requirements officials said. Participating airlines include american Continental Delta Northwest pan am Twa us air and  training set Washington a amps a the 1991 army Community recreation leadership training will be held in october in Baltimore md., together with the armed forces recreation society professional training Institute and the National recreation and Park association Congress. The army training is scheduled for oct. 15 and 16, while the Congress will be held oct. 17 through oct. 21. Along with attending major command meetings delegates to the army training will attend sessions covering such topics As army morale welfare and recreation initiatives and strategic planning for the future. Attendees May also attend training on How to provide improved customer service and creative recreation programming along with Over 200 educational sessions. One of the nations largest annual recreational Industry Trade exhibits featuring up to 400 Vendor displays will be held at the same time officials said. Also the armed forces recreation society will hold an awards breakfast oct. 18, with Milli cent Woods Deputy assistant Secretary of defense for personnel support families and education As guest of Honor. Advance registration by sept. 13 is required through local Community recreation offices or by contacting the Community recreation directorate . Army Community and family support Center at 703 325-9710 or Auto on Dan 221-9710