European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 28, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday april 282007 stars and stripes pages army mum about mysterious Hanau explosion by John Vandiver stars and stripes Hanau Germany a report of an explosion near a Busy Mili tary shopping Center prompted an evacuation of the base thurs Day afternoon As German and american police bomb sniffing dogs and a helicopter swept through the area in search of a cause the incident comes less than a week after the us embassy in Germany posted a warning that americans in Germany face an in creased threat of terrorism and warned them to be on the Lookout German Media outlets have been reporting that the islamic jihad Union could be involved in a Ter ror plot against us bases in Ger Many workers at the Hanau Wolf gang Kas Ernes shopping Center said they were ordered out of the shopping area in 40 minutes after a Security guard reported hearing an explosion the area did not re Stockstel open until Early Friday morning Andino Epla nation was provided for the rapid evacuation i knew As much yester Day As i knew today nothing Don Stockstell a civilian worker at the base Bowling Alley maps said Clear outta Here they  Tell us nothing the army confirmed there was an investigation into an alleged explosion but provided few details late Friday afternoon base commander col Herman will iams i issued the following statement As command of usag Hessen i want to assure the Hanau Community that we will do everything possible to ensure Security at our installations Well do All we can to reduce any risks to the us population and ensure the safety of our soldiers employees and families the army ordered its soldiers not to discuss the situation with the Media there was an alleged explosion incident outside the Wolf gang Kaseane in Hanau on 26 april the alleged incident is  information to the Public will be provided upon request of Media Only through Public affairs channels wrote an army spokesman in an email directive to unit command ers local authorities provided some information about 2 pm thursday a Security guard reported hearing a bang near the Wolf gang Kasheme according to a Ger Man police spokesman German police responded with bomb sniff ing dogs and a helicopter and considered closing Down a near by an Effort to Trace the origin of the mysterious Harvey sound it was something like a Little Boom said Quintin har vey supervisor at the Mil itary Post of fice but Ger Man and Mili tary police found no Evi Dence of an explosion according to Hanau police shortly after the Security guards report the area was locked Down Harvey said after about 40 minutes everyone was ordered out of the shopping area which houses the commissary clothing stores and fast food restaurants the Gate did not reopen until 5 am Friday Harvey said there should have been More information put out said har vey without any comment from the military officials shoppers were left to their own devices As they tried to figure out what caused the strange Boom one theory was that the alleged explosion which emanated from a nearby wooded area was caused by an old War relic in years past world War ii ordnance has been found in the area some shoppers said Horace Willis the manager of one of the military clothing stores works near the wooded area but Willis said he didst hear a thing thursday maps came and said there was some threat Willis said he was under the impression that the evacuation was sparked by a bomb threat everybody cleared out he said there was a time about five years ago when bomb threats were routine on base said several civilian workers with the Way things Are this Day and age you have to take it serious Willis said email John Vandiver at 1st and commander assures Wiesbaden is secure by John Vandiver stars an stripes Wiesbaden Germany maj Gen Fred d Robinsonjr commander of the 1st armoured division has a message for military families concerned that Security at base housing facilities is insufficient Trust us we take it As our personal obligation said Robinson responding to the unease some feel about living in unrated army housing complexes in Wiesbaden i guarantee you theres nothing More important Robinson said during a thurs Day interview there should be no ques Tion that their Well being is the no 1 priority in recent Days some Wiesbaden military families have been critical of the Lack of Security at three base housing locations where traffic moves freely focus on Secu Rity sharpened after the us embassy is sued a warning of an increased threat for americans in Germany Robinson and it col Timothy Wulff Wiesbaden Garrison commander Are offer ing assurances the leaders do Robinson care we live in this Community our families Are Here said Wulff the father of five children Robinson said Bis family also lives at one of the complexes at Issue the question said Robinson is this How much of a Bunker mentality do you want to have we cannot live in capsules this is not a hostile country we live in this is a Superb Host i i feel just As comfortable Here As any place in the us Robinson continued ask our families to live differ entry than we from 7 am to 2 pm on saturday the army will be engaged in a joint emergency response exercise in Wiesbaden the Drill will be conducted in coordination with local Law enforcement and Emer gency responders Public roads run through the housing area which has troubled some residents the military however has the Power to shut the Gates if a threat emerges Robin son said Well do whatever is necessary he said Robinson did say that military and wies Baden officials have been in talks regard ing the Public roads no formal plan has been drafted but there is discussion of a Public works project to alter traffic flow which would also provide added Security the discus Sions Are in the Early stages and also Are linked to plans to increase the size of wies Badens military population in the meantime Robinson defended the Quality of Security being provided on base the military police work in tandem with German police to Monitor what s happen ing on base he said there a critical part of our Force Protection assets Robin son said roving patrols and spot checks Are routinely conducted and threat assessments Are done around the clock according to Robinson ifs continuous Wulff added email John Vandiver at Fla mourners Honor fallen Blue Angel Gabriel Verdi 5 of Pittsfield mass kneels during a memorial service for us Navy Blue Angels Pilot it cmdr Kevin Davis in front of Pittsfield City Hall in Pittsfield mass Friday by Melissa Nelson the associated press Pensacola Fla la cmdr Kevin Davis died doing what he loved and what he did Best flying High above the Earth with his fellow us Navy Blue Angels a Catholic priest told mourners in a Community prayer service thursday although Many at the service did not know the 32yearold Pittsfield mass a Tive All were touched by the Blue Angels said monsignor James Flaherty of the Pensacola holy spirit Catholic Church the Blue Angels Are intimately connected with the fabric of our Community and the fabric of this Church said Flaherty who noted that the teams practices often coincide with the Church funeral masses and provided Comfort for mourners they give us Solace during those moments and we Are Here to give them Solace tonight he said about 300 people attended the Community service at the Church which sits just out Side the Gates of Pensacola Nav Amir Sta Tion the Blue Angels Home base Davis died saturday when his no 6 Blue Angel Hornet went Down during the final minutes of a performance at Marine corps air station Beaufort in Beau fort so the service was not attended by Many Navy personnel in uniform a private military service is planned for the weekend and Davis will be buried at Barrancas National cemetery on the base Ashley Seward 12 came to the memorial service in a Blue Angels shirt and wearing a necklace adorned with plastic Blue Angels planes Seward lives near the bases and watches the team Fly Over her Home during their weekly practices i try to wave at them but i guess in too Little for them to see me she said a group of veterans parked their motor cycles across from the Church and flew american flags in support of Davis it cmdr Davis the Blue Angels they represent our country in the highest said Al Faircloth a retired Marine and a Vietnam Veteran Jennifer a news journal members of the Public friends and Crew on thursday arrive at a memorial service at the holy spirit Catholic Church in Pensacola Fla in Honor of it cmdr Kevin Davis Davis died doing what he loved and what he did Best flying with his fellow us Navy Blue Angels a Catholic priest told mourners