From the S&S archives:
Pentagon launches probe of Army role in helping Paar film Berlin TV show

(Click here to see photos of Jack Paar in Berlin)

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon Friday launched an investigation of the Army's part in the staging of the Jack Paar TV show Thursday at a crossing between West and East Berlin.

"If the newspaper reports are accurate, it was a disgraceful episode," said Arthur Sylvester, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.

"If Army officers were responsible they showed very poor judgment."

The incident took place at the Friedrichstrasse crossing.

In recent days this crossing had been manned by about a squad of American soldiers. Thursday the Jack Paar TV cameras showed up, and so did two colonels, one lieutenant colonel, a major, a captain, two lieutenants and about 50 enlisted men, some in bulletproof vests.

There were also seven jeeps, some with machine guns, and one with the new 106-mm recoilless rifle mounted. Four TV cameras were trained on the scene as a jeep with a machine gun was run right up to the border line.

Sylvester said the incident as reported was potentially dangerous and reflected poorly on the American Army.

He said he knows of no authorization for any Army participation in the Paar show. Pierre Salinger, White House press secretary, agreed with Sylvester on the need for an investigation.

(Paar arrived in Berlin Sept. 2 with his wife, daughter and entourage of 25 TV technicians to record three hour-long TV shows for production in New York next week.

(Cooperation poured in from every direction except the weather. The Army called out an additional squad of the 6th Inf's 2nd Battle Gp to appear on the show.

(Rain forced Paar to restart the show three times.

(He interviewed briefly the entire 2nd Squad of the 1st Platoon of Co B, and also talked to Pfc Charles E. Mexico; 20, of Detroit, of the 3rd Battle Gp's Co B, who was squirted by a Communist water truck earlier in the week.

He talked at length with Col Wayne M. Winder, of Sheridan, Ill., who commands the 3rd Battle Gp now on duty at the border, and with Col John M. Deane of  San Francisco, CO of the 2nd Battle Gp, which manned the border for the first two weeks after the Communists sealed off the East sector.

(The other Paar shows being filmed here include guest appearances by German entertainers such as pianist Crazy Otto, and movie star Curt Jurgens.)

Sen. Mike Mansfield, D-Mont., majority leader, asserted that what is happening in Berlin is a world tragedy and "not a TV spectacular," with military personnel used as background for a comedian.

Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey, D-Minn., assistant majority leader, said this "is intolerable and should not be done." He said Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev can use "this kind of incident" for propaganda around the world "and beat us over the head with it."

Sen. Leverett Saltonstall, R-Mass., said the use of armed troops for such an occasion might lead to "a shooting scene."

"Out of such a thing, extreme results could come," Saltonstall added. He said it was incomprehensible that U.S. officials could lend themselves to such a purpose.