European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday August 11, 1993 the stars and stripes Page 3 confronting tragic event Erlanger brigade readies its burial. By r on  Nurnberg Bureau Erlanger Germany sense of urgency rests upon Ferris Barracks. There is no War upcoming. No expected combat of any kind for which to prepare. Rather the 2nd brigade of the3rdinf div the Send me brigade is readying its own demise moving it self toward oblivion. It and the base on which it resides Are victims of the cold War Victory. And for All the Good that Victor implies no threat of world War Iii less tax Money needed for de sense it still weighs heavily on the commander. For me it s a frustration and think it s a frustration everyone feels said col. J. Richard Wallace. We be worked so hard to become Good combat team. The frustration is not having a legacy to pass  commander looks Forward to passing on his com Mand to a successor Wallace  departing commander believes he has made improvements and an incoming commander plans to improve the command even More. The command Wallace accepted in october 1991 i being mothballed.  directly into the history books. End of Story. There is he said great sadness in that. Of the two major units in Erlanger the 2nd in 70tharmor, is scheduled to disappear by dec. 15. The 1st in 30th inf will meet the same Fate by Jan. 15,1994. The 16th engr in will move to Bamberg some time Between october an december. However there is a Mas Sive task ahead for those and other units somewhat less vital than preparing for an invasion of Western Europe but a task nonetheless. And Wallace said his sol Diers Are facing it head on. The first year and a half or better we were concerned with being a combat ready brigade. We focused on that said Wallace. The attitude is the same. We be been Given a mis Sion. We treat it like any other Mission. Morale is Good. Even though it s a tragic event in the history of the unit morale is  it had better be. There Are several Hundred vehicles tanks Bradley fighting vehicles armoured personnel carriers trucks and humvee that must be prepared to be turned in about 700 in All. Most of the vehicles Are destined for a pre position ing aboard ships. Having them already loaded saves time if the equipment is needed in some world trouble spot. Across the base at the motor Pool belonging to the 2nd in 70th Armor staff sgt. Ira Mcfadden said his is is Roo Jonson sgt Jeffrey a acne right and staff sgt George Plauck go Over the paper work on their m1a1 tank while sgt. 1st class Robert Booker watches. Unit s 64 tanks and about 120 other vehicles Are on schedule to meet Wallace s deadline of sept. 1. Of sure he said from atop the armoured Hull of an m1a1 tank. We re past 80 percent probably 85 per  Over at the motor Pool for the 1st in 30th inf 1st it. Edward Christiansen is not so sure of making the deadline since his battalion will not be inspected until the Armor battalion is finished. It s going to be Tough he said with a slight shake of his head. The race is to get approval from inspectors with the civilian equipment group Europe known As Cage pronounced  they Are the ones who look Over the equipment to ensure that it is in fighting condition. As Wallace said some of us May fight this equip ment on some future Battlefield. If we Don t use it maybe our sons and daughters  to prepare the Metal hulks for those future Battles. Broken bolts and worn tracks Are being replaced and communications equipment is being tested and if needed repaired. Nothing on a very Long checklist will be overlooked. If a strap is missing a new one is put in place. It is like planning and preparing one  funeral. I hate to see Erlanger go said pfc. Trevor Neu Mann a loader on a tank with the 70th Armor. If i stay in Germany i d like to stay in Erlanger i think it s one of the better places you can be stationed in  Neumann who will be moving to Vilseck has been at Ferris Barracks since january about the time rumours of closure started circulating. I made a lot of Good friends he said. All of the friends you get to be friends with. You be got to say goodbye to  the soldiers of Ferris Barracks who will soon be the soldiers of Bamberg Schweinfurt Vilseck and other Points both near and far have accepted the news with Grace and understanding. This is just the new army now said sgt. 1st class Robert Booker of the 2nd in 70th Armor. Nothing is Ron Jonson soon the signs marking the presence of the 2nd brigade 3rd in div Hill be a thing of Fth past in Erlanger. We can do about it. We be got to accept it and go with the  sgt. David Kozak of he co 2nd brigade stated the reality simply. Some posts just have to leave Germany he said. We re one of them. Well close this Post. The soldiers will go on to another  american soldiers have been in Erlanger since april 1945, when the 3rd inf div charged through Bavaria. The 2nd brigade whose history dates to world War i has called Ferris Barracks Home since August 1991. When the place closes Wallace said he will be the one to turn the key a chore he docs not anticipate with Good cheer. It will be full of memories but the faces will be gone he said. And that makes Wallace talk about his personal legacy from this command. He is known in Erlanger for telling people to know what right looks  it is his Way of telling people not to Settle for second Best. An informal Survey of his officers indicates that he was successful in getting that Point across. One said Wallace was Able to Foster a sense of team work and togetherness at the brigade level not an easy thing to accomplish. From Here to All of those other army posts will go Wallace s officers and soldiers Many now with an understanding of what right looks like. That s my legacy to the army Wallace said. Many rate Clinton plan fair but ineffective Washington a Public opposition to president Clinton s economic program surged just about the time it was squeezing through Congress last week. The latest Abc news Washington Post poll showed that a growing number of people believe the plan is fair but that fewer than half think it will do what it is supposed to do reduce the deficit by $496 billion Over five years. Two in three said it taxes too much and cuts spending too Little. The results show that Clinton needs to continue his efforts to Clear up the misinformation that s out there Whitehouse spokeswoman Dee Dee Myers said tuesday. She said voters also Don t think that republicans Are on the right  the Survey released monday found 48 percent of those questioned oppose the plan and 43 percent support it. A week earlier a similar poll showed the plan s supporters and detractors were evenly split at 38 percent each. The Telephone poll of 1,216 adults was conducted Friday through sunday. The error margin was plus or minus 3 percentage Points. Asked whether the plan would help shrink the deficit 45 percent said yes and 46 percent said no. And the 45 per cent of respondents who thought the Economy would be helped were out numbered by the 48 percent of doubt ers. Sixty six percent agreed with the statement that the program raises taxes too much and does t Cut spending enough. Fifty six percent said they were being asked to do their fair share under the economic plan while 40 percent thought they were being Given an unfair Burden. In successive june july and August polls the fair share Block climbed from 41 percent to 49 percent and then to the latest 56 percent Clinton s Overall Job approval rating was Little changed from a poll taken in late june with 51 percent giving him a negative rating to 45 percent a positive View. In the earlier poll 50 percent Dis approved of the Way he was hand Ling his Job and 43 percent approved. The 4.3-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax increase in the plan was opposed 54percent to 46 percent according to the poll