70 Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA.02025 *781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben
Barrett Ben517@aol.com
Hello,
Website
www.517prct.org
Mail Call 517th Mail Call
Mail Call Archives www.517prct.org/archives
Roster www.517prct.org/roster.pdf
Mail Call 517th Mail Call
Mail Call Archives www.517prct.org/archives
Roster www.517prct.org/roster.pdf
As of June 1st
517th Portland Reunion July 17-21,
2006
17 Days left to close of Hotel Registration - June 17th
Prices for the 517th Registration of $ 88 or $ 99 daily rate cannot be
guaranteed after the above date.
46 Days until Reunion D-Day - July 17th
Please submit your choice of the various events at the earliest
date as we must make plans for number of participants
Gene Frice, President and the valiant Portland Planning Committee
17 Days left to close of Hotel Registration - June 17th
Prices for the 517th Registration of $ 88 or $ 99 daily rate cannot be
guaranteed after the above date.
46 Days until Reunion D-Day - July 17th
Please submit your choice of the various events at the earliest
date as we must make plans for number of participants
Gene Frice, President and the valiant Portland Planning Committee
JEAN
MICHEL AND ERIC, Airborne Museum Le MUY
In first a big
thank you ta all the veterans and family who make donations and help us to
make the trip to USA. (general Seitz, G. Frice, Gary Davis...)
We were this
morning at the french passport department. at 99per cent we will have it in time
ready to go, the 1 percent can be win with letters you have or you will sent to
support what we are doing here in france during more that 20 years to perpetuate
the memory of the 517th action in 1944 D day. thank you in advance.
The action report
sent by Wayne Cross is very interesting and will help for research in the
area. We met many veteran scattered out of the Drop Zone including Al Johnson
596, Al Goodman 596, Lud Gibbon and are in touch with a french resistant
who was with the group in Montauroux. He kepp in touch many years after the
war with a paratrooper named ROBINSON THOMAS, if our information are good he was
with Capt Hooper group in G co. We try to find him in USA with the help
of Clark Archer but our letter arrived one week after his death in
1996. he leaved in Escondido CA, and had a son that may be will be interested
to join the web site...
At montauroux the
germans french and American soldiers K.I.A were buried in a little
field near a chapel temporary. the wounded were treated by a group of nurse and
sisters from a abbey one of her still alive and she remember those days.
Other paratroopers from H and I co and 3rd Bn HQ co ( including
colonel Zais) landed around the little village of Seillans. Tom Mc
Avoy was in this group and we drove him several times in this zone
recollecting many "souvenir" and met Jeannette the lovely girl who take care of
him when he was injured during his drop.
If any of you one
to come back or family that will be a great honor and a pleasure to show
you the drop zone area and visit the museum of course !.
cross my fingers
and see you in Portland.!
AIRBORNE ALL THE WAY ! P.J photo Leo Dean Gene Frce and Al
Johnson inaugurate the 517th plaque we make for you all at Le Muy monument.
photo
2 Eric driving Merle and Mardy Mc Morrow at celebration
***************
Two other members
have each donated $200
Howard
Hensleigh
Ben: My thanks
to Wayne Cross. I had no idea anything as complete and concise had
been written up and was still with us today. I am quite sure the majority
of the 3rd Bn. assembled by Mel Zais, Hensleigh, Art Riddler, Joe
McGeever and Lud Gibbons attacked and took the south end of les Arcs on D
plus one. I can remember only one night on the road. Those Service
Co. demolition men under Lt. Minard were with us as stated. They destroyed
telephone lines with their demolitions along the way from Callian to Regt.
Hq. Unless I am mistaken, they arrived at the Hq. late afternoon on D plus
one, not D plus two. My hat has always been off to all those who
made it to the jump zone area to assist the 1st and 2nd Bns. take our assigned
objectives in support of the seaborne invasion, as rapidly as we did.
We knew that our job was with the Combat Team, not fighting our
own private war off by ourselves. Zais drove straight for the drop
zone. We who were further from the drop zone caught up with him and
the men he assembled to make the attack on les Arcs. I have wondered why
those guys who dragged in to join the Combat Team several days later weren't
bitten by the same organizational bug. Howard Hensleigh
Wayne Cross
Dragoon
Record of
Events
Regimental Headquarters Company
Regimental Headquarters Company
on the position by a German patrol estimated at 40 men at 1000 and 1400
hours. Lt. Tait led his group toward La Motte when they encountered
elements of the British. They directed him to the Regimental CP.
Captain Pearce, Tec 4 Durbin and Tec 4 XXXXX dropped XXX German
fortified area approximately 1 kilometer North East of Le Muy. Captain
Pearce sustained a broken leg on the jump. Tec 4 VanCleave was fired upon
immediately upon landing, but evaded the fire by hiding in a vineyard.
