European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 18, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday september 18, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 5sac to eliminate Tail gunners on b-52s Offutt fab neb. A the Era of the Tail gunner who sat in the Back to protect the planets rear came to an end monday As the strategic air come announced the position would be eliminated on its b-52 bombers. The move which takes effect oct. 1, will trim 525 Sac positions and help the air Force save Money in an Era of defense budget cuts said tech. Sgt. Alan Dockery a spokesman at Sac Headquarters near Omaha. Dockery said it was difficult to determine exactly How much Money would be saved. Tail guns will be salvaged for possible use on other aircraft. For Albert e. Conder and about 1,000 other members of air Force gunners association who once flew backward and stared at approaching enemies with a pointed gun the news marked the end of an Era. A it was a fantastic View in the Tail of an air plane a Conder said by Telephone from Nis Home in Atwater Calif. A you never knew where you were going. You always knew where you had  Conder 65, retired from the air Force As a chief master sergeant in 1967 after 24 years of service that included work As a gunner on b-17s in world War ii and on b-29s in the korean War. He is president of the gunners association. The history of the Tail gunner dates Back to the Early Days of wartime flying. By world War ii gunners were positioned on the Tail Waist upper Turret and other parts of the b-17s. A to be a gunner was to protect the aircraft a Conder said. A of course if you were in the Tail of an aircraft when it was attacked you were in a very vulnerable position but you had the Best position to shoot  modern Tail gunners actually sat in the front with the rest of the Crew on b-52s, operating Tail mounted radar aimed guns. Sac said the move will Cut 325 gunners and 200 maintenance positions. Gunners and those who work to maintain Tail guns will be retrained for other jobs but eventually the move will help the air Force to reduce its total number of positions Dockery said. The bases and numbers of cuts Are Andersen fab Guam 1 Barksdale la., 63 Carswell Texas 77 Castle Calif., 102 Ellsworth s.d., 20 Fairchild wash., 43 , n.y., 54 . Sawyer mich., 43 Loring Maine. 38 Minot n.d., 43 Offutt 2 and Wurtsmith Lymich 39.exhausted paraplegic partner make it to Summit from wire reports Yosemite National Park Calif. A Rock climber paralysed in a fall completed his second major climb using his arms monday when he and his partner struggled to the 2,200-foot Summit of half dome exhausted but elated. Tension was High during the final 75-foot leg of the nearly two week Long ascent by paraplegic Mark Wellman and Mike Corbett because they were worn out and almost out of water. A that was a fantastic climb a lot harder than we thought a Wellman said after reaching the Summit of the famed Yosemite landmark about 1 30 . A i feel i barely made  a a i did no to know if 1 could make it a said Corbett who placed the lines Wellman climbed with thousands of pull . A we laughed that we wanted something harder than Al Capitan. We found  Wellman a Park Ranger was paralysed from the Waist Down during a climb of another Yosemite Peak in 1982. He and Corbett gained International Fame in 1989 when they climbed 3,300-foot Al Capitan another Yosemite Granite Monolith. After they reached the top Wellman was carried to his wheelchair. First to Greet him was his Girlfriend Paulette Irving who gave Nim a kiss. The climbing partners then popped Champagne corks. Wellman hosed Down a group of Well wishers while Corbett dumped his bottle Over his head. Before resuming the climb they split a breakfast bar the last of the food they took with them when the climb a Ted Fanner carries Mark Wellman after the paraplegic climber and Mike Corbett right completed their epic scaling of Yosemite a half dome on monday. Started 13 Days earlier on sept. 4. A a we re both beat a Wellman admitted in a two Way radio report just before starting up. A they sound like they be had enough a Bruce Brossman who Heads Yosemite a a Mountain climbing school said later. But Wellman had assured supporters and reporters a a we re making it. We re making  with Corbett leading they had to Inch up half domes sheer face 75 feet to reach the Summit. Part of that climb required them to swing out on their rope 8 to 10 feet from the Wall to get above an overhang. A a it a not too bad a Wellman said of the overhanging Rock. A maybe More like 20 feet at one  another concern was the physical condition of Corbett Yosemite a most experienced Rock climber. He reported numbness in his arms from in effect making the climb twice a once to set stakes then returning to their former location to