European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a the stars and stripes Mirco sunday april 26,1992 accept Gays in military senator urges Powell Newport news a. A sen. Charles s. Robb d-va., an Emmarine and Vietnam War Veteran said homosexuals should be allowed to serve in the military. A like racial or ethnic origin or gender sexual preference has no bearing on How great a contribution an individual can make to the United states Quot Robb said in a letter to Gen. Colin l. Powell chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. A the military in my judgment should not bar individuals from service based on who they Are rather it should be concerned with what they do Quot Robb wrote in the March 4 letter published saturday by the daily press of Newport news. The newspaper did no to say How it obtained the letter or whether Powell had replied to it. Robb was unavailable for comment though his office confirmed the letter was sent. Robb is visiting Vietnam As a member of a Senate Mia pow subcommittee. Robb recently retired from the Marine corps Reserve As a lieutenant colonel. Robby a letter challenged comments that Powell made in february before the House budget committee. At the time Powell said homosexual behaviour a is inconsistent with maintaining Good order and  at a glance spec Clyde Williams of Baum Holder Germany settles into his cozy Barracks room As part of a push by the . Army in Europe to make itself More accommodating for single soldiers. See Story in sunday Magazine. Perot a gifts questioned Arkansas gov. Bill Clinton said that Ross Perot the potential Independent presidential candidate needed to answer questions about whether he had made a vast contributions to congressmen. A Page 4 Elvis poll protested consumer advocate Ralph Nader is upset by the postal service s poll to select a stamp honouring Elvis Presley stamp. A Page 5 no problems in car found no mechanical problems were found in a car that mowed Down dozens of people in a Greenwich Village Park when its Driver said it inexplicably accelerated. A Page 6 spill suspected in blast the new head of the sewerage system in Guadalajara Mexico said Friday that a gasoline spill appeared to have caused the massive sewer line explosions that killed 176 people. A Page 6 children learn to Cope most Young americans in Europe Are coping with the dual stresses of the draw Down and the end of the Gulf War amazingly Well officials say. A Page 9 pm plans Stock offering general motors  new management team plans to make one of the largest Stock offerings Ever in its drive to make the no. 1 automaker profitable again. A Page 17 Index Abby Ann Landers. 16 commentary. 15 faces no places. 16 letters. 14 Money matters. 17 Mutual. 18-19 sports. 26-32 weather. 13 Vii corps colors retired in ceremony in Georgia Atlanta map the . Army a Vii corps stationed in Western Europe for 41 years was officially decommissioned at fort Mcpherson. Gen. Edwin h. Burba jr., commander in chief of the army a forces come praised the corps during fridays ceremony. He cited its a Brilliant history a including service during two a hot Quot wars and the cold War. The flags of each unit of the 72,000-Soldier corps were rolled up tightly and put in cases at fort Mcpherson. They will be placed in storage in Anniston Ala. The corps was decommissioned As part of military cuts stemming from the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. It was first deactivated in 1919 after world War i and again in 1946 after world War ii. It was reactivated five years later to defend Western Europe As part of the North Atlantic treaty organization. Rebels from Page 1 jeeps overloaded with rebels pulled up to one armed forces Post after another demanding that the soldiers yield their weapons. Most police posts surrendered after Brief negotiations Over Tea but gunfire crackled across the Southern and Western outskirts of the City. It was not Clear if the firing indicated resistance by soldiers exchanges Between rival guerrillas or simply firing in the air. There were some indications that the rival factions might be cooperating. At the presidential Palace forces Loyal to Hekma tar took position outside one Gate while guerrillas from Jamaal took the other apparently in a coordinated operation. United nations envoy Benon Sevan in Pakistan said Najibullah remained at the . Office in Kabul where he had taken Refuge after his ouster april 16. It was not immediately known whether guerrillas had attempted to enter the office. On Friday rebel leaders announced in Pakistan that they had formed a 50-member commission to take Power from what remained of Najibullah a government. Resistance Leader Abdul Rasul Shayaf had said the commission would leave for Kabul on sunday. He said within six months a Council of tribal elders would be convened to select a transitional government to oversee elections a year later. Stripes