By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 31, 2012
Ken George ©Stars and Stripes
Indian Ocean, July, 1981: As an A-6 Intruder is waved off during landing operations aboard the USS Kitty Hawk, flight deck crew members move onto the deck to check for debris that could be sucked into jets' engines.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 30, 2012
Gene Bane ©Stars and Stripes
Hanau, Germany, August 3, 1955: Mrs. Olga Ruhlow, wife of Sgt. Wilbur Ruhlow, called Stars and Stripes to say that she thought the family dog — a 5½-year-old boxer named Bruno — bore a striking resemblance to a tough first sergeant when dressed in Army togs, and would make a good subject for a photo. Here's Bruno with Sgt. Ruhlow.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 29, 2012
Red Grandy ©Stars and Stripes
Paris, June 1, 1961: President John F. Kennedy addresses the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Permanent Council during the first overseas visit of his presidency. After meetings with French President Charles De Gaulle, he flew to Vienna for a summit with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev; on the way home, he visited England and met with Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. Born on May 29, 1917, President Kennedy would have celebrated his 95th birthday today.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 28, 2012
Red Grandy ©Stars and Stripes
Margraten, Netherlands, May 30, 1966: Spec. 4 John S. Putnam of the 3rd Armored Division Band plays taps during a Memorial Day ceremony at the American military ceremony at Margraten.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 27, 2012
Red Grandy ©Stars and Stripes
RAF Mildenhall, England, November 30, 1978: The sun sets between the tails of two KC-135 refueling tankers. The planes were on a stopover from their base in the U.S. after in-flight fueling of aircraft taking part in a NATO exercise.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 26, 2012
Red Grandy ©Stars and Stripes
Germany, September 24, 1953: Jim and Ann Penn, children of Maj. and Mrs. Frank A. Penn of Bad Kreuznach, look over some of the first 3-D comic books to arrive in Europe. This photo itself appeared in 3-D on the front of Stars and Stripes' feature section; special glasses were included with that day's paper to view it and other 3-D photos. Readers were instructed to "assemble the glasses so that the red filter covers the left eye. The paper should be held at arm's length in a bright light. It may take several seconds for you to get the effect, and the illusion will improve the longer you look. If you have any difficulty fusing the superimposed images, try moving the paper toward you and away from you until the two images become one, then return slowly to the normal viewing distance." For an explanation of why 3-D only caught on sporadically over the years, re-read the instructions above.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 25, 2012
Stephanie James ©Stars and Stripes
Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, January 21, 1981: Free after 444 days of captivity in Iran, Americans who were held hostage by followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini wave to the thousands of people who turned out to greet them at Rhein-Main. The 52 former captives were whisked away for medical tests and a meeting with former President Jimmy Carter, whose term of office expired a few hours earlier.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Some 1981 Stars and Stripes stories about the ex-hostages:
Thousands cheer hostages in emotional return to freedom
Hospital ready to pamper captives
Airmen and soldier crews busy all night preparing for the Nightingales' arrival
'I breathed a big sigh of relief ...'
No longer hostages, 'returnees' reported in good spirits
Welcomers at Wiesbaden: 'Part of history'
Chronology of a crisis
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 24, 2012
Erik Gudmundson ©Stars and Stripes
Eagle Base, Bosnia and Herzegovina, June, 1998: Cpl. Duane Drown and Sgt. Dwight Bradford work with fellow soldiers of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Air Defense Battery, on a timed land navigation test at Eagle Base.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 23, 2012
Gus Schuettler ©Stars and Stripes
Mediterranean Sea, April, 1965: The white-hot exhaust of a departing jet leaves a trail into the sky in a time-exposure photo taken from the USS Saratoga during maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Naples, Italy.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 22, 2012
©Stars and Stripes
Neubiberg Air Base, Germany, April, 1951: Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, poses for a news cameraman during an inspection tour of U.S. military facilities in Bavaria.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1951 story about Gen. Eisenhower's visit to bases in Bavaria.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 21, 2012
Ray Mahon ©Stars and Stripes
South Vietnam, November, 1965: Army Maj. Gen. Stanley R. Larsen, commander of U.S. Field Forces, Vietnam, gets a few moments of sleep on a flight from Nha Trang to Pleiku.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 20, 2012
J. Tom Graham ©Stars and Stripes
