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WP ^^^ppppp mmm HBP Volume 19'Numt>er 36 tober27, 1983 Westlend. Michigan m^MmMmmmm^mmm^&mmmmmmmMAmiim^m^mm^mmmm^m^mmmmmm•54 Pages Twenty-five cenls Ford says forces are es'in Lebanon Area Congressmen will be watching a -. the Lebanese peace talk* scheduled to start in Geneva on Monday for direc­ tion on how theU.S. yaould react to the what do you think? massacre of 216 Marines and Navy personnel in Sunday's bombing of a The Observer welcomes your thoughts on this article. To express- military compound at the Beirut air­ your view, write a letter to the editor and send it to the Observer,^ port. 36251 Schoolcraft, Livonia 48150..Letters must be signed ancf The onus has to shift quickly on the should be limited to 300 words. Lebanese to come to terms with each other," said Rep. Sander Levin, D- "1 supported it — not that I was hap­ "There is no worthwhile purpose for Soulhfield, whose 17th District includes py about the 18 months, but that was Marines to be there;" h^ said. "Are we Rediord Township. what was in front of us," Broomfield prepared to back one side of a multi- Levin discussed the coming Leba­ said. "I've never been really keen on faceted civil war?" nese talks after attending.a two-hour U.S. forces there on a multinational ba­ Like Ford, Hertel complained that briefing for members of Congress Mon­ sis. I would have preferred a United Ujere is "no military objective for the day afternoon by Secretary of Siate Nations forced but it was felt the Soviet Marines" who are "unable to protect Marine Lance Cpl. Donnle Phlpps Jr. of Westland This photo shows Phlpps, 20, on watch in a sand­ George Schultz and Defense Secretary Union would veto it." themselves. , Casper Weinberger. He was one of five was no! Injured by the bomb explosion Sunday bag bunker at an outpost in Beirut. "Disasters of this kind are common in Beirut that killed more than 200 U.S. Marines. congressmen interviewed for their re­ President Reagan used the War Pow­ with terrorists any place. That area actions to tne bombing: ers Act to. send the' peace-keeping con­ (airport) was more exposed than it "My feeling — and the sense of ev­ tingent to Beirut for 60 days. The com­ should have been," he said. eryone — Is that things have to hap­ promise,, which passed the House by a Expressing concern about the con- pen," Levin said. "Steps have to be tak­ 270-161 vote, extended the use of o tlngent of Marine replacements headed en or else the U.S. won't stay there In, troops for another 18 months. But the to Lebanon, Hertel said that the focus any form." number of troops was limited to the of Congress now would be how to get Local Marine in Beirut Rep. Carl Pursell, R-Plymouth, 1,600 originally sent there, and their the Marines out and what U.S. foreign agreed with Levin. mission must remain the same. To ex­ policy objectives are. , "If there is strong direction to sitting ceed that level, the president woufd have to get permission from Congress. BUT OTHER CONGRESSMEN down in Geneva and negotiating some think that It would be a mistake to pull degree of peace, we should remain," he the Marines out immediately. reassures his family said. Pursell, whose 2nd District in­ The Senate also approved the com­ promise by a vote of 86-11. Michigan's "If our Marines are going to be shot, cludes Livonia, said he wasn't optimis­ I think we ought to get out of there ByMeryKlemlc tic about the outcome of the peace two senators, Donald Riegle and Carl Then late Monday morning, by a Erickson, Shirley's husband "We Just Levin, supported it ... though it would be a sign of weak­ staff writer stroke of luck, Tammy Erickson was wanted to bear him." talks, •"••.. ness to pull out immediately," Pursell able to get through to the US. Embassy *My ultimate guess Is there will be a said. v It was probably the best phooe call in Beirut and speak directly to her 20- partition of Lebanon — break it up. I VOTING AGAINST the compro­ PlriPP8, ONE of four children in mise, which was signed into law by "A majority (of Congressmen) feel j&ftr made by Shir lay £rjcfc*oo,'i (ami* year-bld brother, who was guarding the the family, is a member of 1st Battal­ don't know if It's the right thing, but It President Reagan two.we#»MO,>«r* ly.. embassy. Tammy quickly put the rest probably will happen," he said. M to Jews,*! this pptat would saac- ion, 8th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Democratic Reps. William D." Tort of' «on a terrorist act" Sander Lwin said. The Westland residents had spent of her family on the