European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 20, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes tuesday August 20, 1991 tics european edition circulation 100,000 col Gene a. Townsend Usan commander publisher Bernard a. Zovistoski editor it. Col. Thomas e. Conrad Usa Deputy commander Bill Walker european editor Marie Kominicki production manager William healer circulation manager switchboard 06155-6010. Ets 348-5741 or 5823. Telex 419-332. News Tel fax 06155-601416 mailing address Apo 09211-4211 or Post Fach 11 14 37, d-6100 Darmstadt 11,  06155-601 plus Extension or ets 348-8 plus Extension. 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 Germany Ken Clauson. Building 103, Carl Schurz Cavern Apo 09069 Telephone ets 342-8659 or civilian 0471-887b2. 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Nurnberg civilian 0911 -712558. Ets 460-7001. Stuttgart civilian 0711 -546743, ets 420-7175 Greece Athens civilian 9923390. Italy Vicenza civilian 0444 515358. Ets 634-7545, Telela 0444-300-641. Spain Madrid ets g65 5b07, civilian and Telela 003416561465. Turkey Istanbul civilian 664372, Telela 0090-1-1664372 United kingdom Newbury civilian 0635 447gb, Dan 266-3209 circulation Tel fax 06155 601417 advertising display ext. 247, 309 classified ext 349 advertising Tel fax 06155 601412 this newspaper is an authorized until icing publication Lor members of he military services ovoid was contents of the stars and stripes do not Neces Sanly relied the Olti Cial views of. Or endorsement by 1he . Government the department of defense or the u a. European command the appearance of advertising in this publication including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department of Welense or the Slars and stripes of he products or services advertised everything advertised in this publication shall be made available fax Purchase use or patronage without regard to race color religion sex National origin age marital slates physical Handicap political affiliation or any other non Merit. Factor of the purchaser user or  the truth the Story a air Crew gets medals for disobeying orders aug. 8 is a distortion of the truth that sends a confusing message to readers. The article states that in the december 1989 invasion of Panama an air Force Reserve gunship Crew a was ordered to blast an enemy  however the fire control officer and gunship commander decided to withhold fire because they saw american troops at the target site. The article states that a the gunship Crew were awarded medals for refusing to obey  this statement is untrue. The gunship Crew did exactly what its commanders trained it to do and it was not disobeying orders. When commanders give gunship or ground Crews the order to fire they Are giving permission to fire. The order to fire is not a a Blind  the commander knows that the Soldier in the Forward position May be Able to see things at the target sight that the commander cannot see. The commander expects the Soldier to use his skills and common sense before he fires. Obviously if the gunner sees . Soldiers on the target site he does not fire. A chaplain Donald w. Eubank Pir Masens German read the rest of a amps a recent writer complained because the stars and stripes carried a Centrefold article on a Star trek convention. May i suggest that anybody who sees anything he objects to in the stars and stripes can ignore it read the rest of the paper and still get. His 35 cents Worth a Gene Phillips Frankfurt germanyd0d a blowing smoke Quot i am interested in the department of defense s policy on no smoking. 1 have read that around 196 Dod went on a no smoking Campaign for service members. Follow up articles say How the Campaign is making headway. I say that a impossible. Everywhere 1 go on base people Are smoking. You have to walk through five people huddled around a door smoking just to get inside. People also walk around the Barracks smoking and smoke in offices. 1 have even seen an no Light up in the same office with my wife who is pregnant and also a service member with no concern for my unborn child. Why must non smokers constantly endure secondhand smoke complaining wont get you anywhere especially if your commanding officer or first sergeant smokes. You should have seen them in saudi Arabia when the cigarette Supply got Low they freaked. I know i was one of them. So i quit. Personally i think Dod is a blowing smoke about it s non smoking Campaign. A pfc. Trey j. Land Iii Wortheim Germany another army Era passes it was a rather sad Day at the Miessau army depot when i shared the last meal to be served by the 7418th civilian support group dining facility with its supervisor Stanislaw Wiercioch Wiez. There was a Curt official memorandum on the door announcing the closing. And it had a Little note in carefully printed lettering a efforts that this will not happen had no results. However we want to let you All know that we were proud of supporting you the 7418 est Ord dining facility  How very typical of the truly great support provided by so Many a labor services men and women Over these Many years since right after world War ii when they started helping us. I recall when 1 transferred up from the . Forces in Austria in october 1955 being much impressed by these refugees from the East who were organized into quasi military units and the hard dedicated work they were already famous for then. All