European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 11, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thomas hearings Star court nominee salutes pioneers for civil rights Washington apr supreme court nominee Clarence Thomas went before the Senate judiciary committee on tuesday telling his confirmation hearing he was indebted to those who used a their lives their blood their talents so he could escape from a life of discrimination and poverty. Leading democrats on the committee said they would ask Thomas a Black Federal appeals judge whether he favors a a Radical change in american Law including a ban on abortion. Thomas did not address those issues in his Brief opening statement. Instead he recalled a childhood in the poor South and his Catholic education. His voice choked with emotion he said a i watched As my Grandfather was called  i watched As my grandmother suffered the indignity of being denied the use of a bathroom and through it All they remained fair and decent and Good  Thomas said he was indebted not Only to his parents grandparents and the Catholic nuns who taught him but also to retiring Justice Thurgood Marshall the nations first Black Justice and the Man president Bush nominated Thomas to replace. Speaking of civil rights pioneers Thomas said he had see Thomas on Page 2 x / / apr supreme court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas is escorted to the Senate panel hearings tuesday by sen. Strom Thurmond . At left is sen. Joseph r. Alden jr., d-del., and at right is sen. John c. Danforth  predicts . Role in rapid Europe Force by Ken Clauson staff writer com Herb ram Germany a natos top military it Mander said tuesday that he foresees a role for the United states in a multinational rapid reaction Force in Europe. Work already has begun to form such a Force but the extent of american participation has not yet been determined. A nato working group formed during the past week is based in Bielefeld Germany and is observing exercise certain shield 91 with an Eye toward How such a multinational Force would be shaped said . Army Gen. John r. Galvin. Certain shield the nato training Maneu vers that Are follow on to reformer represents the future of multinational training Galvin said. Nato troops were to begin mane vering tuesday inset related photos on Page 3 the first major War Gaines in United Germany featuring trials of the Western Alliance s new rapid deployment units tests of an air Mobile division and tryouts of com Puter assisted training. Computer simulations related to the exercise began two Days ago. The exercise which involves 28,400 troops is the largest this year by the North Atlantic treaty organization but is considerably smaller than the last major autumn Maneu vers held in West Germany in 1987, which involved 78,300 troops. A it could be a division a Galvin said of . Participation in the multinational rapid reaction Force a could be some of the corps troops such As the aviation Bri see Galvin on Page 2mi mystery May have been solved a these strange shapes photographed last year in Southern England Are fairly typical two britons said monday the fascinating circles which have been baffling of mysterious a crop circles that have been showing up in Grainfield for years. But by for a Long time Are just a hoax they started Back in 1978. See Story on Page ?