line, and the house­ Amphibious Unit (MAU). He joined the Taylor and Dennis Hertel of Detroit. many sleepless hours Sunday and Mon­ hold was filled with •screaming, laugh­ THE TWO CONGRESSMEN were But he added that the incident "shor­ contingent five months ago and was as­ Ford's 15th District Includes Westland, tens the time sequence the Lebanese day, waiting for word about what had ing and crying," according to Shirley signed to guard the American embassy among those who voted in favor of a Garden City, Canton Township and a happened to Shirley's son, Marine Ericksoo. compromise on the 197S War Powers have to put their house in order." after he Injured his back digging bunk­ sourthern portion of Livonia. Hertei Levin criticized Schultz for putting Lance Cpl. Donnie G. Phlpps Jr., sta­ "Everybody was going crazy, and he ers at Beirut International Airport The Act. Voting with them was Republican represents part of Troy in the 14th Dis­ tioned in Beirut, Lebanon. The Erick- was trying to calm us all down," she William Broomfield of Birmingham, off Congressional Inquiries until after airport is near the encampment that trict. the Marine commandant returns from sons were one of several area families said. "He was saying, 'Calm down, was the tragic scene of the explosion. whose 18th District includes parts of waiting to hear news about loved ones calm down. It's me and I'm OK.' All I Farmlngton and Troy, the Rochester Lebanon. Levin called for careful anal­ "I told him, Tou stay right there (at Ford said that If those opposed to the ysis and candor from the adminlstra,- there after a suicide bomber crashed a could do was cry, and he would say, the embassy). You don't volunteer for area, West Bloofleld and Bjoomfleld compromise had prevailed, the Ma­ truck loaded with explosives into a 'Mother, don't cry. I'm OK. I'm going to Hills. tlon. nothing,'" Shirley Erickson said. "He rines would have been home by now. Not .wanting to see any further in­ building filled with sleeping Marines be coming home." said, 'Mom, I have to go where I'm and Navy personnel on Sunday. volvement of Marines, Broomfield said "We were all shook up," said Charles needed.' He was always like that*even be hopes that "the administration' as a kid, always helping out. I knew if doesn't enlarge the perimeter. they needed someone, he'd be the first "We should put the men on ships, at to volunteer." • • .' ' \ least at night, and not have them ex­ Phlpps had spoken with his family posed to fire," he said. last Friday, two days before Sunday's 'Theretono worthwhile Calling the Marines hostages be­ nightmarish Incident Last week, he purpose for Marines to cause they couldn't fight back, Ford was looking forward to going on liber­ be there,' said, "The purpose of the hostages ty, Mrs. Erickson said. •. being there was gone after the first. "Three times their liberty had been — US. Rep. William D. Marines were killed." cancelled, and on Nov. 1 they were Ford :. All Congressmen, said Levin, have a going to start liberties again," she said. "feeling of utter horror In the pit of our stomachs/" . ...'--"J AFTER HEARING about the explo­ Staff members Tim Richard, sion Sunday, the Ericksons "tried and Leonard Poger and Doug Funke tried and tried* to reach someone to contributed to this report. H ivas find out about Phlpps, Shirley Erickson written by Sandra Armbruster. said. Tammy, 21, kept calling the embassy number, which she had obtained from the out-of-state wife of a marine sta­ tioned with Phlpps. The Ericksons' phone was tied up Monday, so Tammy called from the nearby home of her grandmother, Myrtle Wolfe, and finally was able to get through to the embassy. on mayor s veto powers "When she was trying to call, the op­ erator said, 'Well, good luck," Mrs. Er­ ickson recalled. By 8andra Armbrusler issue after he rejected the appointment sion to override the mayor's veto,_ "God is Just so good to us. For us to editor of Kent Herbert, a former city finance which they did. get through to him, and him standing . director whom he had-fired, to serve there,..." Westland voters will decide whether the remainder of Justine Barns term on PICKERING CHARGES that the In his two years with the Marines, to limit the mayor's veto powers when the.council. Barns left the council to council is looking for "political re­ Phlpps had traveled to California, they^go to the polls on Nov. 8. serve as a state representative. venge" with the proposed charter amendment. He calls it a "blatant North Carolina and Iceland.

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