European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 28, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Life As Ace May out Baron Bystra Douthat the associated press Anfred von Richthofen has been dead since 1918, but the famed red Baron is still flying High in the imaginations of comic strip creator Charles m. Shulz and writer Peter Kilduff of new Britain Conn. In his peanuts comic strip Shulz frequently has snoopy assume the Persona of a world War i aviator who is always bested by the red Baron the German Ace. Snoopy s wartime encounters Are not always appreciated in academic circles. Some historians Call it the Snoop fiction of the red Baron says Kilduff. But personally i think Shulz has done a pretty Good Job of inserting aviation history into his comic strip and Kilduff should Krotow Given that he has written a detailed history of Aerial warfare during world War i and two books about von Richthofen. In addition he says he has read everything he can find about the Man both in English arid German. I be been intensely interested in Manfred von Richthofen and his Era since i was a teen Ager says the 53 year old Central Connecticut state University administrator Lye done extensive research on his life even to the Point of procuring the weekly reports of his wartime activities from the German military archives in Munich and Potsdam. Some of the material had t been seen in the West for More than 50  in his 1969 Book the red Baron Kilduff translated von Richthofen s memoirs into English. In beyond the legend of the red Baron which came out in the United states a few weeks ago Kilduff says he thinks he has written the definitive biography of the world War i Ace of aces who shot Down 80 Allied air planes before being killed in France at age 25. Kilduff says archival material obtained several year Iago from East Germany gave him the Chance to match German Aerial Victory claims with British and French casualty reports. Not Only has he been Able to document the red Baron s military career but also he says his Book is the Only unbiased account of von Richthofen s life i warned my British publisher arms and Armour press of London that this Book will make nobody Happy he says. In Germany von Richthofen is the hero of heroes in Peter Kilduff holds a Model of the plane similar to the one flown during world War i by Baron Manfred von Richthofen below. Kilduff recently completed a Book about the Man known As the red Baron. He received Iri a previous crash Kilduff says. In effect he was burned  on the Day he was killed Kilduff says the red Baron s All red Fokker Tri plane was shot Down in the Somme River Valley after von Richthofen violated one of his own Cardinal rules never Fly too Low in enemy territory. He was practically at Eye level with a group of australian ground troops in Pursuit of a Sopwith Camel flown by a Canadian Pilot Kilduff says. It was sunday april 21,1918. It s not Clear whether he was killed by a pursuing aircraft or by a Bullet from one of the troops on the ground. It s a continuing  the red Baron s plane crash landed and he was pulled from the wreckage already dead. The German Ace was buried on the Battlefield but later was exhumed and taken to Germany where he was Given a hero s funeral. Kilduff said his Book includes a full text translation of the red Baron s air combat operations manual. Basically he recommended getting behind your enemy and closing in on him before opening fire he says. It s still Good advice even in the Jet age. I had a recent Call from an f-16 fighter Pilot who said these techniques Are still being taught to new  England he is the bloody Hun " Kilduff says his research shows that von Richthofen who was killed shortly after shooting Down his 80th plane was a likable principled Man but was in very shaky health at the end both mentally and physically. He was at the Peak of his military career but he also was emotionally tired and deeply depressed and was suffering severe headaches from injuries Short subject the spirit of 94 i m of you re not Byeff Donn. The associated press Call it the its your fault not mine syndrome Many americans believe families communities and workplaces Are falling apart just not their own. Americans think the underpinnings of society from Congress to schools to neighbourhoods Are collapsing recent polls say. A Survey conducted for Massachusetts Mutual life insurance co. Confirms it. Yet americans generally profess themselves Happy with their own congressman their children s school the safety of their own neighbourhood. The problem is with thee not me. That s essentially what i keep hearing said Maureen Michaels a new York City researcher who supervised the Survey released last week. In interviews earlier this month some observers attributed this dichotomy to americans struggle to keep an even keel in the face of profound social transformations. Others say americans themselves have degenerated since the 1960s and now shirk their responsibility to others. Still others hold that americans have been duped frito an exaggerated pessimism by the Media the Republican party the religious right and other entities. It s All of the above. And for some parts of the society fear becomes exaggerated and the striving becomes exaggerated/1 said Gregory Prince a social historian and president of Hampshire College in Amherst mass. In the Survey about 75 percent said they Are living up to their commitments to spouses children and employers. And 90 percent say others Are Wershing on their obligations. Eighty percent say they Are Able to meet their workplace commitments. Only 35 percent think their co workers Are equally committed. What they re really saying is everywhere i look there s deterioration All around me which has a corrosive Impact on my ability to sustain my commitments. But i m really really trying,1 said Rebecca Shahmoon Shanok a psychologist who helped develop the Survey. Paul Schervish a Boston College sociologist said that americans once masters of morality in their own Homes now must fight to find values to counter television movies and other outside influences. However John Hewitt a University of Massachusetts professor who wrote dilemmas of the american self believes that people Are mostly satisfied with their lives. Their View of others is distorted by myths of decline that the world is going to the dogs that we re All going to hell in a Han Basket that families Are falling apart that the younger generation is corrupt he said. Hewitt said the Republican party and religious right have made gains by Selling americans on that idea. The insurance Survey was based on Telephone interviews with a National random Sample of 1,021 adults from sept. 29 to oct. 3 by Michaels opinion research. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage Points. Monday november 28,1994 the stars and stripes 15