European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 11, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                In Yugoslavia the destruction goes Onby Roy Gutman new Day two woman fora their belongings from the shattered City of Vukovan. On the Sun drenched Highway South of Dubrovnik Yugoslavia traffic screeched to a halt the other Day when bearded men in military garb piled out of an army bus and started firing pistols in he air. They were montenegrin reservists who Are ethnic serbs and veterans of the yugoslav Federal army a Advance through Southern Croatia heading for a a Victory Quot Celebration at Dubrovnik Silipi Airport. The devastation recalled Georgia after. Gen William t. Sherman s brutal March to the sea the Road once plied by Beach bound tourists is lined by burned out villages and blown up businesses. Silipi whose folklore shows once Drew foreigners by the Busload was practically levelled in the army s Advance on Dubrovnik. The Airport is a wreck. The control Tower is probably beyond repair and the main passenger terminal once the Gateway Tor millions of visitors to Dubrovnik is trashed and looted this was the site of the party. Visitors from the montenegrin town of Mijelo polje brought and roasted the food which included 56 baby lambs by one count. Everyone danced the Kolo a Circle dance and Sang the old martial ballads in Montenegro which Means Quot Black Mountain Quot where the Mountain men traditionally impart the Warrior ethic by placing a gun on the Pillow of a Newborn boy. No Celebration would be Complete without a lot of firing in the air. They shool guns at birthday parties and weddings at christenings and after a Good meal. The reservists on the bus were shooting because they had spotted a Van Load of relatives who already had been to the party and were heading Home. As other Drivers looked on the families reunited to the sound of gunfire. A montenegrin Soldier of Fortune sitting in a hamburger joint in the montenegrin Border town of Herce Novi recalled his involvement in the War. Quot i was at Borovoy selo. I fought at Vukovan. I have been in knit. I have been fighting at the front Here and i am going Back to the front tomorrow a said the Volunteer ticking off the places in Croatia where ethnic serbs went on the armed offensive against croatian defenders. He had a simple explanation for the Wanton destruction along the Southern Dalmatian coast Quot if a croatian fires at me from a House. I must destroy the House Quot the Soldier said. A night spent in Osisek the much bombarded capital in Croatia s Slavonia Region is a night without sleep that generates bad dreams for nights to come a few hours before the mortar barrage r starts panic and resignation course through the City of 120,000 Osisek is blacked out and its residents take to the cellars. There is a curfew but it is superfluous for no one would venture outside during such a bombardment. The bombardment began at 10 . That night and lasted till 4 . Shells crashed As close As the next Street at a rate of one every five or 10 minutes. But that was quiet compared to most nights and certainly compared to the assault on Vukovan. 20 Miles Southeast. The re croatian defenders held out against 10 months of army siege and More than two months of devastating bombardment. Quot i m not afraid of this War Quot said a grizzled 28-year-old Volunteer of the croatian National guard in the lobby of the hotel Royal fingering his newly acquired serbian manufactured sub machine gun. Quot but this War is  unlike some towns at the front Osisek with a tradition of tolerance and hospitality to visitors still has its Pride and although there is hardly a window remaining on a shop at the Center of town cleanup squads remove the rubble each morning. The tiring comes from the serbian Village of stare tense where serb paramilitary forces seized control in july in a bloody Battle with croatian police and National guard. These forces have been absorbed into the Federal army so in effect it is the army that is bombarding the town. The yugoslav army which did Little to prevent the deaths of 16 journalists in nearly five months of fighting and is now a focus of a critical International press has decided to take reporters in hand. Journalists Are no longer Able to visit and talk with Federal troops unless they have a military escort. Quot i will guarantee your safety. But you Are under my command Quot maj. Radulic Pavicevic the spokesman in Herce Novi announced on an escorted trip last month to the besieged City of Dubrovnik. Quot if we Are attacked Quot he quipped Quot it will be a spectacular  Pavicevic proved better at protecting journalists from croatian snipers than from local police. A croatian newspaper reporter reported to Pavicevic in Herce Novi for accreditation with the intent of covering events from the montenegrin Side. A few hours later he was detained by local police. Quot they held a gun at my stomach and started hitting me around the ears Quot said Antun Masle of Slobodny Dalmacia. He was released three hours later. Quot i had nothing to do with that Quot Pavicevic said. Quot i truly regret it. And i know i will be blamed for  a Slovenia which triggered the army onslaught by declaring its Independence june 25, the same Day As Croatia is fast becoming an Independent country. Although no other land has granted formal recognition at least eight countries Honor the newly printed slovenian passport. Other trappings of Independence have not gone Over so Well in the tiny Alpine Republic. Slovenia s new currency is called the Tolar but the name derived from the austrian Thaler a also the Root word for the . Dollar a was decided after the Bills were printed and they look like monopoly Money. The new White Blue and red Flag has also been the butt of ridicule. It features mount Triglar Slovenia s highest Mountain sliced by Waves representing the Adriatic coast and topped by three six pointed stars whose meaning has never been explained. Quot nobody likes the Flag a said Tomas Mezan a Driver for a car rental company. Quot my friends and i think it should have a Panther on  does Slovenia have any panthers Quot not that i know of Quot he  action Lin Reader query spurs product recall change it Ruff in the stars and stripes about a recall on some canned goods. One such can my wife had Van Camps pork amp Beans 16 of. When we were Able to get up to the Carl Schurz Cavern commissary at Bremerhaven where we bought the item they had not heard of the recall. I even looked on the shelf and found All the vans were the same up Universal product code As the recalled can. I went to the counter and told the person who checks ids she Sard she Hadnot heard anything about it. I showed her the article in the newspaper and got my refund what about All those cans still on the shelf that Are supposed to be recalled7 i told the id checker that she needed to let the manager know about his recall. Due to Nappo moment i was unable to do this myself. It is obvious to me that the recall system is not working the Way it is supposed to. Tony j. Tesch Bremerhaven Germany at Charles m. Wiker director defense commissary Agency european Region replies hazardous food and drug recalls for . Military activities Are issued through the defense personnel support system disc in Philadelphia. They Send messages to food service and health officials throughout the world including commissary managers and food inspection personnel when it has been determined that an affected food or drug is in the military system. To ensure that everyone has been informed of a recall we in the defense commissary Agency also Telephone our districts to inform them of the message. The districts in turn inform commissaries. You have brought an important Factor to our attention however and that is that some commissary employees May not be aware of the recall we Are therefore issuing a directive to our commissaries that in the future All employees not just those responsible for removing the item from the shelf and placing it in a hold status Are informed of the recall and that the message be posted in an area where All employees will see it. The article in the stars and stripes was probably confusing to you and Many other customers since it led you to believe that All cans carrying the up were among the affected product. This is not the Case a  identify the product itself but the lot number indicates when and where it was processed and is what is used to identify the specific lot of the product that is being recalled. It appears that the Bremerhaven commissary took the appropriate action regarding the affected product and we Are fairly confident that affected items were not on the shelf when you visited. To write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or a questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes Apo a 09211. Alt letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Page 16 b the stars and stripes wednesday december 11, 1991