By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 29, 2012
©Stars and Stripes
Wiesbaden, Germany, July 6, 1948: Minus an propeller and trailing hay from its damaged fuselage, a C47 transport sits in a field after an accident on its way back from delivering food to Berlin. The pilots escaped with minor injuries after the plane grazed some trees and crashed as it approached the Wiesbaden airfield in bad weather. It was the first crash in the Berlin airlift, but by no means the last; by the time the effort to overcome the Soviet blockade of the city's Western section ended in September, 1949, 31 American and 39 British participants had been killed. However, the airlift's 278,228 flights succeeded in bringing 2,326,406 short tons of cargo into Berlin.
RELATED MATERIAL:
A story about the 1948 Berlin airlift crash.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 28, 2012
John Olson ©Stars and Stripes
South Vietnam, April, 1968: A CH-47 Chinook helicopter looms over soldiers preparing for action during Operation Pegasus, a 20,000-man effort to relieve Marines at the beleaguered combat base at Khe Sanh.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 27, 2012
Henry Toluzzi ©Stars and Stripes
Dornheim, Germany, September 29, 1951: Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower gives a friendly smile to three German youngsters who were watching as the SHAPE commander's Jeep drove past their elementary school. Eisenhower was inspecting French troops taking part in Operation Jupiter, an exercise in which an allied force of 150,000 men and 30,000 vehicles crossed the Rhine River. In the back seat is Lt. Col. (later Gen.) Vernon Walters, Eisenhower's translator, who would go on to become U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and West Germany and deputy director and acting director of the CIA, among many other accomplishments.
In his book The Stars and Stripes: World War II & The Early Years, former Stripes editor Ken Zumwalt identified the three boys as Roland Imhof, Guenter Koop and Guenter Kohlross. In 1983, the German newspaper Bild Zeitung tracked them down and interviewed them.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 26, 2012
Leigh Wiener ©Stars and Stripes
Germany, January, 1954: A soldier mugs for the camera with a curvaceous snow sculpture built during a break in 102nd Infantry Regiment, 43rd Division cold-weather training exercises. When they weren't creating frozen reminders of home, the troops trained on skis and snowshoes and got instruction on such areas as the use of mines, helicopter evacuation of the wounded, and — during a weeklong bivouac in the snow — building shelters from branches and brush.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 25, 2012
Ted Rohde ©Stars and Stripes
Vienna, Austria, April 17, 1974: Simon Wiesenthal, whose relentless investigative work led to the capture of such Nazi fugitives as Adolf Eichmann, makes a point during an interview in his office at the Jewish Documentation Center. "Men who committed mass murders must be caught and brought to trial," Wiesenthal said. "It is our obligation to those who were killed by them. If you pardon one genocide you open the doors for the next."
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1974 interview with Simon Wiesenthal.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 23, 2012
Joe Schuppe ©Stars and Stripes
Frankfurt, Germany, December 11, 1963: Author John Steinbeck and his wife, Elaine, relax at the Frankfurt airport as they prepare to leave for New York at the end of a two-month European tour. Steinbeck, whose works include Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, said there were "lots of good authors" on the contemporary literary scene, notable among them Edward Albee and Joseph Heller. Of Heller's Catch 22, Steinbeck said, "Go back and read it again; you'll find there's a whole second book there you missed the first time around. Why, it makes (Norman) Mailer look like kid's stuff."
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1963 interview with John Steinbeck.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 23, 2012
©Stars and Stripes
Frankfurt, Germany, July 31, 1953: Crown Prince Akihito of Japan reads a statement as he arrives at the Rhein-Main Airport from the Netherlands. The 19-year-old prince was to meet with West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer at Bonn the following day; he was on a lengthy tour of the West that was highlighted by his representation of Japan at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Akihito became the 125th Emperor of Japan after the death of his father, Hirohito, in 1989.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 22, 2012
Lloyd Borguss ©Stars and Stripes
Frankfurt, Germany, May 9, 1966: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is interviewed at Frankfurt's Amerika Haus (American House), the U.S. consulate's cultural center, which was in the midst of its 20th anniversary celebration when the Massachusetts Democrat stopped by during a tour of Frankfurt. Kennedy told reporters that private groups, as well as governments, should step up efforts to alleviate a growing refugee problem in South Vietnam. Sen. Ted Kennedy would have celebrated his 80th birthday today, Feb. 22, 2012.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1966 story about Sen. Kennedy's visit to Amerika Haus.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 21, 2012
Bob Myers ©Stars and Stripes
Biebesheim, Germany, January, 1955: German workers haul wheelbarrows of sandbags in an effort to reinforce a dike that's threatened by flood waters of the Rhine river. The Rhine reached its highest level in 35 years during storms that paralyzed much of Europe and caused at least 11 deaths. The U.S. military alerted its bases to be prepared to assist residents; dozens of troops were sent out to stack sandbags, pump water and help evacuate families. Meanwhile, in northern Germany, Scandinavia, Scotland and Ireland, blizzard conditions prevailed.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 20, 2012
