European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 6, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes Farewell to Berlin wednesday july 6, 1994slump from Page 1 marched into this great City and guaranteed its Independence a Yates said. A today ends the "49th year  presence Here and begins our 50th year. A however we will not Complete our 50th year of service Here. On the 7lh of september we will lower the Flag of the United Stales of America from Over Clay Headquarters for the last time and depart the capital of a reunited  president. Clinton Wiir be in the City next tuesday to take part in the inactivation of the Berlin brigade. At monday s ceremony a Streamer from the City of Berlin was attached to the brigades Flag that the president will help Case. The upcoming departure gave mondays event a somber note. Speakers noted How the City and the soldiers have formed a Strong Friendship and How each will miss the other once the americans Are gone. A when asked soldiers often do not have a Hometown a Yates said. A but for All of us who served in this great City we will always answer a my Hometown is  berlins governing mayor Eberhard Diepgen said the presence of americans in Berlin for nearly 50 years has made possible the reunification of the City and Germany. A was the soldiers of the Berlin brigade withdraw from our City our recognition of their accomplishments and our thanks for their services for peace and Freedom will accompany them a he said a but even if they leave Berlin As soldiers the friendships will  Diepgen noted that the Mission of the Berlin brigade joins Only a handful of military efforts in history that have been so peaceful and so successful. A crowd of several thousand waved. A a a a a a amps Ken George Berlin brigade Stretcher a carers carry a Comrade overcome by the heat to the Cooling Shade at monday s fourth of july Celebration. American flags and saluted the soldiers As they marched from the grounds. Three helicopters capped the ceremony with a Low level flyover trailing Clouds of red White and Blue smoke. In his remarks Gen. David m. Maddox the commander of the . Army Europe thanked the berliners for opening their hearts and Homes to the sol Diers. A they Are not just the Berlin brigade a he said. A they Are berlins  Richard Holbrooke the american ambassador to Germany said the brigades departure and the draw Down of american troops throughout Europe do not mean America is disengaging from the continent. A the cold War is Over a he said. A but we have moved into a new Era. This new Era will be one of cooperation and growing Friendship a just As we worked to tear Down a Wall of Concrete and barbed wire we must tear Down the Walls in Peoples minds. People of Berlin do not Mojin their do Partite. Celebrate their  with americans Evergreen mayor says by Joseph Owen staff writer Berlin a the . Forces withdrawal from Berlin signals a change in the City a relations with americans not an end to them according to berlins governing mayor. A there is Here a veritable network so to speak of German american organizations a Eberhard Diepgen said monday during an interview at the Berlin Senate a guest House in the City a Grunewald neighbourhood. Diepgen 52, acknowledged. That the impending departure of .,j British and Trench troops Means that his City a International atmosphere will change. But he cited several pending do vol Diepgen of mints in Berlin that Are Likely to preserve his City a unique relationship with the United states they include planned construction of the largest  in Europe. A the intention or build an Allied a forces museum on current army controlled property on Clay Allce a Boulevard in the City a southwestern Corner. A planned expansion of the bilingual John f. . A a a proposals to establish English and French language radio stations to replace1 the current american forces network outlet and its British and French military counterparts. Even now he said berlins ties with the. United states Are exceptionally Strong. A a a it a not for nothing that the City a former american commanders continually get invited Back Here for private visits a Berliner found troops a Basic part of our life by Joseph Owen staff writer Berlin a american troops controlled six Berlin districts during the cold War years but Schlendorf was the one in which most of them lived worked and played. So Schlendorf District mayor Karl Ulrich Menzel thought it Only natur.,1 that when the Berlin based 6th in 502nd inf regt invited him to Macedonia to Sec its soldiers on . Duty there he should go see his neighbors in action. Menzel 55, who also has visited Berlin based troops at training Sites in Germany made the one Day visit to Macedonia by plane last nov. 30. But to visit the. Same soldiers this coming november he would have to leave Europe altogether. Schlendorf once Home. To about 10,000 americans affiliated with the . Forces is los ring its american troops this summer. Berlin As a whole is a multicultural City. But sprawling expensive Schlendorf does no to fit that Mencl pattern. Its population of some 98,200 is about 93 percent German. The american presence therefore gave the area an International flair. A a we be never made any Bones about the fact that if the americans go some thing will be missing a Menzel said. A the americans were a Basic part of our life not just in the District but in All of  a Schlendorf had established a cultural Exchange partnership with 6th in but the army disbanded the unit in april. To fill that void the District govern mint has resolved to set up a similar partnership with a Community in the United states Menzel said. The mayor said an expected influx of some 200 . Diplomatic personnel will offset partially the loss of the military units. Also promising proposals exist to turn current . Recreational facilities in Dehlendorf into gathering places for .-German activities he said. A he said. Also he said a considerable number of americans have chosen to slay in Berlin despite the troop withdrawal. A another Factor is the massive investment in the City by . Companies. The German Federal government subsidized such investment heavily during  a when West Berlin was a political Island surrounded by the Berlin Wall and communist East Germany. Those economic ties should grow now that Berlin is an open City and no longer has the Handicap of narrow and dangerous air transport corridors to Western Germany. A. Diepgen cited As an example the establishment of an american business Center where checkpoint Charlie the Western allies famed downtown crossing Point to East be Jin used to be. The. Business relationship echoes the fact that the kingdom of Prussia under Frederick the great entered a Trade agreement with the newly formed United slates in the 1780s, Diepgen said. Berlin was the kingdoms capita then. Diepgen is a member of German Chan cullor Helmut Kohls party the Christian democratic Union he leads a coalition government that has run the City since 1991. He also served As governing mayor from 1984 to Early 19s9. Like most berliners Diepgen has Felt the effects of an american military presence throughout his life a my very first childhood memories Are War memories naturally in connection with fleeing but after that most distinctly the americans marching into the German state of Sachsen a he said referring to the end of world War ii when he had been evacuated from the bomb ravaged capital later Dick Gene a family returned to Berlin and experienced the soviet blockade of the City in 1948 and 49, As Well As the Berlin Airlift that kept him and his fellow citizens alive. The mayor said he recently donated to a museum an original package of powdered milk that his family had saved from that period. The City holds a Celebration every May 12 to recall the end of the Airlift. A was Long As i m governing mayor you can take it for granted. That this event will continue to be held a he said