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

Annual Reunion
July 17-22, 2006
Portland, OR

REGISTRATION FORM

     As of June 6th           517th Portland Reunion July 17-21, 2006

               13               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.

               42                Days until Reunion D-Day - July 17th

                              Please submit your choice of the various events at the earlies date as we must make plans for number of participants

               Gene Frice, President and the valiant Portland Planning Committee

Bob Barrett

Your numbers are off again. The last two should have been 1126 and 1127.

Bob

*******************

The dates were right. I think.-Ben

Cecil Doty

Hello Ben;

Sorry I'm so slow in answering your e mail. No we will not be going to the Portland Reunion. Too many health problem. My new pig heart vale is working ok. and no problem with Arlene ;s seizures, however her last mammography showed a lump in one of her breast, Yes it was cancer, and it had to be removed. She started Radiation therapy last week , five days a week for seven weeks.
I haven't had much time for the computer, but I manage to read all the Mail Calls.

Margaret Lavelle

Dear Ben, Please change your records to reflect my new email address: memom1961@hotmail.com I am retired on Disability retirement as of 6/1/06 and will not be receiving anymore e-mails under this e-mail address. I don't want to miss any future e-mails. Thank you soooooooooooooo much! Margaret Bales LaVelle

Wayne Cross

Ben I wish I could respond to Mr. Johnson's note but as you know my only contribution to these records has been to have them transcribed so that they could be shared more easily. In checking with my Father his feeling is that these reports must have closely followed the action. Copies of the reports were provided to me by Clark Archer and I believe that copies of the originals may be on the website, though they are a little hard to read . It is very interesting to hear comments from the veterans who were there. Recollections don't always match exactly and it would take a first class historian to reconstruct the events. Sometimes the long term memories are more accurate that the after action reports as I am sure the reports were written after days with little sleep and more important things to worry about. What these action reports should dispel is any notion that this was a "Champagne Campaign". From the individual actions of troopers such as T. Sgt. Van Cleave to Battalion size actions faced by 1st and 3rd Battalions, the action was often intense and sometimes heroic. I would love to hear more from the paticipants as they place themselves within these small unit actions and fill in some more of the details for us. For family members, this is a great time to ask questions as you try to orient yourself to the battlefield and the units your loved ones may have served in.

Howard Hensleigh

Ben: Wayne's report here confirms that 3rd Bn's attack south of les Arcs took place on D plus one, not two. South of les Arcs is not mentioned but that's where it was. The 4.2 mortars of the Japanese outfit, 442 I think, were effective in support of that attack. Some of this must be hard to read--it was the 460th PFA (Parachute Field Artillery) and the 460th forward observer who called in artillery that stopped the Germans short of the 1st Bn. Also, I think the man who signed the report is Erle E. Ehly.

The report says that the next day, D plus two, was uneventful. That's the day, very early, I took an H Co. squad to the 3rd Bn. objective we did not reach the night before. I left a machine gun team on the objective with instructions to start firing at long distance if they saw enemy moving that way. Fortunately they did not have to use those instructions. On that patrol we released a squad of US infantry the Germans had taken prisoner and captured a company of enemy infantry coming up to reoccupy our objective. We did this silently by stealth, brains and good luck, without firing a shot. That is why Erle Ehly said the day was uneventful. We came back into the Bn area with the Germans we had taken and the GIs we had liberated in such numbers that Lt. Col. Zais raised hell with me as he thought that big a crown would bring down enemy artillery fire on the Bn. position. Fortunately, that did not happen and later they gave me a bronze star for the results. Those ten guys from H Co. all deserved one.

I'm sure the guy who wrote and signed this report is Erle E. Ehly. The captain who reports himself as such on page 52 of the Odyssey refers to Ehly as a Lt. That is about D Day. Bill Boyle must have given Erle a well deserved promotion between D Day and the time Erle wrote this report. Another tribute to Erle appears on page 152 of the Odyssey. He was a good guy and an excellent officer. Howard Hensleigh

Tom Cross

Ben:

Wayne Cross has had a difficult time identifying the correct names in the the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment (517th PIR) D-Day After Action Reports because they are one of many carbon copies made on a GI Portable Typewriter. The author of the Headquarters Company 1st Bn, 517th PIR D-Day After Action Report is Captain Erle E. Ehly. Bill Boyle will verify.

Regards, Tom Cross

Wayne Cross

Dragoon--After Action Reports

Record of Events
Company "A"

1. Company Headquarters boarded planes at Camino Airfield, Italy at 0030 hours. Hqs. Divided into two sticks led by Captain Fraser and Lt. Hreudy, jumped at 0450 hours in the area of Trans-en-Provence, France. They had trouble assembling, but all joined at the Regimental CP except Pvt. Fliger who is still missing. Captain Fraser put out security at Regimental CP and sent Sgt. Rost to the hill overlooking Los Ares to join the part of Co. "A" which Lt. Kienlon had established in a defensive position.