John Cody ©Stars and Stripes
Cambodia, May 2, 1970: A soldier from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment rests during Operation Fishhook, a move into Cambodia to seek out the Communist military headquarters. The incursion was welcomed by many as an opportunity to disrupt Viet Cong sanctuaries and supply lines, but it set off a wave of student protests in the U.S.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Two Stars and Stripes stories about 11th Armored Cavalry troops in Cambodia:
"Now we're going to get them instead of waiting to get hit"
GIs find caches plentiful, Reds scarce
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 19, 2012
Ken George ©Stars and Stripes
Bosnia and Herzegovina, September, 1997: Pfc. Jason Flenner and Sgt. Timothy Watson of Bamberg, Germany-based 1st. Battalion, 6th Field Artillery carefully carry razor wire as they prepare to string a perimeter fence around an encampment about 15 miles northwest of Doboj.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 18, 2012
R.J. Oriez ©Stars and Stripes
Camp Zama, Japan, May 5, 1989: Eddie Feigner, right, gets some last-minute guidance in locating home plate as he prepares to pitch blindfolded — one of his trademark routines —during The King and His Court's exhibition softball game against the Zama All-Stars. Organized in 1946, Feigner's four-man team was to softball what the Harlem Globetrotters are to basketball — very talented performers who also kept the crowd laughing. Few opponents had much to laugh about, though; Feigner's fastball was once clocked at 104 mph, and he reportedly struck out 141,517 batters — 8,698 of them while pitching blindfolded — during his career.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1989 story about The King and his Court.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 17, 2012
Tony Evanoski ©Stars and Stripes
Frankfurt, Germany, October, 1961: Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, considered by many to be the greatest of all jazz musicians, plays his trumpet during a stopover at Frankfurt on his way to perform for troops in the recently-walled city of Berlin.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1961 story about Louis Armstrong's stop in Frankfurt.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 16, 2012
Tim Wehr ©Stars and Stripes
Tokyo, June, 1976: Antonio Inoki challenges Muhammad Ali to get down on the mat during an exhibition (billed as the "World Martial Arts Championship") between the heavyweight boxing champ and the Brazilian-Japanese pro wrestler at the Budokan Hall. The match, which consisted mostly of Inoki lying on the mat attempting to deliver kicks to the thigh, wasn't exactly a bright spot on Ali's record. One Stripes reporter called it a farce, while another said "the best thing that can be said about it was that it ended." Ali was paid about six million dollars and Inoki three million; Angelo Dundee, Ali's trainer, said beforehand that he was "gonna grab the money and run like a thief in the night."
RELATED MATERIAL:
Four Stars and Stripes stories about Ali-Inoki :
Ali 'whups' it up in Tokyo
Foes meet at lunch; Ali Ant taunts Big Bird
Only fans lose in Tokyo farce
Action in Shea shows 'em how
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 15, 2012
Bob Wickley ©Stars and Stripes
Tokyo, December 1, 1975: President Gerald Ford and his wife, Betty, wave as they board Air Force One at Haneda Airport to continue on their trip to China. Climbing the steps is Secretary of State Henry Kissinger; in the background is the Fords' daughter, Susan. During the short break in the flight from Alaska to the Chinese capital that was then known to Americans as Peking, Ford met with Japanese Foreign Minister Kiichi Miyazawa.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 14, 2012
Red Grandy ©Stars and Stripes
Wiesbaden, Germany, January, 1958: Jazz great Lionel Hampton leads his band — consisting mainly of former servicemembers — across the floor in a spirited rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In." The vibraphone virtuoso told a Stars and Stripes reporter that "the Army camps and the air bases are crawling with musical talent ... No matter where we play some cat comes over with his horn and says, 'Hamp, can I sit in?' and I tell him to go grab himself a chair."
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1958 story about Lionel Hampton in Wiesbaden.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 13, 2012
Ron Alvey ©Stars and Stripes
Tuzla Air Base, Bosnia and Herzegovina, July, 1998: Sgt. 1st Class Carl Fisher, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Co., 1st Armored Division, munches on a snack as he watches Freda Payne ("Band of Gold") sing on Charlie Ramp at Tuzla Air Base. Payne was backed by the United States Air Force Europe Band, the Ambassadors; the musical acts Mony and Shalamar also performed for the troops as part of the Fourth of July weekend activities.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 12, 2012
Michael Abrams ©Stars and Stripes
Offenbach, Germany, October 30, 1991: Punk rock icon Joe Strummer performs with The Pogues at the Stadthalle. He was replacing Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan, who left the British/Irish folk/punk band for health reasons. Strummer, founder of The Clash in the 1970s, was as well-known for his refusal to give in to the temptations of commercialism as he was for his music. When Strummer died at age 50 in 2002, U2's Bono said, "The Clash was the greatest rock band. They wrote the rule book for U2."
