European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Vs4j5mm monday january 11, 1993 . The stars and stripes b Page 9 War Dover Del. Apr Michael Gray is too Young to remember world War ii but a nazi Flag he bought at a Flea Market a and his efforts to find the men who Cap tured it a have stirred the memories of several old army buddies. Twenty nine soldiers of co a 133rd inf 34th inf div signed their names and in some cases their addresses on the Flag captured in Bologna Italy in april 1945. In the past few years Gray a 34-year-old factory worker and history Buff has used veterans rosters Ana Long shot leads to find 12 of the men bringing some together for the first time since the War. Three others Are confirmed dead. Eddie Ruple 77, of Yorktown va., was among the first to get a Call from Gray and invited him to bring the Flag to Ruple s Home. Quot i was stunned a Ruple said. Quot and when i seen my name i remember putting it on that night after it was captured. We were in Bologna and we were having a Little party and drinking a Little wine and the Flag came Down and we signed  roman Hicks 71, of Eatonton ga., and Ben Mitchell 68, of Sumter s.c., did not know the Flag would be there when Ruple invited them to meet with some old army buddies. A my jaw dropped a Mitchell said. Quot we were so surprised and All. It just made chills pop out All  Ruple went to visit Carl Sigler of St. Helens ore., after Gray put them Back in touch. They had not seen each other for 45 years. A Eddie and i were both Cooks a Sigler said. Quot that s Why we were both  Good buddies a we ate each others food. The week he was out Here we talked solid All the  Hicks said the Flag had been hanging on the Side of a building from a window. According to Ruple a Soldier named Barnes a now dead a from Euclid Ohio took it Down. ,. A in 1987, Gray picked up the 6-by-10-foot Flag for $20 in Carlisle a. A i did no to think it was possible to find the signers he said. A the names were Over 40 years old and the chances were slim to none at  As for the Flag. Gray is thinking of giving it to the museum at division Headquarters in Des Moines Iowa. Quot even though its a nazi Flag its still a piece of history that should be preserved a he said. A so people won t doubt it Ever happened or that it can to happen  m a n �9" in Galveston Texas a a 75-year-old Man who tried to help a Down on its Luck family head read about in a newspaper said he was kidnapped at knife Point robbed tied up and left in a ditch. A i think i talked myself out of being Field dressed butchered because i was just very cooperative and asking him not to Hurt me a Russell Plaisance said a hell 1 was  Larry Kevin Webster 35, was arrested wednesday at a Motel where Houston police found Plaisance a car. He was charged with kidnapping and robbery. Galveston authorities said he remained jailed saturday in lieu of $120,000 bail. Plaisance said he had just returned from a visit with relatives in California when he read a newspaper Story about the hard times facing Webster his wife and their three children. A i kind of had the Christmas spirit a he said. �?o1 said a of Well maybe i can do a Little  a a during Christmas week Plaisance said he visited the family at the Motel they were staying in near Galveston and gave them Money. He returned a few Days later with a roast fruit soft drinks 1 clothes for the children and other gifts. He also gave them his phone number. On tuesday Plaisance said Webster called to ask Tor a ride to the Post office to pickup a Check from a relative. On the Way Back he said Webster pulled a knife and demanded to be taken to Houston and then on to Seguin near san Antonio. Along the Way to Seguin Webster ordered Nim to pull Over Plaisance said. He then apologized to him tied him up and took his Wallet and his car he said. The 75-year-old said later a what the Heck. Its another stage in life a i Iii a r r waiting for liftoff at five astronauts scheduled to Fly on the spate shuttle endeavour John h. Casper Pilot Donald r. Mcmonagle Susan j. Helms this week pose for a photo on the flight deck at Kennedy space and Gregory j. Harbaugh. The countdown was to Start sunday Center Fla. They Are from left Mario Runco commander for a wednesday morning liftoff. Funeral Home burglar mutilates corpses Largo Fla. Up at least one robber wielding a Butcher knife broke into a funeral Home tied up the night attendant and mutilated two corpses police said saturday a police sgt. Don Holcomb said the motive for the mutilation was unknown although the robber apparently broke into the National cremation society in Largo in search of Cash. And the night attendant said he believed at least one other Man accompanied the knife wielding robber. A who knows what was in their minds a Holcomb said. A a funeral Home is not a Cash business so that a confusing. And Why the mutilation of the bodies that a real  Holcomb said an unidentified Man broke into the funeral Home about 2 . Friday the Man went into the office and threatened night attendant William Whipple 44, of Largo with a Butcher knife. He took Whipple a Wallet then ordered Whipple to open the Safe. The funeral Home does not have a Safe. Whipple said the burglar described As being in his late 20s, struggled with him then tied him up and Gaggia him. Whipple managed to free himself about 15 minutes later and called police. He needed five stitches to close a Gash in his left Index Finger suffered during the struggle. Singing grandmother still a woman in love with life Cross Ville 111. Apr a disco Beulah Kershaw achieved stardom More than a decade ago with Al Homespun love song that put her on charts and got her on National television. Then she disappeared. Nowadays the singing grandmother lives quietly a Well maybe not so quietly a in the Small Southern Illinois Community she Nas called Home since 1950. A a in be always said in a too stupid to be anything but Happy a said Kershaw 77. A my records have been played in Japan and a Guy in Texas just paid me 100 to do 3 video. And i still got a briefcase full of poems that need to be  Kershaw hit the big time in 1978 when her song a woman in love topped the playlist of Chicago radio station was for two weeks. The song whose lyrics include a a woman in love a woman in love never underestimate a woman m love also won Kershaw an invitation to Abc to s real people show where she appeared five times Between 1982 and 1984. A a she a a very charming lady and very exciting to watch a said Gary necessary the shows associate producer. A a we re very fond of her acid we hear from her once in a  at one time there were Beulah fan clubs in Florida new Jersey and Nevada. Tourists flocked to her Mobile Home which doubles As a store Selling her records poems and photos. A College students used to come Here to buy my records by the carloads a Kershaw said. A but 1 done to hear from them  despite her fall from the charts Kershaw a spirits remain High. She said she has Cut about eight records and s4s earned $50,000 from reruns of real people. She holds court in a cluttered living room dominated by a piano an Organ and reel to real recording equipment. A Ems. Real people a As she Calls herself writes poetry and composes music whenever she is inspired by a what else a real people. A ninety percent of my poems Are about real people. Why my song my Reward for Loving you is you divorcing me is based on a Friend s True Story in mount Carmel Quot Kershaw said. Among Cross Vilies a 940 residents Kershaw seems Well respected if a Little misunderstood. A a everybody a heard of Beulah a said Village president Delbert Brown. A she s kind of eccentric but As far As i know she a a Good  a when Kershaw is not writing poetry or composing music she is encouraging Middle aged wannabes  As peach Ingram who is hoping for her own break into stardom. A Beulah always pushes me to do the Best i can a Ingram said