European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                On to fun town continued from Page 37 the Day s password and barged into the Public relations shop demanding to use a phone. A colonel informed of the importance of the Story helped Price get through to Paris where Bill Estoff shouted the facts Over the Din of the staff there which was putting out its own extra. The of Ungstad presses began to Roll at 5 a.m., and prices Story which had been raced Back by courier two pages at a time led the paper. The headline a Roosevelt dead a was printed using Large wooden circus poster Type found in the attic of the print shop. Life in of Ungstad quickly settled into a fairly comfortable routine entered around the print Plant the offices next door and the hotel Strauss. For staffers used to the big City Bustle of London and Paris the town was a trifle tame and some staffers complained that the Only difference Between Pung stadts a main Street and its Back streets was that horses on the main drag held their tails a Little higher. Life perked up a considerably however when Cooks clerks Drivers and waitresses began arriving from a nearby displaced persons Camp. Before Long the operation was being run using a mix of pidgin English French German polish russian and czech and the Lusty foreigners were hosting polka parties and other events. Of Ungstad became known with some affection As fun town although As one staffer noted Quot no one was Ever really sure what a Pung  German residents of the town remained pretty much behind doors until the Day a stripes staffer finally discovered the Mammoth underground armaments factory that stretched from the basement of the brewery All the Way to the hotel Strauss and beyond. Their secret out a and with a in. Intipts1st  yanks link with reds Star and stripes set up Headquarters in Pung stadts a hotel Strauss in Early april 1945. Fils no apparent reprisals forthcoming a the residents of of Ungstad rushed Forward with offers of help and information on nazi party members in the area. On april 16, the Nancy edition folded and Pung stadts a circulation was increased to 200,000. A Day later li6ge closed shop and the press run leapt to 500,000. For the next three weeks the paper splashed history across its front pages a the russian linkup the italian surrender and finally the near total collapse of German forces. While of Ungstad prospered a second group of staffers was setting up the new Southern Germany edition in Altdorf a pastoral medieval Village not far from Niernberg. The paper which was to be the last combat edition was headed by John Radosta a Veteran of the Marseille Nancy and of Ungstad editions. The staff took Over the printing Plant of Der Sturmer an anti semitic and pornographic weekly put out by Julius Streicher a longtime Hitler crony. By May 7, the staff was ready to go and the first Issue carried what would be one of its biggest stories be Day the end of the War in Europe. Streicher incidentally was found guilty at the Niernberg War trials and hanged. The stars and stripes dutifully printed the Story on his own press. Kit Tamm suddenly of stroke it new president in May Charles Kiley was selected As one of three journalists to cover the first negotiations with German officials that led to the surrender. Their work was combined into a voluminous backgrounder that was handed out to the other journalists As they arrived for the actual signing. Col. Gen. Gustav Jodi a thin weary Man with a pockmarked face signed for the germans at exactly 2 41 a.m., May 7,1945. A we All attended the ceremony and wrote our stories which were turned Over to the censors a Kiley said. A the agreement wed All made was that the censors would hold the stories for 24 a hours then Forward them to the various news agencies. The idea was that the russians wanted to have their own ceremony the next Day what they were calling the ratification surrender and Eisenhower had agreed not to steal their  the embargo held for Little More than an hour. De Kennedy the associated press reporter who had covered the Rheims ceremony drove directly to Paris called London and dictated a Quick bulletin announcing the wars end. It was flashed to new York and then around the world. A Kennedy was recalled by a i think to get him out of the fire a Kiley said. A i had mixed continued on Page 40 Kiley a 50th anniversary special edition saturday april 18, 1992