European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Flo the ill fated stare and stripes. Artist Dick Wingert added his cartoon character Hubert and the papers logo before the b-17�?Ts Maiden flight. Done to you Ever do it again a even on those rare occasions when Llewellyn did manage to round up the staff for a Little military instruction a his favorite was close order drills a the results were often less than soldierly. A a he a been a cavalry officer a Mcdonnell said a and he would March us around using cavalry commands. We figure out what the hell he wanted half the time. I remember there would be these British women there watching us members of the Wax the women a auxiliary and they would be rolling around in the grass with the War in Europe that summer of 1942 was largely an army air forces affair with England based a a forts and a lib so taking off for raids on the coastal cities of France and targets in Germany. Not infrequently there would be a stars and stripes reporter aboard either Rooney or Kiley or Hutton himself filling a Waist gunner position or occasionally Riding with the pilots up front. Although they endured plenty of flak and their share of near misses the Only stars and stripes casualty was a b-17 bomber nicknamed after the newspaper. As the Story goes Hutton dreamed up the idea of naming a plane As a Means of getting a Little time away from the newsrooms hectic Pace. Moora did no to like the idea but no one could argue with the free publicity and so Hutton and Kiley and Rooney headed off to find a Crew that would agree to take the name. That accomplished staff artist Dick Wingert was called in to paint the nose of the plane a new flying fortress assigned to the just As new 385th bomb group. The reporters Drew straws and Kiley got to ride on the first Mission. A few months later Kiley was Back to Fly the planets 25th sortie the Crews last before rotating Home. Weather grounded the Mission though and Kiley assured that the soup would continue for a few Days returned to London for a change of clothes. The weather cleared unexpectedly that morning however and the plane took off As scheduled. It lost an engine to flak Over northeastern Germany and then did its Best to Limp Back Home. Luftwaffe fighters caught the crippled stars and stripes Over the North sea and it went Down without known survivors. Kiley spared his life got the news that night. A to this Day i thank my Lucky stars a said Kiley now retired in California. A i see straight for a couple Days after for the rest of the staff London offered its own Brand of air War a the daily Buzz and bang of hitlers Al bombs. According to plan an air raid Warden on the roof of the times building signalled incoming a is by flashing the newsroom lights and the staff would dash for the corridor away from the windows and the perils of shattering Glass. When the attacks became frequent enough to disrupt production of the paper the staff stayed at their desks banging away at their typewriters As the lights flickered. Still the staffs toughest Battle was always the one to keep the stars and stripes free of official interference. For despite Marshall a order that the paper was to represent the a free thought and free expression of a free people a meddling by the brass was a fact of life from the very Start. As one frustrated reporter put it a a colonel May admit that he can to perform an appendectomy or even that he can to pull a tooth or Fly to the Moon but damned if i can find one who can to put out a better newspaper than a newspaper in time the editorial offices were Wall papered with written requests suggestions and outright demands from the brass All dutifully tacked up by the desk and just As dutifully ignored. Most Early staffers maintain that Dwight Eisenhower who arrived to take command of . Forces in Europe in mid-1942, was the Only senior officer who Ever really understood the stars and stripes role As an unfettered newspaper for the troops. Eventually staffers even took to referring complaints to Regent 8484, the Telephone number at Eisenhower a London Headquarters. A Eisenhower was just an amazing hero to us a Rooney said. A that he would give us this License to be journalists was incredible. He just understood that it was better for everybody if people trusted the paper As being an honest work of newspapermen rather than a House Organ. A inevitably brigadier generals and colonels were coming to us and pleading with us that their troops needed a morale boost and please do this Story about them. Maybe they were right maybe it would have boosted morale. But we did not do those stories. We had this great pronouncement from Eisenhower we were under his protective custody. A nobody fooled with the stars and saturday april 18, 1992 50th anniversary special edition a Page 9