Tay Ninh, South Vietnam, October, 1968: The 41st Army Postal Unit's post office at the Tay Ninh base camp was intended to be as much like the ones back home as possible. Makeshift mail trucks, for instance, were painted in the familiar red, white and blue motif. But the "I want you" slogan on stateside post offices' Uncle Sam posters just wouldn't work in South Vietnam, so the sign out front — on which Sp4 Gilbert Johnson is putting the finishing touches — bears a slogan more suited to those already in uniform and fighting a war far from home.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1968 story about quality-of-life improvements at Tay Ninh.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 19, 2012
Dan Evans ©Stars and Stripes
Over South Vietnam, June 11, 1971: An OV-1 Mohawk reconnaissance plane from the Army's 131st Aviation Co. flies over South Vietnam's A Shau Valley. With a top speed of only about 300 miles per hour, the Mohawk's pilots were often kept busy dodging surface-to-air missiles and much faster MiG fighters.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1971 story about the OV-1 Mohawks.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 18, 2012
Henry Compton ©Stars and Stripes
Ludwigshafen, Germany, July, 1948: A priest walks through the evening gloom and haze caused by burning chemicals in the wreckage of the I.G. Farben factory, ready to administer the last rites as victims of an explosion that killed over 200 people are uncovered.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 17, 2012
Gene Bane ©Stars and Stripes
Wiesbaden, Germany, November, 1954: Baroness Kunigunde von Richthofen, left, mother of famed German World War I flying ace Manfred von Richthofen — the Red Baron — talks with actress Fern Andra at the Wiesbaden American Civilian Club. Andra, accurately accused of being an American spy during the war but saved by her friendship with Kaiser Wilhelm, was later injured in a plane crash that claimed the life of the baroness' second son, Lothar.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1954 story about Baroness von Richthofen and Fern Andra.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 16, 2012
Scott Woodham ©Stars and Stripes
Japan, June, 1978: Seventeen-year-old George Haynes of Negai is silhouetted against the setting sun as he moves along a seawall on his skateboard.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 15, 2012
Bruce McIlhaney ©Stars and Stripes
South Vietnam, April 17, 1968: A 9th Infantry Division airboat glides through the water near Nha Be, an area said to be used by the Viet Cong in organizing attacks on Saigon. The airboats, which could travel at speeds up to 40 knots, were used in shallow waters similar to those where the boats are most commonly found, in Florida's Everglades.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 14, 2012
Ron Alvey ©Stars and Stripes
Tuzla Air Base, Bosnia and Herzegovina, May, 1998: Sgt. Wes Billington, Spec. Olegario Martins and Spec. Jason Langworthy, left to right, watch a joint jumping exercise featuring U.S. and Polish soldiers from a vantage point atop their CH47-D Chinook helicopter. The aircrew is assigned to Company F, 159th Aviation Regiment, from Giebelstadt, Germany.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 13, 2012
Dave Didio ©Stars and Stripes
Belgrade, Yugoslavia, May 8, 1980: Mourners line the streets of Belgrade during the funeral of Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito, the last of the World War II allied leaders. Although he was a communist, Tito's defiance of Josef Stalin led to his expulsion from the Soviet bloc in 1948. Following Tito's death, the power vacuum in the Balkans was filled by the likes of Slobodan Milosevic amid the breakup of the country and years of bloodshed.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1980 story about Tito's funeral.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 12, 2012
Dave Casey ©Stars and Stripes
Mogadishu, Somalia, June, 1993: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dean A. Mitt, a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot, practices his steer-roping technique on a slow day in Mogadishu. The "horse" was made from a 50-gallon drum mounted on a wooden frame, and the skull comes from a local cow. Mott, from Rock Springs, Wyoming, was an active member of the Amateur Rodeo Club at Fort Campbell, Ky., where he was stationed when he was deployed to Somalia.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 11, 2012
Eikoh Goya ©Stars and Stripes
Okinawa, March, 1969: Spec. 4 James W. Pearson and his dog, Dutch, guard a Nike-Hercules missile site of the 30th Artillery Brigade near Bolo Point. The Nike-Hercules was a key component of the U.S. military's arsenal from 1958 until the 1970s, when it was phased out in favor of the Patriot missile.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 10, 2012
Harold Briggs ©Stars and Stripes
Frankfurt, Germany, August 20, 1948: Mildred Gillars, left, also known as "Axis Sally," leaves for Washington to face a grand jury treason inquiry. At right is her escort, WOJC Katherine Samaha. Maine native Gillars, who made propaganda broadcasts to allied troops on behalf of the Nazis during World War II, was to be joined in the inquiry by her Pacific counterpart, "Tokyo Rose."
