Mi name is Philippe Puccini, I live in Monaco where I occupy the function of Staff Sergeant in the Company of « Carabiniers » of the Prince.

 I permit myself to contact your association since I am currently writing a book for which the title is the following: “GO! To La Motte”. Therefore, it will be dedicated to the jump in Southern France.

 As a matter of fact, I am looking for anything, information, pictures, documents linked to the 517^th and to the First Airborne Task Force as well.

 Since my study is focused on the jump to Southern France itself, the main topics of interest are:

 -14^th of August: Preparing before the departure in Italy, the loading, the flight.

-15^th of August: The jump, the first contact with the enemy and locals.

-From the 16^th to the 18^th of August: Taking the control and going ahead.

 Could you please help me?

 My main purpose is to offer a pedagogical and informational support for the youths in Provence and France, in order to assure a continuation of the souvenir of this invasion, during which so many people dedicated their life to freedom.

 With best regards,

 Philippe Puccini

Hi Ben -

I will make a copy  of the other two documents to mail you.  I just relooked at the photos Justin took of the Blue Book and he has to do some of it over.  It was a first for him.  He omitted a few paragraphs and did not get all of the illustrations.  Please tell Bob I will try to get it done in a timely manner.  Currently he is down in Naples helping my mom clean up after the hurricane mess. 

Take care,

Heather

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Howard HensleighBen:

We are ok. Thanks for asking. Now 85. Cataracts out next month. No hurricane damage. 1 Nov. is supposed to end the season.

Remember our dispute as to whether we had crickets or a sign and countersign? I thought at the time both sides of the argument might be right. Tom Cross loaned me David Kenyon Webster’s book, "Parachute Infantry". He was the Harvard guy in the 506^th who was one of the characters in Band of Brothers and later was eaten by the sharks he wrote about. Here is what the 506^th S-2 reportedly said as he oriented the troops before the Normandy jump.

"You’ll have two means of identification–the password and this dime-store cricket. The password is Flash—Thunder. If you hear somebody coming towards you, cover him and challenge him with ‘Flash’. He should reply ‘Thunder’. If he doesn’t answer your ‘Flash’ and doesn’t use his cricket, then you’d better speed him on his way with your bayonet or a hand grenade."

This may not end the argument. It does for me. I know I had a cricket and I remember using the pass word.

Airborne forever, Howard Hensleigh

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The WWII Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial which is the only military cemetery in the Netherlands-- This cemetery lies in the village of Margraten 6 miles east of Maastricht. It is rich in historical background, lying near the famous Cologne-Boulogne highway, originally built by the Romans and used by Caesar during his campaign in that area. The highway was also used by Charlemagne, Charles V, Napoleon and Kaiser Wilhelm II.

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Netherlands American Cemetery

 

 517 member gravesites . KIA at Bergstein

Netherlands American Cemetary