European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The. Mediterranean continued from Page 11 unit. Herbert Mitgang arrived from another air Force unit where he d put out a mimeograph weekly called the the bomb fighter bulletin. Other arrivals included James Burchard a sportswriter from the new York world Telegram and Paul Green who had worked for United press before the War. Bill Estoff the Bookie turned circulation Man defected from England and brought Irving Levinson a Printer. They joined Erickson who had decided to remain As the production business staff. By mid april the weekly had turned daily and staffers no longer considered themselves country cousins of the a pub and per diem crowd in London. Lacking wire reports the Early editions were based on the decidedly thin news passed out by the office of War information and whatever could be garnered from radio newscasts. The final deadline in fact was set just after the 9 . Bbl broadcast. But there was plenty going on at the front and the staff began the practice that would become routine for All subsequent editions of the paper sending combat correspondents to live with the gis and report the War firsthand. Although stripes did no to rate much in the Way of transportation in the Early Days getting to the front was never really a problem according to Martin. A this was so Early in the Campaign that the red tape Hadnot arrived yet a said Martin now a successful author living in Bridgeport Conn. A we would just go Down to Maison Blanche Airport in Algiers and hitch a ride with any plane going to the front. One of my first times out i hitched a ride with col. William o. Darby and the rangers and Darby asked if i wanted to hang out with them for awhile. Of course i said yes and i think i spent a week with them writing stories about the army a commandos in Battle. It was that  White a gentle natured grand fatherly Type with a close crop of White hair proved to be a fierce defender of Marshall a charter for the paper. When necessary he got help from Eisenhower who was conveniently headquartered on a Hilltop in Algiers. Neville a furious smoker who had the habit of nervously tugging at his hair was the ultimate worldly professional who fervently believed in the soldiers right to a free press. With White keeping the brass at Bay he was Able to build the paper into a solid Well edited publication. Early stories on the rear echelons where Well rested gis strolled the streets eating ice Cream were replaced with tightly written reports on life at the front. By May when the allies had cornered the remnants of Rommel a forces on Cape Bon the stars and stripes had added editions in Casablanca Oran and Tunis and the staff had earned their Black and Gold a War correspondent Quot tabs. In addition to the printing operation at la Echo do Algier the paper had editorial and business offices in a former agriculture school on Boulevard Baudin. Staffers had their billets on the top floor of the red Cross club next door and hired a local chef to turn their army rations into something resembling respectable Chow. Although posh by front line standards life in Algiers still offered its share of adventure. In the Early Days German and italian planes bombed the City almost nightly and the sky would be lit with the streaking tracers of the anti aircraft artillery protecting Eisenhower. The younger members of the staff watched the show from the . 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M Hwi in Jih Kia my a Fuat Itaf it data Ita pm Bra Otam 4 mud a Toj Zyx z z sunday Calm Quot shattered by tin a it on album a in no a a  tit futo a had All it h 1 for Iriti fail in my pm rr0.<�mian.u� rom huh few of line 1itoh Neft lady a to . In r�7l -1 Talu he a my ton top Tai r�7 it Oratov or a own r or 14&Quot to a Gnu k. A a to it a ditto for mad to to 111 m m it Koto. D a to Quot a Toto a a it a it Ril in rim kill it King a Muir Chr  i whoa to Phr m hta my tag to roof of the red Cross building while older stripers headed for the bomb shelter in the basement. Occasionally there were other dangers. Burchard for example was limping Down the Street one Day when he ran into Gen. George Patton. A How were you wounded Young Man a the general asked in a Friendly voice. A i Wasny to wounded sir a Burchard replied a i got Hurt in a foxhole during an air  old blood and guts flew into one of his famous rages Allen about standing up to fight never ducking never showing fear. A but sir a Burchard finally managed to say a my leg got beat up when maj. Gen. Allen jumped in on top of  Patton could think of nothing to say about Terry Allen the famed fighting commander of the 1st army div. Those Pitfalls aside life in North Africa was pretty Good. At one Point for instance Golding and Burchard were made honorary boxing commissioners of Algiers and the pair started a column called the commissioners say. A there were pictures of them that ran with the column both with big cigars in their faces Quot recalls Mitgang now a Book critic for the new York times. A later when Golding became managing editor i took his place and it was great fun. We got to sit there with the real commissioners at every fight. We did no to make any major decisions but we encouraged the sport and wrote about  Bill Estoff the Burly Bookie cum circulation Man was always on hand to lighten any dark moment. As one Story goes Estoff was standing in the editorial office when John Gunther noted author and travel writer dropped by for a visit. A my name s Gunther a the writer said offering the barrel chested Estoff his hand. A my names Estoff a came the circulation Many a Quick reply. A a in a John Gunther a the writer added sure that Estoff had heard of him. A yeah Well in a Bill Estoff a the stripes staffer answered. Estoff is also credited with coining the phrase that legions of stripes staffers would use with varying Success during the invasion of France a Jene suis Pas simple Soldat a Estoff would Tell the French speaking beauties of Algiers a Tje Suisun correspondent de Guerrer a i m no Mere Soldier in a a War  but Estoff made his biggest contribution on those occasions when White was out of town and some member of the brass tried to interfere 7 with the paper. Quot if for example a two Star general in the quartermaster corps came in and wanted his picture in the paper wed turn to Bill a Martin recalls. A Bill was Good friends with a Gal named Molly who worked with the red Cross and was _ an intimate Friend of cmdr. Harry Butcher Ike a senior aide. So Bill would talk to Molly and Molly would talk to Butcher and Butcher would Call the general and bawl him out. That would be the end of  for a Short while Estoff also served As the units first sergeant although he brought More Mellow than Bellow to the Job. On the rare occasions when stripes staffers were ordered to do a Little physical training for example Estoff roasted them out by gently tickling their feet a Brand of reveille that must surely have amused Foisie and other staffers who a served under real army first shirts. In time White realized that Estoff Wasny to top kick material and replaced him with Irv Levinson the Printer although levinsons bark proved to have just As Little bite. Most Algiers staffers in fact remember Levinson As an affable generous Man who procured fresh milk and other hard to get items by doing printing for army or Navy outfits in the area. On the Job Levinson worked other miracles. A native of Connecticut who spoke no French or arabic he somehow managed to direct a staff of local printers using Only smiles grunts and an occasional Point of the Finger. Neville who would later replace White As Page 12 a 50th anniversary special edition saturday. April 18, 1992