| Who wrote this? Ignoring the obvious tempers and diatribes underscoring the vitriol, it seems that somebody never heard of standard US procedures such as Reports of Survey, 15-6 investigations, and Article 32 hearings which would have to be conducted first before any judgement was arrived at by US forces. It appears to be the usual anti-US screeds that come about anytime that something happens which was not preventable in the basic sense of the world (e.g look both ways before crossing the street.) The same things happened in Germany when I was there, but usually more with a bent to getting money out of the US forces. The last REFORGER I was on shows the difference and the German mindset on accidents involving US troops. We were waiting for a convoy from the Combat Support Squadron of the 11th ACR to pass, and US MPs and German Feldjaegers were blocking off access to the main road in some small town. While sitting, we heard a horrible yowl and a woman scream. I looked over and saw a dog with its teeth on a cat's throat and kitty coughing up lives 7, 8 and 9. The woman came out with a broom and chased it off, but the cat was quite throroughly dead. She held it in her arms and began to cry -- right up to the part where the ominous clank and roar of an M88 could be heard. The woman then stopped crying and started thinking. Sure enough, as the M88 hove into view, she obviously had a plan. The last thing I saw as the '88 went by was the cat going under one of the tracks... Odds on bet is that the incident cited will be used to both (a) embarass the US and (b) squeeze more money out of USFK in a settlement. The saddest thing is two little girls who made a mistake died for their error. Cookie Sewell AMPS |