clean up their equipment after Wellman pulled himself up hand Over hand. Because Corbett was so tired Wellman did almost All the talking during the morning radio report. A the wont recover until he gets Home for a week or so but we re going to make it a Wellman said. The climb was supposed to take eight Days but Loose Rock and foul weather hampered their Progress for a couple of Days. Skies were sunny for the last half of the ascent. Wellman did an estimated 5,000 pull  on the climb which posed even greater difficulties than his ascent of nearby Al Capitan in july 1989. In the stars and stripes 10 years ago sept. 18,1981 a or. C. Everett Koop a vehement critic of abortion was formally nominated to be surgeon general of the United states. The american Public health association said that Koop was unqualified and that it would fight his nomination. 20 years ago sept. 18,1971 the White House announced that 85-year-old associate Justice Hugo l. Black was retiring from Active service on the supreme court. 30 years ago sept. 18,1961 a the soviet Union warned that any military aircraft that violates East German airspace and refuses to land As directed Quot will be destroyed by the use of All Means including  40 years ago sept. 18,1951 a president Truman called the soviet Union the most dreadful tyranny the world has known. He said modern weapons communications and propaganda methods make the Kremlin s Power Quot More effective Quot and Quot More violent Quot than any tyrants of the past. L the climb scaling of Yosemite a half dome on monday. Nearby Al Capitan in july 1989. Expos in Gulf War to undergo tests measuring effects of Captivity Pensacola Fla. Apr seven for in the repatriated prisoner of War study Oner control group Vietnam pos Pensacola Fla. A seven former . Prisoners of War captured by Iraq in the persian Gulf War began physical and mental testing on monday As part of a Long term study of the Impact of their Captivity. They will undergo neurological examinations routine psychiatric tests and questioning about their Captivity including any torture they received at the hands of their iraqi captors said it. Gene Smallwood executive officer at the naval aerospace medical Institute. The seven former pos participating in the repatriated prisoner of War study Are Navy and Marine service members. Former army and air Force pos Are to visit the Institute at Nas Pensacola in six months. The nearly two dozen Gulf War pos will then make annual trips to the Institute for follow up testing. They make up the newest group to take part in the Navy and Marine study that Nas been going on since the late 1940s. It is the first group to include army and air Force personnel. Prior participants include a non Pris Oner control group Vietnam pos former . Embassy hostages held by Iran and 1,000 fliers who were pos in world War ii. The Gulf War pos Range from an army enlisted Man in his 20s to a Marine in his 40s. They also includes two women. Former pos will be asked about their most stressful experiences their time in solitary confinement and whether their physical ailments were attended to Smallwood said. Their spouses also will be Given psychiatric tests he said. China May be violating . Ban Washington up the administration said monday that a growing evidence indicates China is violating american Law by exporting to the United states products made in forced labor Camps. State department spokesman Richard Boucher said the United states knows of factories and agricultural farms in China that employ convict labor. Boucher said the United states opposes compulsory labor although he noted that voluntary prison labor and the Export of products made by them Are not outlawed by International convention. A your concern is with the violation of our Domestic Laws that could occur if products of the chinese prison system Are exported to the United states a Boucher said. A there is growing evidence of possible violations of our Law a he said. The alleged practice has prompted a customs service investigation. The Agency was told to deny entry to products imported from China when there is a reasonable indication that the products were made with prison labor a Boucher said. The prohibition will continue until the chinese government or an exporter pro Vides credible evidence that the products were not produced by prison labor he said. A we have informed the chinese government of our insistence that no products of prison labor be imported to the United states a Boucher said. A we have received a firm commitment from China to prevent the Sale of prison labor products to the United  on sunday the lbs to program 60 minutes devoted a segment to the Issue of forced chinese labor and chinese attempts to sell the products to the United states and other Western countries. The chinese deny the practice