these years they kept at it performing the Tough jobs a in the rear while our army trained to defend nato. Now it seems we done to need them anymore. Actually father time has removed ail of the  they have had to retire at 65 and what we have now Are predominately German replacements. Each and every one of these units and each of their members has provided us vital support Over the years. Its a pity that the . Army Only mentions these accomplishments in passing and never to an army wide  do Hope the historians who document our combined efforts give due credit to the a labor services even if it is too late to do so for individuals they have already gone. As i say it was a sad Day to see another Era pass away almost unnoticed. Thank you a labor services for your support to All of us Over these Many years. A Russell Roberts Miessau Germany editor s note a letters from readers expressing their viewpoints Are published daily in this space. All letters must be signed. We Reserve the right to edit Jetters 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 09211-4211. A 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.guns Are for cowards we in Britain realize that our 22-mile stretch of water that separates us from Europe has been a major help in keeping us free for nearly a thousand years. America has a 3,000-mile stretch As Protection. As technology advances that Protection shrinks but when America gained its Independence 200 years ago it was because the ships of the time  keep a Supply line going. It is this great Divide that has kept America free since its Start until fairly modern times a not guns. As to a previous writers statement about americans being a prickly a anyone can be a hero with a gun. We in Britain have Street robberies like in America but Over Here its normally the weak the old and the helpless who get held up because the criminal knows that they Are not going to put up a fuss and if they do the cowardly criminal often runs. In America everyone can get hold of a gun above or below the counter it takes guts to hold up someone with a knife or stick Over Here though they May not last but in America with a gun a Holdup is easy. And if you have to kill them that a easy As Well. Just a Jerk of the Finger. Any Coward can do it. Letters to the editor that a Why you have so Many armed  if you have trouble with your neighbor or a member of your family occasionally Well who does no to but Over Here we talk we shout we fight or we Call the police. In America the gun is too Handy. How easy in a moment of White hot anger to murder someone so effortlessly and spend the rest of your life regretting it. That show most murders Are committed in the United states. Guns Breed a nation of cowards where people fear those who have guns and who kill for As Little As no reason because its so easy to do so. If guns Are needed to keep people out How did the russian peasants beat Napoleon and Hitler How did the vietnamese win two decades ago How did the afghans stand against the might of Russia when even America May not have been Able to Etc. Michael Hill a a Mildenhall England arc Day care Center have those in charge of arc forgotten about military families i can to help but come to this conclusion when learning the sad fact that the child care and development Center in Garmisch is slated to close its doors oct. 1. This Day care Center has served the military Community in an outstanding fashion at very reasonable Cost but when closed it apparently will not be replaced. This is a slap in the face to those of us with Small children who depended on Day care during ski trips or Tours and effectively rules out arc Garmisch As a vacation option. As an officer with a decent income i. Have Many other Holiday choices in an increasingly expensive Europe. How Many choices does an enlisted family have with annual incomes As Low As $15,000? i Appeal to arc to reverse this decision and keep arc Garmisch available to All of us a capt. Mark Elam Frankfurt German problems with cafes since moving to Germany Lla years ago in be seen and read about Many injustices real or imagined occurring in our military lifestyle. Some Are just the consequence of being in the military and one must adjust. In a compelled however to write about one form of injustice that could by changed yet nothing is being done. In a referring to All the complaints and problems having to do with cafes. What i fail to understand is Why when we come from one of the largest free Market economies we have neglected to use this consumer Power to help ourselves. We the military Community have allowed cafes to become a powerful monopoly Here in Europe. After another futile attempt to be treated with respect As i expect from a store in a patronizing cafes has let me Down. Upon requesting information about a transaction 1 made the cafes employee at the Ramstein main Exchange asked a who the hell Are you a since this transpired in be found the Only product i truly need cafes for is gasoline. All my other purchases can be made on the Economy. With the Power we have As Consumers Why do we insist on being so dependent on cafes if we the military Community flexed our buying Power Muscles More perhaps we could teach cafes to treat us with the respect we deserve. Furthermore we can remind cafes that without the military customer they Are out of business. A Natalie Eslinger Ramstein a Germany