European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 19, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Memories unearthed with remnants of b-17 by Chuck Roberts staff writer Eisenberg Germany a the b-17 crewman wore his Gold wedding band for Only one year before he plunged to his death during a bombing run Over Germany on feb. 9,1945. Since then the ring and skeletal remains have been buried in a Hillside in Eastern Germany for the past 46 years until they were unearthed saturday by a German businessman who searches for missing warplanes in his spare time. A tarnished and warped ring was found but the answer to who placed that wedding wig on the Many a Finger is still missing. There Are leads but the answer May never be found. The following inscription was revealed on the 14-Carat Gold wedding ring m. An illegible letter follows to . 1944. The remains and information about the crash will be turned Over to the . Military so that any surviving family members can have them said Uwe Benkel the businessman who works for the German health insurance co. In Kaiserslautern. Benkel has Learned from witnesses that the b-17 Fly site of world War ii crash feb. 9.1949 �?�b-17 was Parton 8th . Air Force a bombing target was a factory in Jena a initials on wedding ring Are m. Unrecognizable to . S4s Polar Jaeger ing fortress exploded into a Hillside during a heroic Landing attempt. The Crew members arc considered heroes by the local people because they dropped their bombs and mane Vered the flaming air plane away from the town feb. 9,1945. Benkel is a member of Vermis ten such inst a club that searches for missing air planes from world see memories on Page 2 s4s Ken Georgs Gert Kohler displaying part of the b-17 s propeller remembers the Day nearly 47 years ago when the american bomber  agrees to attend peace talks Jerusalem a the United states and soviet Union Friday announced that a Middle East peace conference would open oct. 30 in Madrid the first Broad peace Effort for the Region in two War torn decades. President Bush and soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev will formally open the peace talks. Although final arrangements were far from set Israel said Friday that it plans to attend. The expected Arab participants Are Syria Jordan Lebanon Egypt and palestinians who will be part of the jordanian delegation. A this invitation offers the Peoples in this Region a pathway to ending an Era of confrontation and it offers a basis for a new future a Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii said. Soviet foreign minister Boris Pankin was at his Side when the dramatic announcement was made. A the stage we have come to represents a very important turning Point for the Middle East a Pankin said 1 history is handing out an Opportunity that we must not pass  Only minutes earlier Israel had agreed to participate. �?o1 think i will recommend to the government that it give its approval because there is no better alternative a israeli prime minister Yitzhak Sha Mir said. A without negotiations we can never reach  in Washington presidential spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said a the president plans to be there to open this historic occasion one with potential to bring True peace and Security to people of the  Bush and Gorbachev also will meet before the Middle East conference convenes Fitzwater said. Their discussion will Deal with other issues among them presumably nuclear weapons cuts both nations have proposed. Fitzwater said the objective of the peace conference is a nothing less than a just lasting and comprehensive settlement of the Arab israeli  the conference will be held in three Chascs. There will be a formal opening Akcer said to be followed within four Days by bilateral negotiations among the parties. Two weeks later Baker said there will be regional talks. Syria so far is boycotting the later regional discussions which will Deal with such issues As arms buildups in the Middle East and the Scarcity of water. Syrian president Hafez Assad has said his country would not discuss those issues until Israel agrees to return the Golan  takes oath of office at White House Washington apr Clarence Thomas the newest member of the supreme court took an oath of office Friday at a White House ceremony and declared a now is a time to move Forward a Thomas 43, born into poverty in Rural Georgia becomes the 106th Justice and Only the second Black to serve on the nations highest court. A a it a wonderful a Thomas declared. The outdoor swearing in ceremony on a Balmy Day under Blue skies came a week after a former assistant testified to the Senate judiciary committee in a nationally televised appearance that Thomas had sexually harassed her. A there have been Many difficult Days As we All went through the confirmation Battle. On this see Thomas on Page 2 Cheney tells european allies nato must not be weakened Taormina Sicily apr defense Secretary Dick Cheney on Friday pressed France and Germany for details of their Surprise plans for a european army cautioning the allies against any moves to weaken the nato Alliance. A the Bedrock of North Atlantic Security should continue to be nato a said Cheney at the end of a two Day meeting of defense ministers of the North Atlantic treaty organization in a picturesque sicilian Village overlooking the Mediterranean. In a statement winding up talks on a new nuclear strategy the ministers called for cooperation with the soviet Union to ensure the safety of their nuclear weapons during a period of political upheaval. A this matter clearly affects the Security interests of the entire Alliance a it said. Cheney said the allies were a quite confident today the Kremlin retained control Over its atomic arms. But he told a news conference a the big question of course that no one can answer at this Point is what future arrangements will be in the soviet  with the collapse of Central authority officials Arete Bedrock of North Atlantic Security. Should continue to be  defense Secretary Dick Cheney concerned about any shift of control of the weapons to the increasingly Independent republics. The ministers confirmed their landmark decision to slash the nuclear Arsenal in Europe by 80 percent leaving about 700 Gravity bombs remaining in the stockpile. They said the decision was justified by the fading military threat from the soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Hut the officials insisted on the need to maintain a see nato on Page 2