European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 11, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                 v. " /.",   is new bathen101st airborne div comrades Cecil Goraber 2nd it Sterling Sawyer and William Steele share experiences during june s Battle of the bulge ceremonies in Bastogne. From Vietnam to alost airborne div Veteran Mcgehee sat at a cafe table watching the Parade the City of Bastogne was thanking the americans who had liberated their City from Hitler s tanks 50 years before. Ran out of Calvados the bastards Mcgehee said of the Apple Brandy and cafe culprits. Vietnam was his War. Mcgehee does t have a liberated City to thank  he had for his Battle memories was a combat infantry badge two purple hearts and a scar on his Chin that he rubbed when he thought about it. The scar was from a Viet Cong Bullet that caught him in the Chest Tore through his shoulder and crushed his jaw. It stopped in his Mouth and he spit it out. / i can t Tell you Why i m Here Mcgehee said his words edged in an anger left Over from the Jungle. That combat experience paid his  he was no strap Hanger he said using the paratroops derogatory Label for a person who tries to Benefit from someone else s glory. In his View his Battle wounds earned him the right to travel with the world War h vets. He motioned to two of them across the table of empty soda glasses. William and Cecil there. William took a cabbage Patch with a Bayonet said Mcgehee. William Steele 76-year-Young do face and former 101st paratrooper Shook his head with a laugh. Cecil Goraber 79, a 101st trooper with the gliders joined. Him.  is a religious feast Day with the vets As the saints. It s for them said Mcgehee a self styled military history student. He also spit out his origins in one breath. Little Rock Arkansas but i did t vote for the Bastard he said. The negative reference to the president he heard speak at Normandy the week before was not an uncommon one. It May have been More a reference to anyone who had not lived a Day in Boot Camp let alone a Day under enemy fire. Is Effle Bathe William Mcgehee honors vets of an older War. Mcgehee s views do not have anything to do with Vietnam he insisted. More it was a respect for the men who had braved the bullets at some of the War s most decisive Battles he said. The first time i sewed on a 101st Patch i seed on these Guys. William there. And Cecil. I sewed on Bastogne and  those Battles were not George Morris either. He was not a world War ii Liberator. He spent his time in service training troops in the United states for the korean wan but that did not matter to the people of Bastogne. They organized their mid june commemoration to Honor veterans from All conflicts. In America Many main Street memorial Day parades Drew sparse crowds or were cancelled because of Lack of interest. In Bastogne people pressed to see the world War ii veterans and get their autographs. Morris signed his name and address asking his  Send him a postcard too. Never magic it overseas in his War he said. He was making up for it with a a Day plus More tour that brought about 500 vets accompanied by i their families to Europe the tour Cost $2,000 and two weeks time. Some historical expeditions started Iri England hit the beaches at Normandy and went on to visit important Battle Sites in Belgium hol land Germany and the czech Republic. Would the South koreans Ever have this much hoopla half a Century after their near Brush with col lapse not according to Morris. There just would t be that patriotic feeling for the americans he said a red paper poppy tucked in his Garrison Cap. They la never have anything like this.". In the United states when veterans Are encountered holding a handful of the Little red paper pop pies Many people shuffle around them to avoid making a 25-cent donation. But in june when real poppies bloomed in the soil that was liberated by americans gis 10,000 Bel Gians turned out to pay them tribute. American flags flew from every building alongside the Black Gold and red colors of Belgium. They stretched Between Neon signs for gyros stands Over windows for bakeries and appeared in shop windows Between sausages and ardennes hams. Children ran with Cotton  marching bands played Glenn Miller tunes and everyone seemed in the mood. Alongside the old dog faces was 29-year-old 2nd it. Sterling Sawyer a paratrooper and 101st air As Sault trained Soldier from fort Campbell by. They Are the grandfathers of our unit he said. There Wasp maybe the War s going to happen for them said Sawyer noting differences Between today s soldiers and boys in the mud in 44. They had heavy combat losses. They had a much bigger conflict. They fought for years. That was even True for  a one time sergeant first class promoted to lieu tenant Sawyer had read the army histories about the Battles. But he was learning a lot More from vets like William and Cecil and perhaps Mcgehee. Its the personalities you Don t read about said Sawyer who spent the persian Gulf War stateside. He was surprised to learn How much the gis hated some commanders. Without mentioning a name he said he was trying figure put How one Gen Era could be so adored by the people he liberated and so hated by his own men. Sawyer said he was hopeful there would be some kind of a 50th anniversary commemoration for the Korea and Vietnam Era vets too. Effie Bathen december 1.1,1994 sunday Page