European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 01, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 r the stars and stripes. Thursday september 1,1994 is do Dwion staff sgt Paul Safford left from the 437th Airlift control so of Charleston s.c., keeps an Eye on aircraft at the Kigali Rwanda Airport. At right air Force sgt Jerry Turley and airman 1st class Luchard Hughes prepare to marshal a belgian transport that is i s taking off again at Kigali Airport by Doyle Tollman staff writer Kigali Rwanda american troops work to restore operations at the War ravaged Kigali Airport has been a major Success a senior . Commander said recently. Army col. James r. Mcdonough the commands of task Force Bravo said the Airport after being closed for most of june can now operate around the clock. A month ago this place was a War zone said Mcdon Ough referring to the tribal genocide that left an Esti mated 500,000 to 1 million people dead in Rwanda. To illustrate the magnitude of killings he said if something of this scope had happened in the ., there d be 28 million people americans Are training rwandans to handle operations for when . Personne withdraw. No Date has been set for the withdrawal of , service members in Kigali. The air Force is expected to begin its pullout by mid to late september Mcdonough said. By then rwandan workers and officials and contractors should be Able to Picl rup the workload. Reclaiming the Airport meant returning to basics Mcdonough said. The runway and ramp remain speckled with mortar fire holes and easily 80 percent of the win Dows Are gone. When . Forces arrived there were no utilities. " " -. there also were land mines dead bodies and human fees everywhere. This was not a healthy Happy place Mcdonough said. This place was your worst now the Airport handles a average 40 flights daily and unloads some 600 tons of cargo mostly Relief supplies according to cant Ryan Yantis a . Military spokes Man at Kigali Yantis noted that on aug. 23, the Airfield marked the arrival of the 500th aircraft and that the next Day Airfield Crews unloaded enough cargo to top the 10,000-ton Mark. The Mission Here Vyas humanitarian Yantis said. We re not Here to rebuild a nation rather to help the rwandans return to running their Airport Yantis adage Alt roads to Rome As he described Kigali s significance to Rwanda. He said the Airport was a key position during the civil War and was virtually destroyed. Although morale is extra High Mcdonough said the experience at Kigali has not been without its incidents. Last week . Military Driver was approached and a gun allegedly was shoved in his the american reportedly managed to slip away and re turn to the Airport safely. As a result Mcdonough report edly has ordered . Forces not to leave Camp without his approval. the Airport a sense of normalcy is returning my Dongug said. Rwandan employees at the Kigali Airport Are working with military officials to list people for flights aboard Mili tary aircraft others Are studying with .firefighters As they prepare to resume Airfield crash Rescue responsibility. A v Vav. There is now a waiting area and an immigration office the tacit Force Leader said rwandans have been hired and Are training As forklift Drivers electricians and plumbers. I business is returning As Well. Sabena belgian world airlines will reopen International service to Kigali on sat urday the colonel added. Also a tailor and Barber both of whom say they worked at the Airport before have re turned. A " the measure of Bur Success is How quickly they can stand on their own Mcdonough said. Recruit from Page 1 checks would catch Robert Bowers a Fairfield Calif., at Torney who As an army Captain prosecuted Beacham at fort Ord said that in the 500 courts martial he has handled nothing compares in scope to the revolving door antics of Navy Petty officer turned army pvt. Walter Banks Bear Cham or. He knew the system. He knew the right codes Bowers said. Arid that s All stuff that even most prosecutors and Law Myers Don t know. And you have to consider that recruiters have certain quotas they have to make and recruiting is difficult right now with the draw Down. There May be some oversight by recruiters who look the other with phony birth certificates fake Driver s licenses and fraudulent social Security cards Beacham enlisted Over and Over again under multiple aliases. The product of a mixed marriage Pecan easily pass As White Black cuban or puerto rican. He said he was raised in and out of juvenile Halls in Chicago and California. Today at age 34, he lives in a $160-a month room and works As a private Rit guard. I guess Only take it Back to my childhood he said. I had the features of a White kid but the attitude of a Blac kid. I could pass for anything. I could be an innocent cute Little kid or a trouble maker. I took chances and i got away with it.". His Mother tried to explain her son psyche recalling How he was made a Ward of the state when he was 9 because i could t control his they said he had a double personality and he was almost diagnosed Schizo phrenic said Mary Ann Beacham of Oakland Calif. Sometimes he would act one Way and sometimes in the past he joined the service for signing bonuses of up to $4,000, for trips to exotic ports in Asia and Europe and for his greatest love the Chance to live someone else s life. According to military records and Bea Cham s own recollections he first joined the Navy in 1980 in Oakland. His Navy Days ended in six weeks. During Boot Camp at a san Diego training Center Beacham Felt uncomfortable in what he called the White Man s after seven Brief awol Inci dents he left for Good. I put away my uniform. I got my Money. I took a cab out of the front Gate and then a greyhound to l.a.," he said. Six months later he joined the army he added the to his name. An when recruiting officials inquired he an swered no ? to every question no problems at school no problems with police no prior enlistments. ,. He was a Soldier for six months when he was discharged after the army got Wise and realized his social Security number matched that of the Beacha who had been in the Navy. So he re turned to Oakland and within three months re entered the Navy incredibly again using his real name. So it went alternating Between the Navy and the army until enlistment no. 8 in 1992. The army. The name George Perez. Boot Camp at fort Bliss Texas. Advanced training at fort Sill okla. As signed As a Forward observer in a Field a tinier unit. Something happened. I could t stick around Beacham said. Time was Chok ing up on me i was in trouble for staying out late and i was afraid i d be busted right then. I left before i got Ray Bonus but like time Luck also was running out. He was arrested by police in Decem Ber 1992 after an argument with a los Angeles bus Driver. Turned Over to Mili tary authorities he was court Martiale at fort Ord on multiple charges of unlawful enlistment being absent without leave and desertion As Well As an old drug Case from Germany. He served eight months and 25 Days in an Amy prison at fort Lewis Wash. He was Dis honorable discharged. . Soldiers arrive for exercise at russian base Moscow a a contingent of . Troops arrived at a russian training base wednesday for joint Maneu vers that have outraged hard liners news agencies said. , riot police and Interior ministry troops also were head ing for the to Skoye training ground in the Orenburg Region 700 Miles Southeast of Moscow. The inter fax news Agency said cargo planes carrying 71 americans and their equipment arrived at to Skoye on wednesday. The compound where the american troops Are staying will be closed to out siders reports said. A total of 25.0 americans and an equal number of russian troops will take part in the peacekeeper 94 exercises that Start Friday and run until sept. 10. Secretary of defense William ferry and russian defense minister Pavel Grachev will observe the exercises sent7. V the inter fax news Agency said about300 people plan to picket the Maneu vers under the slogan Yankees go it said 41 demonstrators from the lab or Russia movement left Moscow for to Skoye on wednesday. Hard liners As Vladimir Zhirik Nevsky have denounced the exercises As a american plot to undermine Russia. The exercises first scheduled for july were postponed because of the outcry