RELATED MATERIAL:
A story about Mildred Gillars' 1948 departure from Germany.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 8, 2012
©Stars and Stripes
South Korea, September, 1960: Pondering a giant-size repair job, Sgt. John Ashley of the 27th Ordnance Battalion inspects a tank crippled by two explosions it touched off when it roared into a live minefield during field training exercise Trooper Turnout II. Although the tank's crew escaped injury, the left tread of the tank was destroyed and four cog wheels were blown off.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 7, 2012
Ron Alvey ©Stars and Stripes
Tuzla Air Base, Bosnia and Herzegovina, August, 1998: Secretary of State Madeleine Albright shakes hands with U.S. servicemembers at Tuzla Air Base. Albright was visiting Bosnia to talk with key officials about progress on implementing the Dayton peace agreement, notably the issue of refugee return.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 6, 2012
©Stars and Stripes
Munich, Germany, August, 1951: A rain-slicked outdoor court wasn't enough to stop the the Harlem Globetrotters from rolling over another hapless opponent, in this case the Boston Whirlwinds. The legendary basketball showmen, led by Marques Haynes and Goose Tatum, entertained thousands of fans in a tour of Europe that was notable for the number of games played outside in bad weather. "It rained 25 out of 33 days we played out of doors in France," said Haynes, "but the show went right on."
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' story about the Globetrotters' 1951 game in Munich.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 5, 2012
Steve Groer ©Stars and Stripes
Frankfurt, Germany, September 16, 1970: Harry James belts out a tune on the trumpet during a show at Frankfurt's Jahrhunderthalle. In an interview, James shrugged off a recent charge by Vice President Spiro T. Agnew that rock music was driving youth to drugs. "He should've looked around 40 years ago," James said. "There were more musicians using drugs then than now." James, one of the top performers of the swing era, started with Benny Goodman's orchestra at age 20; three years later he started his own band, which for a year featured newcomer Frank Sinatra on vocals.
RELATED MATERIAL::
Stars and Stripes' 1970 story about Harry James in Frankfurt.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 4, 2012
Gus Schuettler ©Stars and Stripes
Pointe du Hoc, Normandy, June, 1964: While Sgt. Maj. Jack Polnoroff inspects one of the monuments at Omaha Beach, photographer Gus Schuettler is also under close scrutiny. Polnoroff, a machine gun squad leader during the 1944 D-Day invasion of Normandy, was topkick of the Augsburg, Germany-based 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor, 24th Infantry Division when he revisited the scene of the battle for the first time on its 20th anniversary.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1964 story about two D-Day veterans returning to Omaha Beach for the first time
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 3, 2012
Chip Maury ©Stars and Stripes
Yokota Air Base, Japan, December, 1972: For many years, starting in World War II, Christmastime for servicemembers stationed overseas meant a visit from Bob Hope and his USO show. During his 1972 tour — which included this stop at Yokota Air Base — Hope said it would be his last, but he resumed the tradition in 1983, 1987 and 1990 when, at age 87, he entertained troops in the Middle East during Operation Desert Shield.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' story about Bob Hope's 1972 Yokota show
An earlier story about Bob Hope's arrival in Japan
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 2, 2012
Roger Neumann ©Stars and Stripes
Quang Tin Province, South Vietnam, October, 1968: Soldiers at the Americal Division's hilltop base camp near Tam Ky watch as a Chinook helicopter carries away an empty water tank after dropping off a fresh supply of water for the 1st Battalion, 52nd Infantry.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: May 1, 2012
Sandy Colton ©Stars and Stripes
Tokyo, January, 1961: Edward G. Robinson, best known for his portrayal of gangsters in such classic movies as Little Caesar, is interviewed on the set of My Geisha. "I don't mind being imitated," said Robinson, whose style was a staple for impressionists over the years (and Hank Azaria's model for Chief Wiggum on The Simpsons). "People come up to me on the street and do it. But one never really knows what one really looks or sounds like. I don't think I've ever seen an imitation of myself that I thought was accurate."
RELATED MATERIAL:
Al Ricketts' 1961 Stars and Stripes column about Edward G. Robinson.
