Evening star., 1948-11-26
Military Observers
|For u. n. Termed Real
Heroes Of Greek War
By Leo D. Hoehstetter

North American Newspaper Alliance
sALON1KA, Nov. ga handful
Of energetic international public
servants are the unsung heroes of
the Greek civil war. They are the
36 military observers for the United
Nations Special Committee on the
Balkans.
Assigned to check frontier vio-
lations in the fighting in Northern
Greece, they have served longer
under fire than most of the COM
batants. When a unit which they
accompany into battle is withdrawn
or when the action shifts elsewhere,
UNSCOB observers move over to
other outfits fighting near the AL
banian, Yugoslav or Bulgarian from
tiers to note whether Greece's
northern neighbors are aiding the
rebel bands of Gen. Markos.
Perhaps the most striking bit OF
evidence of Iron Curtain interfer-
ence is to be found on the person OF
one UNSCOB observer, 1t. Col.
Richard Darnell, of Everett. Wash.
In his liver he carries convincing
testimony in the form of shell
fragment. Col Darnell was wounded
last spring by gun fired across
the Greek frontier from Bulgaria.
Seriously injured and pinned down
by shell fire for II hours, he was
subjected to what is now called
mountain surgery before he could
be carried back for formal medical
treatment. Wounded three times in
the Pacific War, Col. Darnell still
is on duty, although he now holds
down a desk job in Athens.
Undergo Hardships.
Even when. the observers are not
under fire, they are exposed to other
hazards and hardships-as this re-
porter discovered when he recently
accompanied a small group on an
exhausting 10-hour mountain climb
near the Albanian frontier This
march was led by a A-year- -old
Enelishman, 1t. Col. Arthur Wright
Harvey. who obligingly eased up the
pace for a very tired guest.
/ In the forbidding wastelands
where most Of the fighting is taking
place. transportation is so primitive
that distance is generally measured
in foot-hours rather than in miles.
Col. Wright-H Harvey blandly esti-
mates that he has travelled 460 foot
hours or about 1900 miles since he
joined UNSCOB last February. Most
Of these marches have been over
steep, mine-laden mountain paths,
where even mules frequently can
not venture.
British Major Typical.
Although no special qualifications
have been formally established for
the observers by U. NJ, all but two
Chinese have military backgrounds.
Typical Is dashing British Maj. Ar
thur w. Graham, formerly on Field
Marshal Viscount Montgomery's
staff. Adept at pin-point map read
ing and interrogation, Maj. Graham
has become so familiar with the
terrain here that he is able to check
the testimony of a witness by ask
ing in painstaking detail about q
farmhouse located in Albania just
over the Greek frontier or for an
intimate description Of q narrow,
creek. From previous experience,
Mai. Graham Is able readily to
identity types Of field guns, ammu-
milton and other implements OF
war brought into action.
In a group of colorful individuals,
none Is more 50 than Col. Robert B.
Deans, a 52-year-old New York
broker who volunteered for the
UNSCOB assignment. Known to
his colleagues as "the sheriff" he
stands well over 6 feet and weighs
in the neighborhood of 23o pounds.
His huge frame silhouetted against
an imposing horizon has become a
familiar sight to Greek soldiers. He
was a provost marshal during the
last war.
The youngest UNscoB observer,
British Naval 1t. Anthony Hunt Is