from Page 1 Good for the United states of America is bad for you. I think that the Best thing for United states of America would be if the stars and stripes closed Down because we should move out of this place and i know most of you wont take that too  Rooney was among the guest speakers at the 3 . Ceremony. His comments came after those of air Force Gen. James p. Mccarthy Deputy commander in chief for . European come in Stuttgart Germany. Mccarthy painted a brighter future for the stars and stripes if it continues to improve its professionalism and practices Good management. Other speakers were the european stars and stripes commander publisher air Force col. Gene e. Townsend editor Bernard a. Zovistoski and Reinhold Deusser chairman of the european stars and stripes works Council. The newspaper established itself in Germany in 1945 at a brewery in nearby of Ungstad. About 400 current and for Mer stripers gathered Friday evening at the of Unstadter brewery restaurant where a plaque was presented to the brewery in Honor of its role in the newspapers past. After four years in of Ungstad the newspaper moved to its current site which was used by the germans during world War ii As a Luftwaffe Airfield Ana Zeppelin port. Also part of the ceremony saturday was the Reading of a letter from president Bush who recognized the sacrifices and efforts of stars and stripes employees since the papers beginning. A in peacetime and in time of conflict Quot the letter read a stars and stripes has been and continues to be a reliable and trusted source of news and information. For both the seasoned Veteran and the Young recruit it has become a familiar a Hometown newspaper reporting on events in the United states and around the  the ceremony ended with a plaque dedication ceremony to the four men who were killed working for stripes. They were Gregor k. Duncan Alfred m. Kohn Paul v. Connors and Carroll Sprague. Jet from Page 1 Spond to orders to land. One of the peruvian planes then fired upon the . Transport Barboza said. He said the attack was being investigated by both the . And peruvian governments and that president Alberto Fujimori reportedly expressed regret through diplomatic channels. He said . Ambassador Anthony Quainton was in route to Tamara. . Military officials from the Southern come based in Panama sent a plane with emergency medical and repair equipment to Tamara. None of the Crew members has been identified and Williams said he did t know How Many were aboard. . Officials had ordered most . Personnel a including about 20 Green berets involved in training anti narcotics police a out of Peru after Fujimori suspended his nations Constitution earlier this month. Fujimori a action backed by the peruvian military Drew International condemnation. Bill from Page 1 said col. Larry Greer an air Force spokesman. Air Force officials said Mcpeake a fighter plane flights Are permitted under air Force regulations which define the chief of staffs Job As  that designation allows general officers to maintain their Pilot skills. Air Force officials acknowledged however that there is virtually no circumstance in which the services top general would Ever be called upon to use his flying skills in combat. Mcpeak has not limited his flying to fighters. He has logged 39l8 hours at the controls of air Force planes of All types including transports on trans Atlantic Crossings during his tenure. Although Mcpeak is hardly the first air Force chief of staff to continue flying on the Job he is the first to maintain his qualifications to Fly single seat fighter aircraft Greer said. A this View is. A that is who i am and that is what in be got to do a Quot Greer said. Mcpeake a roster of f-15 flights includes six training missions with air Force pilots in saudi Arabia in january 1991 shortly before the Start of the air War against Iraq according to air Force records. A this experience allowed the chief of. Staff to provide Mcpeak general Colin a Powell the Secretary of defense and the president with a firsthand perspective on the status and preparation of the air Force for desert Stevn Force Elfi combat operations a said air spokesman col. Doug Kennett. An air Force official said Mcpeak uses the f-15 for both training and transportation typically combining the two in an Effort to a kill two Birds with one  an air Force official said Mcpeak typically practices such things As flying by instruments and formation skills. He added however that while the service chief remains proficient in the aircraft a it certainly does not mean he is combat ready. He is not qualified to fire missiles off this  the Abc report questioned whether Mcpeak was qualified to Fly at All citing an anomalous heartbeat that sometimes can signal serious heart disease. But air Force officials said Mcpeak was thoroughly examined last year after the condition was discovered and Given a Clear Bill of health