European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 5, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 20 b the stars and stripes saturday october 5, 1991 after 118 hostages staff at Freedom Hall loves vips by Ron Mckinney staff writer Wiesbaden Germany a former hostage Edward Tracy offered to sleep on the floor when he saw his suite in Freedom Hall at the 7100th support Wing medical Center the Hospital commander said. Quot he thought the room was so Nice head sleep on the carpet Quot said the commander. Col. Or Earl w. Ferguson. Quot he did no to want to mess up the bed. After sleeping on a mat As a hostage that a quite a different  la racy released in Early August after five years of Captivity in Lebanon was the most recent former hostage to stay at Freedom Hall the name Given to the hospitals Wing in 1981 by the 52 americans held for More than 400 Days in Iran. Since then the medical Center has played Host to 66 former hostages including people held temporarily in two airline hijackings. Ordinarily released hostages Are flown to Rhein main a Germany and then taken to Wiesbaden. Ferguson said the former hostages who stay at Freedom Hall face what could be a troubling transition As they adjust to such novelties As seeing family and friends. As they adjust to their Freedom Ferguson said the repatriated hostages go through stages of confusion and anger. A they need to express and ventilate those feelings in a controlled environment and that we can give them Quot he said. One of the key persons involved in making Tracy feel Welcome was 1st it. Julie Stola the clinical nurse responsible for his care that first night. The Hospital commander s Only advice to her was to Check in on Tracy and to give him some tender Loving care she said. Her first sight of Tracy was from a Balcony where she had joined the crowd in greeting him cheering and waving american flags As he approached the medical Center. Quot he looked tired a Stola said. A but he was walking under his own strength and he had a pleasant  it Stola brought in a copy of the stars and stripes the next morning so Tracy could see his picture. A that s pretty Good. I made the front Page Quot he told her. Whenever the medical centers version of a Quick reaction hostage team receives a Call from the state department that a hostage release is Likely a team of about 75 people begins preparing for the hostage s arrival and Short stay. Quot it s anxiousness waiting for a hostage to be released Quot said maj. Paul Williamson the centers medical readiness director. Although the centers reception plan is easy to follow Williamson said it involves a variety of people from Fri agents to state department representatives to the medical centers Barber. Quot just to move Tracy from Rhein main to Here and his Short Little walk from the helicopter it must be taken 40, 50, 60 Man hours to make it happen and to make it fluid and smooth a he said. A a there a a lot of people involved in making this  once the hostages have been welcomed into the medical Center attention is focused on their care. During their Captivity the hostages become unaccustomed to making choices Ferguson said. His staff tries to ease the hostages into making even the simplest decisions. One of the first choices they Are asked to make at the Hospital is what to eat. To simplify even this decision a Small menu is offered. A these people Are from a highly stressed highly structured environment a Ferguson said. A someone who has been a hostage for five years has never had to think about  although special food requests such As Tracy a desire for big macs Are always filled the nutritional staff suggests to their guests that they May want to eat something Light such As Chicken salad said chief master sgt. Harvey Cain the manager of the nutritional Medicine service. The food is catered to them on vip China. Quot it puts a big workload on our department six or seven people to take care of one or two hostages Quot a amps Hon Mckinney 1st it. Julie Stola. Offers tic to released hostages Cain said. A we make a tremendous Effort to ensure  be completely satisfied. We have an excellent reputation and we want to keep that  a doctor will advise them on the consumption of alcohol but it is the hostages decision even while they Are at the medical Center. A if they Haven to been drinking in a year they can get carried away a Cain said. Ferguson said they also have to protect them from news conferences where there can be a microphones and photographers and 30 people shouting questions at them. A person who has been a hostage has not had a lot of stimulation and that can be a very disorienting  Williamson s personal highlight of the duty so far he said was to see Tracy walk off the helicopter after a being a Detainee Tot so Long to be Able to smile and say he a proud to be an  Bijj my w 4 y or 4 am former hostage Edward Tracy sent a letter of appreciation to the Freedom Hall staff. Or col. Earl w. Ferguson right is the Hospital commander. A amps Ron Mckinney one time enemies share prize for Jet development Washington a two former enemies who independently developed the Jet aircraft engine during world War ii have been awarded the Charles Stark Draper prize by the National Academy of engineering. Sir Frank whittle who worked in England and Hans . Von Chain who worked in Germany will share the $375,000 prize. Both men raced to develop the Jet engine to build planes of War but the conflict was winding Down by the time their Jet powered Cruft were flying. Though their invention was perfected too late to affect the War. The Academy said the Jet engine has had a significant Impact on history since. Whittle continued to work in Britain until 1976, when he emigrated to the United states and joined the faculty at the . Naval Academy. Whittle 84, lives in Columbia my. Von Chain came to the United states in 1947 and conducted research for the air Force until his retirement in 1979, the 79-year-old von Chain is a senior research Engineer at the University of Dayton in Dayton Ohio. The Charles Stark Draper prize is named for an Engineer who helped develop the inertial navigation system widely used in aircraft and rockets