Former POWs recount captivity By JANE E. ALLEN Associated Press Writer BETHESDA, Md. Navy Lt. Jeffrey Zaun said yesterday he worried he might die for most of the time he was a prisoner of war in Iraq,. "About 90 percent of the time you felt you were in danger of losing your life," Zaun, of Cherry Hill, N.J., said in his first public remarks since returning to the United States and undergoing mili tary debriefing. "I thought about my family. I thought about God. Little mental games helped me get through, too," he told reporters at the National Naval Medical Center here. During a news conference with six other former POWs, the 1984 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy smiled fre quently and provided some of the most detailed answers to reporters' ques tions. Although Zaun has been suffering from a fever, he could be released this weekend, said Lt. Cmdr. S.R. Pietro paoli, a Navy spokesman. Early in his captivity, Zaun's bruised and swollen face became familiar to television viewers worldwide through an Iraqi television broadcast in which he was forced to read statements crit icizing the war. "They told me what the five questions were they were going to ask. Then they The Collegian in the morning . . .an eye-opening experience!! PENN 111M9 University Park lirCampus COMPUTER FAIR-MARCH 15 AND 16, 1991 Penn State Who: What: Computer Fair Friday, March 15 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m The Nittany Lion Inn State College, Pennsylvania When: Where: A Computer Fair will be held in conjunction with the Tenth Annual Microcomputer Information Conference March 15 and 16 at the Kelle Conference Center on Penn State's University Park Campus. The fair will be held at The Nittany Lion Inn, adjacent to the Conferee same days as the conference. The fair is open to the general public, al admission charge for the fair. In order to attend the conference, one the lobby of the Keller Conference Center. To obtain additional information, call (814) 863-1743. Products from the following companies will be on display Apple Computer, Inc. Artemis Electronic Imaging, Inc Arthur B. Williams & Assoc. FBC Computer Systems, Inc. General Computer Center Grid Systems Corp. Hewlett-Packard Co. IBM Corp. Keewaydin Computer Lynbar Group, Inc. told me what my answers were going to be," Zaun recalled. He said he did his best to try to "screw it up a little bit" when giving the answers, but figured the Iraqis didn't really care what he said because "they were translating it into Arabic as they wanted to anyway." In the Iraqi TV broadcast, Zaun spoke in a slow monotone and said: "I think our leaders and our people have wrong ly attacked the peaceful people of Iraq. - He told reporters he was "a little wor ried" at the time that Iraqi leader Sad dam Hussein might use the videos to convince his people that they were win ning the war. But he did not worry about the reaction of Americans. "I had enough faith in the Americans to know anyone who saw us would say, `that's ridiculous,"' Zaun said. Reports that his facial bruises were self-inflicted were only partially accu rate, Zaun said. "I did bang on my nose at one point to see if I could get it to swell up or some thing so that they wouldn't put me on TV," he confirmed. However, "most of it was popping out of an airplane at 500 miles per hour," he said. Some of the injuries also stemmed from rough handling by his captors. Zaun, 28, was navigator-bombardier on a Navy A-6 Intruder jet that was shot down during a four-plane night strike over Iraq on Jan. 17, in the first 36 hours TAT E Master Computer Mazza Computer Systems, Inc. Micro Marketing Radio Shack, Education Division RBA Professional Data Systems, Inc Spectra Wood Sun Microsystems Tektronix, Inc. Zenith Data Systems Navy Lt. Jeffrey Zaun of Cherry Hill, N.J., appears bruised and battered, left, on Iraqi television in January. At right, Zaun appears at a news conference yesterday at Bethesda Naval Medical Center. of the Gulf War. He was captured along with the pilot, Lt. Robert Wetzel, who grew up in Metuchen, N.J. Wetzel, 30, did not appear at the news conference because he is undergoing surgery, Pietropaoli said. Wetzel sus tained two broken arms and a broken collarbone after ejecting from his air craft and returned home with his right arm in a sling. Penn State is an affirmative action, equal opportunity university U.Ed.CES 91-511 AP Wetzel's parents, William and Kath leen Wetzel of Vero Beach, Fla.. joined Marjorie and Calvin Zaun of Cherry Hill in watching the news conference from a balcony where reporters could not reach them. Zaun said that from the time he and Wetzel landed near their Iraqi bombing target, "I didn't want to separate from Bobby." mak 0P4A7 .-- 0R T s 414, MVDIDINIDINODIttI Senate OKs benefits for Gulf War veterans By DONNA CASSATA Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON, D.C. The Sen ate yesterday approved a $5OO mil lion package of benefits for veterans of the Persian Gulf War that includes an increase in danger pay and a hike in education money for reservists. The vote was 97-1 with Sen. Mark Hatfield, R-Ore., voting against the bill and Sens. Bob Graham, D-Fla., and James Jeffords, R-Vt., not vot ing. The legislation, which also autho rizes funds to cover the cost of the war, improves benefits covering small business and home loans, edu cation programs and health insur ance for veterans of the conflict. AP Laser Photo "We have pledged to remember their service, not just in the first days of victory, but later, when the parades are over and they take up their daily lives again," said Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D- Maine. Representatives of the Senate and the House will resolve differences between their two bills. The House on Wednesday approved a $l.l bil lion package of benefits that covers FRIDAY Beth Williams 5-7 Happies Rene Campbell 9:00 Rocky Horror Picture Show - Midnight One the tube: Penn State vs. UCLA 3:00; NHL: Rangers vs. Devils 7:30 SATURDAY Beth Williams 5-7 Happies Dan Burien 10:00 On the tube: NHL: Flyers vs. Capitals 7:30 ST. PATTY'S DAY Tommy Wareham 4:30-7:30 Ken Kruger 7:30-9:30 Beth Williams 10:00-1:00 One the tube: NBA: Sixers vs. Celtics 12:30 NHL: Penguins vs. Rangers 1:30; NHL: Bruins vs. Flyers 7:05 Penn State Basketball Featuring Busch Pitchers 10:00-12:00 III" It'll& I) (II) rec avg. liars 1 1 Sal , PATTY'S DAY ST. FAITH & BEGGORAH YARDS OF GREEN BEER GUINNESS STOUT ON DRAFT The Daily Collegian Friday, March 15,1991-1 veterans of earlier wars as well as the gulf conflict. Among the provisions of the Sen ate measure are: ■ A temporary increase in the imminent danger pay from $llO per month to $l5O per month, retroactive to Aug. 1, 1990, the day before Iraq invaded Kuwait. ■ Payment to survivors of mili tary personnel of the unused accrued leave of the family member who died on active duty. ■ An increase in the death gratu ity pay from $3,000 to $6,000. ■ A delay in the reduction of mental health benefits from Feb. 15, 1991 to Feb. 15, 1992. ■ Approximately $2O million for child care assistance for military personnel serving on active duty and $3O million for education and family support services to families of mili tary personnel. In hopes of expediting the legis lation, the Senate leadership put together a package of benefits that encompassed scores of amendments considered by the Finance, Veter ans' Affairs, Armed Services and other committees. An a if yotire we may still have green beer left.
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