European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 28, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 the stars and St Lopes Haiti wed esd september 28,1994 Shalikashvil sees Christmas in Haiti by Rick Van Sant Scripps Howard news service Cincinnati it looks like Christmas in Haiti for . Forces who just arrived there last week says Amer Ica s top military Boss. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen. John m. Shalikashvil said monday night in Cincinnati that ? forces will remain in Haiti for months not we have to be prepared that it might go into the new year he said. I think those there now will have to Sta past Christ Mab. Hopefully not much longer than that if things go Well they might be Able to come Back sooner. It All hinges on How Well the transition Between haitian military Leader it. Gen. Raoul Cedras and pres ident Jean Bertrand Aristide goes on oct. 15. But no one can predict because no one can predict the Security Shalikashvil in Cincinnati to address a convention of the retired officers association said it s foolish to set a definite pullout Date for . Forces. That s because he said enemies of the operation try to outlast you and allies wonder Why should we come join you when you re already packing your suitcases . Service members began arriving in Haiti last wee to provide Security for the oct. 1.5 transition of Power that Cedras agreed to in order to avoid a . Invasion. When Security conditions permit . Forces to leave troops will take Over in Haiti Shalikashvil said. Marine Lance Cpl. Michael Beckett of Davin vv.va., cleans his weapon with his Pla Toon in a Field next to the Cap Hai Tien Haiti Airfield As a c-130 cargo plane takes off pressed suicide from Page 1 he had said he considered suicide unlikely. The state department said it had not ruled out that the death was accidental. The death followed a confrontation sat urday in Cap haitian a there . Marines shot and killed 10 haitians. The nation s second largest City is on Haiti s North coast. In port a Prince military police stretched barbed wire about 50 feet outside the parliament building. Soldiers in Green camouflage uniforms patrolled the roof and stood guard inside the main Gate. Haitians who gathered to watch booed loudly As haitian police drove by. At City Hall american armoured vehicles parked just inside the compound. Outside . Army humvee with machine guns mounted on top stood guard. The americans hoping to rid the streets of weapons were beginning their guns for Money program today $50 for a handgun to $300 for a rocket launcher. The parliament is scheduled to Convene today to begin discussing an amnesty Law part of the last minute Deal worked out nine Days ago by the military Junta and a delegation headed by former preside Tcarter that averted a . Invasion. . Sources said port a Prince mayor Evans Paul is expected to emerge from hid ing thursday and return to City Hall. Paul who was president Jean Bertran Aristide s Campaign manager has been in hiding much of the three years since Aris tide was overthrown by the Junta. The . Development program said tuesday that its warehouse in port a Prince was ransacked and that 11 tons of food were taken. The loss was estimated at $35,000. American officials meanwhile have sex concern Over what they called overhead. The planes have been bringing in army troops who will replace the marines. Mission that is they come to the country with a specific plan in this Case to restore the elected government but find their role slowly expanding. In the North for example Many authorities have simply abdicated to american forces. And in port a Prince even routine police work is now sometimes referred to he americans. The . Air Force began taking Over Security tuesday at port a Prince Airport in order to free up soldiery from the 10th inf Mountain div for other duties. As of tuesday 15,600 american forces had come to Haiti. The outpouring of support for . Serv ice members has been effusive in Haiti where Many Are eager to put behind years of brutal dictatorship in favor of a democracy they have never known. Another 142 refugees arrived from Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba the second group of volunteers to return to Haiti since the americans intervened in the nation. ". Tuesday s arrivals came aboard the coast guard Cutter durable. They disembarked at the port a Prince port Many of them carrying their possessions in plastic bags and Blue buckets. President Clinton on monday lifted travel economic and most other . Sanctions against Haiti and urged other nations to follow suit. The aim of the Trade embargo was to oust the army commander and coup Leader it. Gen. Raoul Cedras and restore Aristide., since the military intervention in Haiti forces have fanned put inside an around the two biggest cities the capital and Cap Hai Tien. Marines Are disarming some police Barracks. Military police Are stationed at others to prevent human rights abuses a. They really Don t associate with us said.-10th inf Mountain div Cpl. Wayne Pelletier of Leominster mass., referring to haitian police. They Don t know if they should beat people in front of us or wait until we Marine from Page 1 from the army s 10th inf Mountain div from fort drum . Palumbo was leading his men on a one mile March through the City one of his last. In doorways and alleys the peo ple of Cap haitian watched them As they paraded past. Palumbo had never seen such poverty As Haiti a although he grew up in the smallest of Coal mining towns in Western Pennsylva Nia. He is the son of the High school Princi at Windber pa., and now he was walk ing past children teen agers and Youn adults whose parents could not afford to Send them to school. You look in their eyes and you could see a lot of hone he said waving to some of those lining Nis patrol route. People want to help themselves out of their misery. I can t say enough about these people. Just great Many people in the last few Days including several witnesses have contradicted the marines version of what happened outside police Headquarters in Cap Vla Tien on sat urday night. Some claim the haitian police fired first when they Felt threatened by the presence of the marines. Others said the marines were lying in wait or had come to the police building spoiling for a fight. Still others believe that even though the police Are hated Here the dispute could Nave been settled without gunfire. But Palumbo and his squad of 14 men Tell it differently. They had been standing guard in front of the police Headquarters for two hours when in the last Light of dusk Palumbo said he saw trouble. Two officers came out of the front Gate and it looked As though they were pretending to be arguing. One pulled out a pistol and the other an Chine gun. Palumbo who was just 5 Yards away from them said they suddenly turned toward him. He said he raised his m16 and shot the both. I just reacted he. Said. We were threatened. My men were threatened. Without a doubt i can prove we were set up in an ambush and that they knew exactly what they were he ordered his men to fire he said just As he saw two haitian police attaches or armed auxiliaries in the crowd pulling guns top and opening fire at his him a haitian police officer leaned out a window and fired on the marines below Palumbo said. On the ground the marines had no cover. Some split to the left others to the right Palumbo held the Middle position what he called the kill he and his men All fired from their hips or their shoulders or from bended knee. Only one american Jose Joseph a Navy interpreter was injured. And even As he was being treated by a Navy medic Andres Espinosa for a wound to the left leg Joseph continued to translate com mands to the crowd into Creole. Palumbo insisted that his men Stan their ground exposed and not seek cover. He feared that if they moved they might bring some of the bystanders into the line of the fighting was fierce. Lance Cpl. David Grogan fired 150 rounds in 15 seconds and kept firing even when his ammunition Belt broke. A machine gunner Travis Molden Hauer fired one Magazine of 30 rounds then dropped to one knee and emptied second Magazine. Staff sgt. Todd Arnold said simply every 15 seconds seemed like an Palumbo called the cease fire. In the darkness before him he thought he saw a dead Marine lying on the Street. On hands and Knees he crawled toward the figure. But when i got up there he said it was t a Marine at All. It was a Bush. And you can believe Virge from Page 1 i was glad to hear he s of that it was t vice versa said Bernadette Palumbo who is expecting the Cou ple s first child in Early october. Friends said Virgil Palumbo 24, is a role Model in the Small town of Windber 60 Miles East of Pittsburgh. The son of a High school principal Palumbo had at least two qualities prize in Windber athletic prowess and patriotism. He was the most valuable player on his High school football team and a graduate of the . Naval Academy at Annapolis my. He s a top notch kid said Sal Marro superintendent of schools. He was a Delight in school a Good athlete a natural his Mother Lorraine Palumbo put it this Way he s the kind of child you look Back on and say what did i do right to have a child like this he loves god his country and his
