European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 b the stars and stripes saturday december 21, 1991 provides priceless experience sets Amy a Fular Jones ten year old Volunteer David Brown helps Charles Parker 7, select Christmas gifts for the family at Santa s  s store by Amy Geiszler Jones . Bureau Raf Mildenhall England the is bargains at the makeshift Christmas store at Raf Mildenhall a recreation Center were too Good to pass up. Eager shoppers formed a line outside the Bob Hope recreation Center about a half hour before the doors to Santa s store opened at 10 . On dec. 7. Within four hours the stores 2,000-plus item inventory was virtually wiped out forcing the store to close an hour earlier than planned. But no adults were snatching up these bargains. Santa a store was open Only to children older than 3 years old. For the past three years Mildenhall has run this half Day shopping experience for Young children who want to buy special Christmas gifts for moms dads and other family members at a Price that suits their limited budgets. The store a non profit Community service event is sponsored and organized by the base officers wives club the enlisted wives club the top three Fellowship and chiefs group. Senior noncommissioned officers comprise the latter two groups. Items in the store were purchased from a British wholesale distributor. Money to Purchase the items from the distributor came from proceeds from the wives clubs annual Charity bazaars and the base s annual air fete air show. Almost 2,100 British pounds about $3,900, was spent blocking this years store according to sue Humphries one of the organizers. But All items in Santa s store were sold for $1, regardless of their value. There were bonnets hats rattles and bibs for babies play jewelry sets pens Money Banks Batons tiny dolls bats and balls for Sisters and Brothers. For dads there was grooming sets flashlights tools and Cologne. Gift items for moms included jewelry shawls and Kitchen items. Sales were higher and More shoppers attended this years Santa store than last year said Humphries. In 1990, 592 shoppers bought $1,959 Worth of gifts. This year 635 children spent $2,150. Volunteers some As Young As 10-year-old David Brown helped the shoppers select presents. Other volunteers wrapped and labelled the presents. Parents of the Young customers waited in a nearby lounge munching on donated cookies until their children emerged from their shopping excursion. Carol Grueneich a four children it Ages 5, 8, 9 and 10, shopped at Santa a store for the second year in a  collect food for needy boy scout units belonging to the transatlantic Council of boy scouts of America collected 125,500 items of canned goods in november during a food drive called scouting for food. The transatlantic Council oversees boy scout units primarily for american military families in 17 european countries. Scouts collected food from american military bases and housing areas throughout Europe. A Council spokesman estimated that nearly 4,600 youths and 1,300 adults participated in the food drive in Europe. The cans of food were donated to military food lockers throughout Europe. Scouts who helped with the drive will receive a certificate of appreciation. Participating scout units will also receive a a scouting for food ribbon for their unit Flag. Army places 30-year Cap on careers of top cos the  will be allowing fewer command sergeants major and no sergeants major to stay on Active duty beyond 30 years under a policy approved dec. 5. The new procedures require that command sergeants major who want to stay beyond 30 years be nominated and selected to fill a command sergeant major position in a three or four Star level command. Extended careers Are no longer authorized for sergeants major. Grueneich a children had been so excited about doing their own Christmas shopping again this year that they were up that saturday at 6 ., she said. A it makes them feel Good because they re giving and it makes them feel big because they re doing the shopping. Its Good for kids because Christmas is about giving and this teaches the kids to give a Grueneich said shortly before her 8-year-old son Jason came out of the store eager to show her the gifts he had selected. The excitement and Delight reflected on Jason s face was often seen on others in the store. A i enjoy seeing their faces when they come through a said Volunteer Patty Hammond. A you can to put a Price on that a added Ginger by the stars and stripes the  is continuing to seek information on the whereabouts of a Frankfurt area Soldier who disappeared almost a year ago officials have confirmed. Pfc. Samuel s. Lewis 20, was last seen by a member of his unit in downtown Friedberg on new years eve according to a missing person notice issued by the criminal investigation come commonly referred to As Cid. A this parents Are worried about him a said maj. Samuel Godsall operations officer for the commands 2nd regional office. More than $4,000 in charges have been made on the soldiers Telephone credit card his father said according to the notice. But his father has not heard from corps go gets Hanau Germany a a v corps Soldier has received a one year prison term for falsifying documents that granted him an unauthorized re enlistment Bonus of $4,000, according to a Hanau military Community spokesman. Pvt. Dennis v. Guidon 21, of Btry a 2nd in 43rd air defense arty also received a bad conduct discharge and was ordered to forfeit All pay and allowances As a result of a general court martial earlier this month. Guidon a Patriot missile crewman was convicted of one count of larceny related to an unauthorized $4,000 re enlistment Bonus he received in december 1990. The Soldier processed the fraudulent paperwork with the help of his Girlfriend an enlisted Soldier who was Webb a second year Volunteer. While the children passing through the store seem to get some sense of accomplishment from the event Many of the approximately 100 volunteers feel much the same Way. A it makes you sort of feel important a said David Brown the fifth Grade Volunteer who intended to help out a was Many kids As 1 can get my hands  a this is my Forte a said it. Col. Sandra Walls As she helped children select from a table filled with items for Young girls. She advised the Young shoppers to be Nice to their siblings year round. �?o1 like people. I like love and sharing a said Walls commander of Mildenhall a Supply Squadron. She called the hours she was volunteering a Quality  Lewis since december last year. Also when Lewis father contacted numbers listed on the Telephone Bill those who answered denied knowing his son the notice said. Investigators interviewed the soldiers friends and members of his unit but were not Able to determine his whereabouts. To was stationed with co a 5th in 18th inf regt in Friedberg the notice said. When he was last seen Lewis weighed 167 pounds. He is 5 feet 7 inches tall with Brown hair and Hazel eyes. Officials ask that anyone having knowledge concerning the disappearance of Lewis or his location should Contact his or her local military police or the Ken Kurt Cid resident Agency at ets 320-8340. Quot prison for larceny assigned to a finance unit. The incident was contrived by the couple and not related to Guidon a re enlistment the spokesman said. The Soldier had been in the  less than two years at the time the incident occurred. The woman whose name was not released returned to the United states before the incident was discovered. She was not charged because the  lost jurisdiction when she separated from the service in March 1991. The  began its investigation into the incident in april 1991. The  has recovered All but $800 of the fraudulent payment but will recover the remaining portion from Guidon the spokesman said. Guidon will serve his prison sentence at fort Riley Kan. Army investigators seek leads on Soldier last seen a year ago