European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday saturday december 25/26, 1992 Somalia the stars and stripes Page 9holiday cards to Somalia held up american Indianapolis up an attempt by the american legion to Send 18,000 Holiday cards anonymously to . Troops in Somalia is being hampered by what air Force officials describe As logistics and the desire that mail from relatives not be delayed. American legion spokesman Herbert e. Dagley said wednesday that defense department officials have walked at sending the cards in Masse to troops involved in operation restore Hope. But a news release from Travis fab in Northern California explained that mail service is very limited in Somalia and the Middle East staging bases. Officials at Travis asked that the Public not Send cards letters or packages addressed to a any service member so that the limited resources for mail delivery could be reserved for mail from relatives. Dagley said the legion collected the cards from its state organizations and had planned to ship them to the Northeast african nation in a single 450 to 500-Pound parcel. Quot we contacted our departments state organizations the Day the troops landed in Somalia dec. 9 and asked them to collect Christmas cards knowing we did no to have a lot of time a Dagley said. A we have our sons and daughters in a faraway land and we just wanted to show our support a he said. A a we be had the devils own time trying to transport these cards to Soma Lia a he said. Quot we wanted to Send them in bulk so the cards could arrive for distribution to service members when they have their Holiday meals. Quot these kids need this touch of Home a he said. A the last frustration was to hear that the . Is not accepting any donations of food or mail for the troops a he said. A Pentagon spokesman said Quot we just done to have the Airlift facilities the equipment the supplies or the people to handle such bulk mail arrivals and delivery to the troops. He said the whole operation is a till in the buildup phase and Quot the by amp Tom would be swamped if the gesture the legion was proposing was adopted by others. A we re really gratified at the Calls we be received expressing support and a desire to Send mail Quot a Travis official said. A but we must ask the general Public not to Send mail or packages to Somalia and the in route staging Dagley said he understands that deployment to Somalia was rapid leaving Little time to establish support systems. However he still questioned Why the military could ship turkeys and cranberries for a Holiday meal and not manage to include a parcel of greeting cards. A individually everyone is saying a wed like to do this a but the armed forces arc not accepting a Dagley of America starting broadcast to Somalia from wire reports Washington a the voice of America will broadcast a 15-minute news program every morning to Somalia beginning sunday officials said wednesday. Chase Untermeyer director of the . Government overseas broadcasting service said the somali language program a will concentrate on providing the somali people with news and information that is accurate and Voa Africa division chief Margaret Binda said the daily shortwave program at 5 45 . East african time would a to provide news of the world and especially news about what is going on in Somalia As efforts Are made to distribute food and bring stability throughout the cover for thieves Mogadishu Somalia a As Jet engines roared the thieves worked. Using the noise of planes to conceal their pounding bandits banged at a Hole in a hangar Wall a few feet from where marines sleep a Marine officer said. A bag of gear and some clothing have been stolen through the Hole a about 2 feet wide and 3 feet High. The thefts were apparently done at night As troops slept. Quot its entertaining until you remember you be got gear Here you done to want pilfered a first it. Patrick Campos of Twenty nine Palms Calif., said phone Calls offered Morristown . At amp to is offering military personnel stationed aboard Navy ships involved in operation restore Hope free three minute Calls to the United states this week. The offer began thursday and expires Jan. 1. Military personnel can place ship to Shore Calls using at amp to High seas radiotelephone service through new years Day. Starting Jan. 2, military personnel can place collect Calls using the at amp to service which costs $4.98 a minute with a three minute minimum. Marine staff sgt. John Didominico of Monroeville pa., looks Over a Somalia grown Christmas tree adorned with messages to Home photos pop cans and other improvised ornaments in Bairoa prickly tree fails to deflate their spirit Bairoa Somalia apr marines stationed at a Idoa a Airport Are looking for a few Good Christmas Trees. So far their Only specimen is covered with vicious spines. Staff sgt. John Didomenico 29, of Monroeville pa., said tuesday that several men had been Quot Pune tured trying to decorate the scrawny desert tree that sits among tents next to a parking lot. That Hasni to deterred the marines. The first tree is Hung with plastic water bottles cans of Coke Mountain Dew or. Pepper and Copenhagen snuff an assortment of coloured ribbons trinkets and messages scrawled on cardboard. Lance Cpl. . Chavez of Denver wrote a merry Christmas from Somalia. Love you Arline and attached was a photo of a baby boy presumably Vincent. Quot to Ellen i baby i miss you and i love you. Merry Christmas and Happy new year a was written in Felt pen by Cpl. Dave Karp of Van Guys Calif. And even though the Only Trees in sight were As prickly As the first the soldiers were hoping to find others to decorate. A a we re sending out a tree detail tomorrow a Didomenico translates language into commitment by Tina Susman the associated press Bairoa Somalia a when people ask staff sgt. Marwan Binni How he Learned to speak somali he tells them in Somalia. When they ask How Long he has spent in the country he says 10 Days. Binni from Oceanside Calif., has combined an insatiable interest in somali culture with an aptitude for languages to become an unofficial translator for . Marines in Bairoa. His fluency in arabic from a childhood in Beirut helps. The somali he Speaks is far from fluent but a there Are quite a few people Here who speak arabic and some people mix arabic and somali so we can usually make each other understand a said Binni 32. A relaxed soft spoken Man Binni describes himself As a child of the world. Born and raised in Beirut he came to the United states in 1978 and settled in Toledo Ohio. He Snow based at Camp Pendleton Calif. Binni makes it a Point to learn 20 somali words each Day. But his commitment does not Stop there. A learning a language is nothing without knowing the traditions the sayings and habits of a people a he said. A i like to fit although he wears a uniform Binni tries to mingle with the somalis greeting them with their traditional greetings and entertaining their children. He appears to have adapted better than most of the troops who have been deployed in this chaotic country of stifling heat rambo Force mosquitoes preteen gunmen and nonstop mud. One thing he Wasny to prepared for was the condition in which Somalia a War and famine victims live. A a in be worked with refugees before but this is a whole lot worse that what i expected a he said. Quot it seems like Africa is condemned but everybody is human a everybody deserves the Chance to sitting at a Idoa a Airport thursday he chatted with somali children and taught a reporter the proper somali greeting. Uki Ykum Quot he said. Thais a peace be with
