European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 21, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday january 21, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 9youthful machismo blamed in fight Bremerhaven civilians say race not cause of Brawl by Ken Clauson Bremerhaven Bureau Bremerhaven Germany a the new years Day fight involving seven american soldiers and seven local civilian men had nothing to do with race or nationality the civilians said thursday. The civilians would not give their names fearing that charges May yet be brought against them but they insisted the altercation was simply violence fuelled by alcohol and Youthful machismo. Also members of  a Large turkish Community say turks have been unfairly blamed for this fight in particular and for what they say is non existent animosity toward americans in general. Only one of the seven civilians arrested and later released in connection with the new years Day fight is turkish and he vehemently denied the fight was related to politics or nationality. The other civilians Are lebanese portuguese and German and the american soldiers Are hispanic White and Black. A we like americans a the turkish youth said through a translator. A we like american music and american skateboard magazines. I like skateboarding with american  he said he is still grateful to americans who came to his Aid last year when he was harassed by German skinheads at a local festival. He insisted the recent fight developed from Drunken Young men acting Overly Macho in front of women in a bar. The new years Day fight occurred outside the mad House a bar in Bremerhaven a nightclub District. Three american soldiers were hospitalized following the fight and four others were treated and released. The 1 . Brawl was apparently triggered after the civilians threw firecrackers at the americans said Wolfgang Harlos a Bremerhaven police spokesman. The hot Smoky bar is packed on weekends with a wide mix of patrons whose Only visible similarity is youth. Young women in jeans stand alongside hard lacquered disco bunnies in Satin. There Are gis of All colors. Heavy Metal fans in Denim jackets rub shoulders with the fashion fixated. Americans germans and a variety of others talk drink shout and dance to pop Rock and rap. Soldiers in their teens and Early 20s nuzzle girlfriends who often look much younger. The owner of another bar Down the Street said with a disgusted sneer a these Guys hang out with sluts get Quot when people do something bad Here they always say it s the turks a Bora seven drunk and fight Over  its not about race or nationality he said. Regulars admit there is an occasional fight that ends with some patrons being tossed out by the doormen. It is a narrow place brightly lit in front and dark in the rear stuffed with Booths a Short bar and Small tables around a dance floor smaller than the bathrooms. On Friday and saturday night men pay 10 Marks at the door but get it Back in tickets redeemable for drinks. Women get in free. Some gis also hang out in another disco in a different part of town but that is within walking distance. The Street the mad House is on is lined with bars and eateries. Snooty Neon and Chrome Fern bars a Al the mad House a Smoky bar in Bremerhaven a nightclub District is packed on weekends with a wide mix amp of Patro it Ter native scene pubs a couple of imbibed some sit Down restaurants. Members of the turkish Community sharply criticized a Jan. 3 memorandum from Brig. Gen. Paul e. Blackwell to the soldiers and civilians of the greater Bremerhaven military Community. The memorandum warning americans to avoid confrontations with people off Post incorrectly identified the civilians in the new years Day fight As being a a group of turkish  Blackwell is commander of the 2nd army divin Karlstedt where six of the soldiers Are assigned and of the greater Bremerhaven military Community. A it was not our intent to single out any particular group a said maj. Roger King a unit spokesman. A we were trying to be pro Active and the initial reports we received were that it was a group of turks  a the feeling now is that if we were to change the memo we could add to the confusion a King said monday. A right now we done to have a plan to Send out a second memo. The intent of the Jan. 3 memo is to get soldiers to think about their actions and avoid confrontations with anyone and that is clearly  a turkish High school teacher who has lived in Bremerhaven for 20 years said his people Are too often blamed for any trouble involving non germans. He also insists there has never been a problem Between the turkish Community and americans. A germans and americans too quickly categorize All non germans As turkish a said Bora seven. A when people do something bad Here they always say its the turks. A there Are about 6,000 turkish people in Bremerhaven and about 2,000 to 3,000 others who Are portuguese Spanish italian yugoslavian lebanese iranian iraqi kurdish romanian and gypsies a seven said. A fall these people have Black hair and Darker skin. People in Bremerhaven always say a they Are  a Labelling the new years Day fight As an ethnic conflict plays into the hands of German right Wing extremists who would love to have the support of the americans when targeting All a outsiders a As troublemakers seven said. He said that americans Are essentially outsiders too and if anything should feel some togetherness with the others. A lebanese restaurant owner pointed out that conflicts Between soldiers and local civilians usually involve very Small segments of the communities and Are usually Between Young males who have been drinking. A if 10 turkish people hate americans that does no to mean there is a problem Between the whole turkish Community and americans a he said. Cumhur Yasi Cicak is also turkish and has lived in Bremerhaven for More than 20 years. He works for the americans at the army Cavern in Bremer Haven during the Day and drives a cab in the City at night. He also insisted there is no Community conflict Between turks and americans. He said that As a Young Man he too got into the occasional fight with americans or germans. Quot but it was with one Guy not a country Quot Yasi Cicak said. Pfc. Jonathon Lyons Yasi Cicak a 20-year-old tank Driver from Karlstedt. Frequents the bar where the fight occurred. He said some americans believe there is a problem Between the turkish and american communities. A but its not that Way a Lyons said. A a in be had turkish friends. But sometimes you see Guys with dark hair and Swarthy skin and you automatically think they Are turks and that a  a and there could be a White Guy and a Black Guy get into a fight and it May not be about race a it May just be a fight a he said. Quot people Are too Quick to  role in Alaska Highway finally recognized Tallahassee Fla. A a handful of survivors among thousands of Black . Army soldiers who 50 years ago helped build the Road that links Alaska with the rest of the country got their first taste of recognition sunday. About 10,600 soldiers created the 1,522-mile link Southeast from Fairbanks through British Columbia to Washington state in just eight months during world War ii. Nearly 3,700 Black soldiers were among them but they were never mentioned or photographed in the official history of the Road for Many years called the Alcan High Way and now the Alaska Highway. Their contributions were finally recognized during a reunion at Florida a amp a University commemorating the 50th anniversary of the roads completion. A a it a quite quite thrilling a said Irving r. Smith of Philadelphia one of the 13 Black veterans on hand. A the depressing part about it is some of the Fellows who served with us have gone a said Smith 72. A Why 50 years the Fellows that have gone a  never know anything about  Lael Morgan a journalism professor at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks campaigned to bring due credit to those Blacks who worked on the project. Since Many of them came from the South she turned for assistance to James Eaton a historian at Florida a amp a the Only historically Black Public University in Florida. They located about 70 Black veterans who worked on the Highway which Many have called the greatest engineering feat since the building of the Panama canal Easton said. Smith said he met three former buddies at the reunion. Wesley Davis of Winter Haven Fla., remembered about half the men at the reunion. A it was just like seeing a Long lost brother a said Davis 72, who has been trying for about 10 years to Contact some of his old wartime pals from the 95th unit of the army a Black corps of engineers. A i Tell you the first thing that comes to your mind is the cold a he said. Quot the cold and the living conditions that really got your attention right  the retired Citrus Foreman recalled 20-hour workdays and the time he hid for 30 minutes in a Culvert hoping that a 10-foot Bear suddenly appearing the other Side of the Road would go Back into the Woods