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 11, 2012
John Bohmer ©Stars and Stripes
Beli Dogle, Somalia, January 1, 1993: President George H.W. Bush takes a question from one of the more than 100 U.S. soldiers and Marines who gathered to meet him at an air base in central Somalia. Bush, who stopped in the troubled African nation on his way to a summit meeting with Boris Yeltsin in Russia, shared a meal of MRE field rations with the troops.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Two Stars and Stripes stories about President Bush's stop in Somalia:
Bush hails troops 'a long way from home'
President's stopover appears to play well with deployed GIs
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 10, 2012
Red Grandy ©Stars and Stripes
Washington, D.C., January, 1953: Walter Winchell broadcasts to "Mr. and Mrs. America and all the ships at sea" from Pennsylvania Avenue, near the White House, during President Dwight D. Eisenhower's inaugural parade. As one of the most powerful media figures of his time — his column was carried in over 2,000 papers and his radio broadcasts heard by 55 million people in the 1940s — Winchell had (and frequently used) the ability to make or break careers and reputations. But in spite of the all controversial aspects of his career, he left behind one very positive legacy — he was the driving force behind the creation of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 9, 2012
Michael Abrams ©Stars and Stripes
Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, February, 1996: Sgt. Kurt Gorean, an avionics mechanic with Hanau, Germany-based Company D, 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, pulls maintenance on an AH-64 Apache helicopter at Tuzla Air Base.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 8, 2012
Jim Cole ©Stars and Stripes
Heidelberg, Germany, May 27, 1973: Sen. Edward W. Brooke, R-Mass., meets with reporters before addressing the commencement ceremony of Boston University's overseas graduate program. Brooke was the first African-American elected to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction; he served from 1967 to 1979.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' story about Sen. Brooke in Heidelberg.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 7, 2012
Tae Won Chung ©Stars and Stripes
Seoul, South Korea, April 8, 1976: "One if by sea, two if by Greyhound" might be the battle cry as three members of the U.N. Command Honor Guard, wearing Revolutionary War uniforms, board a bus at Yongsan Garrison. The retro garb and specially-decorated bus were in honor of America's Bicentennial; the musket-toting servicemembers were, left to right, Spec. 4 Elmer Jones of Port Orchard, Wash.; Pfc. David Anderson of Decatur, Ill.; and E4 Jeff Mabus of Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 6, 2012
Jon Steinberg ©Stars and Stripes
Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam, September 22, 1969: Pfc. Charles Hurst and Pfc. Bruce Rogers, both of the 4th Infantry Division, lift weights at the 6th Convalescent Center. Troops requiring about a month of rehabilitation from their injuries were able to recover at the 44th Medical Brigade's 1,300-bed facility without having to be medevaced stateside or sent to other medical facilities in Vietnam that needed space for those who were more seriously wounded.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1969 story about the 6th Convalescent Center.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 5, 2012
Joe Wesley ©Stars and Stripes
Wiesbaden, Germany, January 20, 1970: Emmett Ashford, major league baseball's first African-American umpire, leads a session at the 1970 USAFE baseball clinic at Wiesbaden Air Base. Ashford, a World War II Navy veteran, toiled in the minor leagues for 15 years before finally getting his chance at the big time in 1966.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1970 story about umpire Emmett Ashford.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 4, 2012
Ed Reavis ©Stars and Stripes
Frankfurt, Germany, September 8, 1980: Comedian and activist Dick Gregory waits at the Frankfurt airport's ticket counter as he prepares to return to Boston for emergency dental work. Gregory had been in Iran on a 4½-month hunger strike aimed at convincing the Ayatollah Khomeini's government to release the American hostages.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 3, 2012
Jim Derheim ©Stars and Stripes
Garlstedt, Germany, May 9, 1991: Spec. Tim Scott is welcomed home from the Gulf War by his girlfriend, Spec. Patty Martinez. More than 1,000 soldiers returned to Lucius D. Clay Casern from the Middle East that day.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes'1991 story about the Guld War homecoming.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 2, 2012
Norm Zeisloft ©Stars and Stripes
Frankfurt, Germany, February 26, 1963: Jesse Owens ponders a question during an interview with Stars and Stripes. A previous visit to Germany, in 1936, was a high point in the career of the track and field champion, who publicly shredded Adolf Hitler's claims of Aryan superiority by breaking two world records, tying another and teaming up for a gold in the 400-meter relay at the Berlin Olympics.
RELATED MATERIAL:
Stars and Stripes' 1963 interview with Jesse Owens.
By Joe Gromelski
Published: February 1, 2012
Frank Praytor ©Stars and Stripes
Seoul, Korea, 1953: Children play among the wreckage of buildings in war-torn Seoul.
