European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 06, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes . Friday january 6,1995 7 sex Dod chiefs Call for More b2s by inc Washington Post Washington seven former de sense secretaries urged president Clinton on wednesday to consider buying moreb2 bombers the radar eluding jets whose future could determine the Fate of Northrop Grumman corp. We arc writing you to express our concern about the impending Termi nation of the b2 bomber product online a two Page letter to Clinton said. We urge you to consider the Purchase of More such aircraft while the option still  the letter was signed by Richard Che Ney Caspar , Frank Carlucci Harold Brown James Schlesinger Don old Rumsfeld and Melvin Laird. Brown is the Only one to hold office in a demo cratic administration. In the stars and stripes 10 year Sago Jan. 6,1985 Snow and Freez ing rain stretched from West Virginia to new England As a storm moved into the Northeast on a path that left thousands without Power closed schools and brought Snow As far South As Atlanta 20 years ago Jan. 6,1975 president Ford working his Way toward the Bottom of a stack of Bills sent him by con Gress signed legislation setting a permanent 55mileanhbur National Speed limit. X 30 year Sago Jan. 6,196s president John t son declaring that americans and soviets must know each other better if they Are to live in peace expressed Hope that the new Kremlin Lead ers would visit the United states 40 years ago Jan. 6,1955 the democrats formally took command of Congress with a pledge to cooperate with re publican  in the two crucial years ahead. 50 years ago Jan. 6,1945 after being grounded for a Day by weather the . 8thi air Force resumed its onslaught against German Supply Points As More than 1,000 bombers hammered communications and rail centers from Cologne to Karlsruhe. World War ii 50 years ago today Jan. 6 i 1945 . Planes attack airfields in the Philippines before the invasion of Luzon japanese kamikazes damage two american battleships three cruisers and six destroyers. In Belgium German commanders again ask permission to withdraw from the Battle of the bulge but Adolf Hitler refuses. German troops capture Esztergomi in Hungary but fail to break the soviet encirclement of Budapest. Source 2194 Days of War w. H. Smith publishers inc the world almanac of world War ii. Bison books corp1981 a every dime spent on b2s in new leaner Pentagon budgets could remove funds from other air Force projects especially the f22 fighter. The f22 s Mam con tractor Lockheed corp., opposes North Rop Grumman s proposal to spend $ 12 billion for 20 snore b2s, beyond the 20already planned. The letter was circulated by former Republican congressman James courier of new Jersey chairman of the defense  of the Alexis de Tocque Villa institution a nonprofit organization that pro motes preservation of the nation s de sense Industrial base. The group has no connection to Northrop Grumman Orother b2 contractors. The Only former defense Secretary who declined to sign the letter was los Aspin who served during Clinton s first year in office. The group did t ask Elliot Rich Ardson or Clark Clifford for their support and could t reach Robert Mcnamara. Defense Industry executives said it Isth Only Case they recall of so Many re tired defense secretaries supporting a terminated weapons system. Clinton s defense Secretary William Perry has praised the b2 s prowess but says there s no Money for More. The first 20 b2s Cost $44 billion or$2.2 billion each and it was a target of Liberal democrats especially rep. Ron Dellums dcalif., who was chairman of the House armed services committee in the last Congress. The 20 additional b2s Northrop Grumman proposes would Cost $595 Mil lion each. The Cost would be lower be cause the huge Price tag for developing its new technologies would be spread evermore jets. Many members of the new Republican majority in Congress say the Clinton administration is not spending enough on new weapons. Many republicans want to reverse administration spending cuts in next generation missile defences and Perry s Deci Sion to reduce the army s $20 billion Comanche helicopter into a prototype program in which Only two of the aircraft will be built. The letter repeats arguments of other132 promoters that the . Bomber Fleet mostly a is and aging b52s i inadequate to project american military punch especially it a time when the United states is withdrawing from Over seas bases and cutting aircraft carriers. Army copter Pilot says he feared n. Koreans would never free him Brooksville Fla. A for the 13 Days he was held captive after his army helicopter crashed in North Korea Bobby Hall feared he would never Befree  a -. The whole time i was there i thought any minute that i May have been shot but they never came in to beat me up or anything Hall said in an dateline no interview broadcast wednesday Hight. But it was always there in the Back of my mind that i was t Gonna make it out. Of a or the interview will be broadcast Mon Day at 4 . Central european time on an to a a /. Hall and fellow chief warrant officer David Hilemon who died in the crash wandered Over the heavily fortified Bor Der Between North and South Korea on dec i -/.-. Y v Vas  officials have maintained Hal said crossing into the communist nation s airspace was accidental. An experienced Pilot with More than 1,000 flying hours Hall said that from the air he could t recognize the demilitarized zone that separates the two countries. We had just discussed the fact that we were looking at the map and we were saying wait a minute. This does t lookalike what s supposed to be Here and about that time when we said yep we re right there was a loud explosion Hall said wednesday in an interview with the St. Petersburg times conducted in his Hometown of Brooksville. \-,--.---.-. I still Haven t gotten a Clear definition if we had been shot or there was a mechanical problem on the aircraft that something blew up. But the Windshield did Cave in onus Ana we lost engine Power Hall was t sure How the unarmedoh58a helicopter strayed so far of course. The army is investigating. Immediately after the crash Hall and Hilemon were surrounded by North koreans. It was Only then that Hall realized chief warrant officer Bobby Hall gets a cosmetic touch up wednesday prior to a dateline Abc interview taped at his Mother s Home in Brooksville Fla. That they had gone Way too far  i motioned to them that Dave was Hurt and the fact that that aircraft was Bonfire Hall told the times. One of them actually came Dawn and helped me Pul him farther away from the aircraft and it was just a few minutes later that i realized Dave s dead. Right off the hat they separated us so i never had a Chance to inspect Dave s body so i Don t even know what really caused his  Hall said he was treated and fed Well but was coerced into what the North koreans characterized As a confession i which i Lall apologies for committing a flagrant violation of International Law none of it was my words Hall told.nikv it was All Wharthen dictated me to  ,./  Hall said he talked to Hilemon s widow wednesday for the first time since the crash and apologized. For a Long time i blamed everything on myself Hall said. I can t i was the senior person. I was in charge of the situation and Dave a