European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 a the stars and stripes saturday december 21, 1991 provides priceless experiences amps Amy Geis Ter Jones ten year old Volunteer David Brown helps Charles Parker 7, select Christmas gifts for the family at Santa s  s store by Amy Zeiszler Jones . Bureau Raf m1lden1iall, England a the is bargains at the makeshift Christmas store at Raf Miklen Hall s 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 store s 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 s store was open Only to children older than 3 years old. For the past three years Miklen Hall has run this half Day shopping experience Tor Young children who want to buy special Christmas gifts Tor 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 Compi ise 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 s3,000, was spent stocking this year s 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 year s 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 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 4,6 h 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 Quot scouting for food Quot ribbon for their unit Flag. Army places 30-year cop on careers of top cos the  will be allowing fewer command sergeants major and no sergeants major to stay on Active duly 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 Lor 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. It s Good for kids because Christmas is about giving and this teaches the kids to give a Gruneich 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 a 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 id 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 Soldier s Telephone credit card his father said according to the notice. But his father has not heard from Washington a . Investigators have obtained Quot reliable Quot evidence that the Man in a photograph purportedly taken last year in Southeast Asia is not an  Pilot missing since 1971, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday. The photo supposedly portrayed capt. Donald Carr whose plane crashed in Laos during the Vietnam War. Quot our investigators have developed information from reliable sources that suggests the individual photographed and identified As capt. Carr May be a third country citizen who s been living and working in Thailand for several  Pentagon spokesman Bob Hall said. . Investigators have corroborated the information and also have determined that other pictures supposed 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 i 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. Quot i 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. He 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 Tail 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 Frankfurt Cid resident Agency at ets 320-8340. By taken of the detention facilities where capt. Carr allegedly was held a were actually taken in Thailand a Hall said. The spokesman said . Investigators have not yet located the photographed individual living in Thailand but they Are trying to find him and interview him. Carry a former wife Carol Collins said Pentagon officials informed her on wednesday that the photograph had been discredited. Quot i m sick at heart. The Waters get muddied and muddied a Collins told the san Antonio express news adding that she still believes the Middle aged Man in the picture is Carr. A i m hanging on by a thread. I m just sick to my stomach every time the phone Rings.�?� investigators seek leads on Soldier last seen a year . Discredits alleged Mia photo