2. First Platoon: enplaned at 0030 hours, jumped at 0432 hours. Lt. Kienlen with majority of stick landed about 2-1/2 miles from the DE. S/Sgt. Chabot, FFC Distanislar, Pvt. Knapp were separated from the stick and met North of the DZ. They joined about 50 men from different companies, some British troopers plus a pack howitzer group. They arrived at the assembly area 0830 hours and were pinned down by M. G. fire. The men used grenades on M.G. nests and the enemy withdrew. Lt. Cook, C.C. joined the group and took command. The group continued on to the Bn. objective. Enemy was encountered enroute and Sgt. Chabot killed two. They continued on to the and occupied the hill with no resistance. Lt. Kienlen and stick and part of Co. Hqs. met North of Trans-en-Provence and were directed to the Regimental GP by a French Major. They picked up Sgt. Waterman and other C Co. men, with six prisoners, and also assisted in capturing three more Germans. They were fired on, as they moved to the CP, Lt. Kienlen, PFC Jones and Sgt. Kiefer killed three Germans and wounded a fourth. The unit then reported to Lt. McDonald and helped outpost the Regimental CP at 1600 hours.
Lt. Kienlen with 22 men moved to a hill overlooking Les Arcs and was reinforced that night by an anti-tank platoon from the 442nd and part of Co. Hqs. Lt. Sadle and
PFC Cobinich were separated from the stick and remained with FFI in vicinity of Draguignan for two days. Sgt. Critchlow and Sgt. Mitchell with their squads assembled two miles South West of Draguignan and joined Captain Young and 50 others from the Bn. They moved to Trans-en-Provence, captured a German Captain, moved to Les Arcs and joined Major Boyle Co 1st Bn., in forming a defensive position on the edge of town and engaged the enemy in a fire fight.

3. Second Platoon: Platoon jumped at 0450 hours in two sticks. Lt. Reith and S/Sgt. Ritchie were jump masters. They landed three miles from the DZ and assembled at the Bn. Assembly area at 0730 hours with all equipment. Sgt. Ritchie broke both ankles in the jump. With parts of 1st and 2nd Platoons and part of Hqs. Co., all under Captain Le Chausse of Co. C, they headed for the Bn. objective. Enroute a small group of Germans were encountered. A patrol of five men led by Cpl. Marshall drove the enemy off. They continued to the objective and went into a defensive position and were immediately fired upon. Fire was returned and the enemy retreated.

4. Third Platoon: Jumped at 0450 about 1-1/2 kilometers South East of Trans-en-Provence. Twelve men assembled and moved South to the highway joined troops from the 1st Bn. heading East to the Bn. assembly area. They picked up six more 3rd Plt. Men and set up a perimeter defense in Co. A assembly area. Later they moved to the Bn. objective. No enemy was encountered. The platoon deployed in a defensive position on East Slope of the Bn. objective.

"D" Plus One

1. Company Headquarters: A first platoon MG team on the hill North East of Les Arcs was hit by artillery fire. S/Sgt. Nelson and Pvt. Peppito volunteered to man the gun.
S/Sgt. Nelson was later hit in the leg by artillery fire while still with the gun.

2. First Platoon: Germans, with reinforcements, attacked the group at Les Arcs at 0730 hours. Pvt. James did exceptionally good work with the MG and was wounded in the right ear. Pvt. Ernest trying to move the gun to a better position was killed in action. The Platoon then withdrew under fire and reinforced the remainder of the 1st Bn. on the 3rd Bn. objective. Sgt. Kienlen on the hill North East of Les Arcs was joined by Co. E. Enemy forces were seen but were out of range. Intermittent artillery fire was received and PFC’s Anderson, K.B., and Trenary and Pvt. Baney and Cpl. Stewart were hit.

3. Second Platoon: No change.

4. Third Platoon: No change.

"D" Plus Two

1. Company Headquarters: Left hill overlooking Los Aros and moved to Chateau
St. Rosseline.

2. First Platoon: While platoon moved toward Chateau St. Rosseline, Lt. Sadlo and
PFC Crbinich joined the platoon.

3. Second Platoon: No change.

4. Third Platoon: Eight men patrol surprised and drove away Germans setting up MG to cover area in which equipment bundles had just been dropped.

"D" Plus Three

1. Company Headquarters: Left Chateau St. Rosseline and moved to area North of Puget and set up CP in defensive position.

2. First Platoon: Left Chateau St. Rosseline and moved to area North of Puget and took on left flank of Bn. on 7th Arm’s right flank.

3. Second Platoon: Joined remainder of Co. and moved to area North of Puget and set up defensive position. No enemy activity.

4. Third Platoon: Joined Co. and set up defensive North of Puget. Platoon complete, except for PFC Davis, R.E. (lw) and PFC Plase (MIA) from jump.

Donald W. FRASER
Capt., 517th Prcht. Inf.
Commanding