Three of the enemy pursued him. VanCleave disposed of one with his trench
knife and killed the remaining two with a hand grenade when they came to
investigate the struggle. At 0900 hours he contacted a British patrol
which he heard passing by calling to them over the wall which surrounded the
fortification. At 1100 hours the British attacked the fortification with
mortars, and under cover of smoke, entered the fortification. In the
ensuing fight approximately 30 Germans were killed, 20 wounded and 20
captured. Captain Pearce was then evacuated.
Lt. Pattin and part of the 2nd Bn. demolition section landed
approximately 11 kilometers South of La Motte. He assembled his section
and equipment and moved to a bridge North and East of La Motte which he prepared
for demolition. Then, with part of his section, he established a road
block on the highway between Le Muy and Les Arcs near the railroad bridge.
No enemy of any force was encountered.
Lt. Alicki, with the remainder of the 2nd Bn. demolition section and
the Regimental M.P.’s landed ½ mile South of Le Muy. He assembled 4 of his
men and moved North. He encountered Major Paxton, S-3, and a large group
of men who led him to the C.P.
Sgt. Brown, who was in the same place as Lt. Alicki, assembled eight
men from the stick and was immediately surrounded by a force of Germans
estimated to be 30 men. In the fight that followed, Pvt. Ciner was killed
and the remainder captured. They were taken to a German prisoner-of-war
enclosure at Le Muy and were held until the town was captured by the 550th on
the afternoon of "D" plus two.
Captain Dearing and Captain Bigler landed approximately one kilometer
North East of Le Muy and assembled approximately 10 men from the Communications
Platoon. Captain Dearing led the men toward Le Muy when he met a group of
20 men of the 2nd Bn. and 460th PFA Bn. At daybreak, the group was on the
outskirts of Le Muy when a German motorcycle patrol was encountered. Three
Germans were killed.
Captain Dearing then attempted to lead the group to the Company
assembly area but was immediately pinned down by enemy fire. An attack on
a strong point which was between Captain Dearing and the assembly area was
launched with Captain Dearing leading half the men on the right flank and
Captain Bigler furnishing a base of fire and attacking from the left.
Captain Dearing with eight EM succeeded in capturing the strong point from the
right but the enemy brought in reinforcements of men, mortars and 88’s.
Captain Dearing and three EM were wounded and all nine men were captured.
They were taken to Le Muy where the wounded were treated by a French doctor and
a captured British medic. They were liberated when the 551th Prcht. Inf.
Bn. captured Le Muy on "D" plus one.
Captain Bigler withdrew his group and led them to the Regimental CP
after arriving on the morning of "D" plus one, three walking
wounded. Estimated enemy casualties were 12 killed and wounded.
Major Paxton, Regimental S-3, landed approximately 1-1/2 miles South
of
Le Muy. He assembled his men and waited on the field until daybreak. At daybreak, he led the men toward Le Muy meeting Chaplain Brown, Lt. Mitchell, Captain Kinzer, Major Vella, Lt. Alicki and approximately 75 EM. After orienting himself, he moved to the assembly area by way of La Motte. On the way, two enemy on motorcycles were killed. No enemy were found in La Motte. Captain Newberry with approximately half of 2nd Bn. was encountered shortly thereafter and stated that the rest of the 460th FFA Bn. was in position and that they had communications with the 1st Bn., who were moving on their objective. Major Paxton instructed Captain Newberry to proceed to his objective and led his men to the Regimental CP arriving at 1130 hours on D Day. At approximately 1300 hours, Colonel Graves arrived with elements of F Company and took command.
Le Muy. He assembled his men and waited on the field until daybreak. At daybreak, he led the men toward Le Muy meeting Chaplain Brown, Lt. Mitchell, Captain Kinzer, Major Vella, Lt. Alicki and approximately 75 EM. After orienting himself, he moved to the assembly area by way of La Motte. On the way, two enemy on motorcycles were killed. No enemy were found in La Motte. Captain Newberry with approximately half of 2nd Bn. was encountered shortly thereafter and stated that the rest of the 460th FFA Bn. was in position and that they had communications with the 1st Bn., who were moving on their objective. Major Paxton instructed Captain Newberry to proceed to his objective and led his men to the Regimental CP arriving at 1130 hours on D Day. At approximately 1300 hours, Colonel Graves arrived with elements of F Company and took command.
RICHARD A. BIGLER
Capt., Infantry
Commanding
Capt., Infantry
Commanding
To Be continued in future Mail Calls
Robert Cohen
there are no war pictures, just old celebrations,
when we met our dear friends , in France, and USA.
