Dear Ben,
Please, accept our condolences for the
passing of your brother. Our sympathy and our prayers are with you and your
family and to morrow, as we shall attend a special Mass of Souvenir in
Trois-Ponts - it is the "Armistice Day" -, we shall have a though for him and
for all the heroes who fought and died for our Liberty. After the service, we
shall pay homage to the belgian and american monuments with flowers and national
anthems. Our Committee lost a very devote member and we attended the funeral
yesterday. His name is Michel BURTON, some of you met him when they came in
Belgium. He was with us to welcome General SEITZ and his family, he also
welcomed Clark ARCHER a few years ago. Michel was a paratrooper when he was
young and jumped in 1960 with belgian para in Kolwezy (Congo). He loved you all
so much. He died suddenly, he was 66.
Now, I shall try to tell you about my
life
during the war and during the Battle of the
Bulge. It is just my childhood memories and I beg your pardon for the
mistakes.
I was born in a very little village called
Brux, near Lierneux (15 kms from Trois-Ponts) on 1940, august 22. My father was
in Germany, from may he was prisoner in Altengrabau, Stalag XXI A. My mother
was alone to work in the farm, my brother René was 18 months old. My father was
an Ardenne Hunter in the Army but he was lucky to be in the medical staff.
Because of that he came back in december 1940. His brother Joseph came back in
may 1945 and his 4 children did not recognize him. The life for this
family has been very hard. During the war, we never were hungry
because of the farm but my mother helped many persons who came from the big
cities where the life was so difficult, my mother gave bread, butter, eggs,
potatoes and also, she welcomed at home some children from the towns to feed
them. I can remember Lilianne and Georgette from Liège, Carlos, Christian,
Pierre... from Brussels. Pierre staid 3 years with us. In Ardenne, the life was
rather quiet, except the german administration and its rules and restrictions. I
was too young to know how my parents suffered a lot in the war.
SEPTEMBER 1944
I am 4 years old. My father and my godfather
Louis are picking the apples. My godfather Louis is my father's brother. My
grand-parents died in 1938 and he is living with us. He seems to be very happy.
Very soon he will marry his fiancée Louise, she is living near Soy,
(Hotton) in Amonines. He is also very happy with a cheerful expression
because there are so many soldiers in the villages with trucks and tanks and
other machines.
This day is september 27th. My godfather
tells me "come with me to the Gilles' field. He has a big basket full with
apples. All around the fields, there are many young beautiful boys, they smile,
they talk to me but I do not understand, they call me "baby", I am not a baby
because I bring the basket with the apples and I help my godfather, so I gave
apples to the soldiers. They give me many little boxes and when we came back
home the basket is full with chocolates, sugar, chewing-gum, many good things. I
am happy and proud.
December 1944, my mother is crying, my
father and my godfather seems to be so
sad.
..... to follow
Claire Giblin
Hi Ben,
On a more public note, I'd like to echo Lory Curtis in
her thanks to our favorite veterans, the men of the 517. Thank you all for
the gift of freedom that we all enjoy. As they say in the Airborne Museum
billboards (which we passed on the way to Savannah last summer), if it weren't
for you guys, we could all be speaking German.
And a special note to Ms. Helen Beddow - we hope that
you are recovering quickly. We all remember your wonderful party
with such affection, and we hope you are getting well and can join us in
Bradenton in January.
Love to you and my dear Miss Fran -
Claire
Pat Seitz & Allan Greer
Dear Ben:
May Alan and I echo the
heartfelt words of John Buchalski, Lory Curtis, Marcus Madarang, Kenton Floyd
Immerfall, and Daniel Curtis in expressing our gratitude to the outstanding
members of the 517th PRCT for their courage, sacrifices and dedication to
preserving the freedoms we enjoy. How blessed we are because of each and
every member of the 517th. Thank you from the bottom of our
hearts.
Pat Seitz and Alan Greer
Tom Stadler
HI BEN
SOME VETERAN'S DAY READING MATERIAL. VIRUS
FREE.
Lora Fryczyski -Butler
Greetings to all and thank you for your service. My father, Gerald
Fryczynski, 460th, D Battery was always very proud to be a veteran, to have done
his job. He passed away October 5, 2005, but as my six year old daughter
says, Papa is in my heart forever. His five grandchildren are all very
aware of his role in WWII, and very proud to have had the time with him
that they had. Thank you to all of you for keeping our world safe, from
generation to generation.
Lora Fryczynski-Butler
Boom Boom Alicki
Happy Veterans Day
Boom Boom
William Wyatt ( Willard's son )
Happy Veterans Day
From LTC William B. Wyatt
Chris Lindner
Hi Ben::
I
wanted to tell all the veterans "HAPPY VETERANS DAY". As you all know
there is know way any of us can say "THANK YOU" enough.
Of
course I want to acknowledge all the Veterans but especially the 517 PRCT.
This is a very special group of individuals to me.
I
hope you all have a wonderful day.
Chris
Lindner
Nate
Rubenstein's daughter
HQ 2nd Bn
Entry of Nov 09, 2005 at 19:10 [EST]
Name:
Daniel Curtis/Audrey Ogniewski
Unit:
EMail: dhcurtis732@adelphia.net
How I found the 517th page: Other
Comments: As veteran's day
approaches I would like to wish all 517 members THANKS for protecting and
guaranteeing our countries freedom. In the memory of PFC Daniel Ogniewski,
Co D (KIA Sospel 11/4/44). We will offer our prayers for the health and
well being of all surviving members of the 517th and their families. God bless
you all and THANKS AGAIN!
Marion Hupman
I'm Marion Hupman the daughter of Frank Hupman
460 C. I just wanted to take the time today to Thank all the Veterans,
Thanks to the Veterans and all our military today we have the freedom we do, and
to bad more people don't understand that. I'm proud of my Father and the
men of the 517th. I hope someday when I have a son he will follow in his
Grandfathers foot steps as a member of United States Army and a member of the
airborne. Thanks for every thing you do!!!!!!!!!