Keep up the good work!
Thanks very much.
Ben:
No
I don’t think so. My sister asked him and he said no. I’m afraid he
won’t be attending any more reunions.
Dragoon--After Action Report Record of
Events The 3rd Bn. left Ortatello
Airfield. Italy in 45 planes at 0240 hours. 15 Aug 44, bound for a
DZ located near La Motte, France. The lift was scheduled to jump at 0440
hour and did so but landed in a line extending from cast of Vallian to about
five miles W of Seillana. Thirty-five planes jumped in
the vicinity of Callian. These planes contained personnel of Hq. Co., and
H. Co. of the 3rd Bn. and Regimental Hqs. and Service Co. The remaining
part of this group landed just E of Callian and assembled there with the
following personnel: G Co., - 40: H Co., - 60: Hqs. Co., 3rd
Bn. – 60: Service Co. – 40: and Regimental Hqs. Co. – 20. Lt. Gibbons
resumed command of this group and made plans to march back to our junction at
643-5305 map XXXV-43, 7 and 8 where they met another group of about 50 American
and 80 British. Ten planes landed in the
hills about five miles W of Fayence, France. Eight planes of this group
contained the entire personnel and equipment of I Co. and two planes contained
the command group and part of the Communication personnel of Hq. Co. These
planes were the first 10 planes in the first group formation. After assembling the
personnel and equipment, Lt. Col. Zais proceeded on to Claviers with this
group. Enroute they were bombed by P-38’s. The attack terminated
when the yellow smoke signal was displayed. The railroad to the NE of town
was blown and the group reached Claviers just before darkness. They
bivouacked on a Chateau W of town at 2300 hours. In the morning the group
proceeded toward their destination – Les Arcs. Nothing was encountered on
the march. Lt. Co. Zais obtained a vehicle at the glider landing field
near La Motte and set out to obtain information, about the rest of the Bn.
At about 1400 hours of D Plus 1, this group met the remainder of the Bn. in the
outskirts of La Motte. Some of the 33 planes landed
in the hills just E of Tourettes. This group was assembled, amounted to 60
men of G, M and Hqs. Co’s. Of these, 10 were wounded badly enough to be
unable to march. Three aid men were left with this group and a place fixed
for them in the hills E of Tourettes. Capt. McGeever was in command of
this group and after gathering up the injured the morning of D Day started
toward his destination – Les Arcs, at 11 hours. Just S of Tourettes they
joined up with about 80 British paratroopers under Maj. Blackwood. This
combined group ran into a convoy of German vehicles which were under fire from a
stone house near the main highway S of Fayence. Under the combined fire of
the English-American group and the personnel in the house, that convoy personnel
were either killed, surrendered or fled. The English-American group put a
81mm mortar in action and that terminated the action as the enemy fled.
Five prisoners were taken, one of whom died, around 10 or 12 were killed and the
rest escaped. Six vehicles were taken, three of which were in operating
condition. This convoy was on the road between Bagncies and Fayence.
This group then marched until they met the rest of the 3rd Bn. at about 1300
hours at road junction 54.S-82.25. The personnel in the stone
house was Lt. Col. De Cavre, Chief of Staff of ABIF, Phillips and S/Sgt. From
Div. Hq. They also came along with the English-American Group. At the road junction, Capt.
McGeever took command of both the 3rd Bn. group and the British troopers.
This group of 390 men marched to within about six miles of Bagnoles before
bivouacking at about 2400 hours D Day. During the night, plans were made
for the remainder of the march to Les Arcs. On D Plus 1, the march was
resumed at 0600 hours. During the day at about 0600 hours, Co. De Cavre
took command of the men. Around 1030 in the morning, the rear element of
this group shot up a German convoy and captured six prisoners. Col De
Cavre left the group to go to Div. Hqs. at 1200 hours. The groups marched
on until it met Col. Zais’s group in the outskirts of La Motte. The
English met elements of their own organization and left the group. Most of the 3rd Bn. was now
assembled and marched to an assembly area near Reg’l Hqs. at Chateau
Rosseline. At 1945 hours of D Plus 1 day, the 3rd Bn. attacked the area S
of Les Arcs and entered the town itself on D Plus 2. The Battalion stayed
in town all of D Plus 2; that night they departed for a new defensive area at
0800 of D Plus 3 day. The Battalion marched from Les Arcs to the assemble
area at 609-47 map XXXV-44, 3 and 4 on D Plus 4 day, the Battalion went into a
defensive position in the area N of this position. During the afternoon
and night of this day, Capt. McGeever with an officer of the 602 FA and four
jeeps returned to the hills E of Tourettes and picked up the injured men as well
as others of the Regiment who had been left behind. The whole amounted to
about 25 men who got back to the 3rd Bn. at 0700 hours of D Plus 5
day. JOSEPH T. MCGEEVER
Gene Brissey
Reference Mail Call 1132 and an
article apparently submitted by Wayne Cross, subject Dragoon-After action Report
Company "E" "D" Day. Some of this looked familiar But I would like to submit a
non literary, chopped version as I saw it. CO. E, in part landed somewhere near
Les Arcs. Very dark. I connected with a couple friends. We crawled around in
brush, etc. Heard strange voices. May have been Germans. We moved away. About
dawn we found another friend and a Capt.
Thought we had found a leader but
he seemed really lost. Found out he was a mess officer. We were being shelled
and fired on. My friends and I took off. About noon we found some Co. E people.
Possibly led by Capt. Newberry. We advanced over a hill overlooking the Rhone
Valley. Dug in among trees and were attacked by Germans who were massing in the
valley below, many of them We held our ground. They fired on us with small arms
and artillery. A boy next to me kept asking, "Do you think we will make it. As
we were being held down, Lt. Col. Dick Seitz walked by and this kid yelled at
him "Hey mac do you think we will make it?"
Dick said, "yes" It was then that
I realized that this kid was the one who went past the door when we were jumping
and I had dragged back and had then him from the plane. I now wished that I
hadn't. Roger Bender, our mortar squad leader had set up his mortar squad by a
house to my left. Germans kept firing. Charles Lemen one of our a mortar men was
killed in the yard of the house. About dusk an American 81M mortar outfit and
our artillery let loose a barrage of fire up that valley to our front that
killed or chased every enemy out of those grape vines. We were saved but
exhausted. We fell to the ground around that house and slept. Next A.M. we moved
on, except Lemen, who remains in the cemetery at Drauignan.
It was in this
yard that my dog tag was found by the woman of the house while raking the yard
in 1978. In 1999 when some of our troops were visiting the Les Arcs area. The
man from that house approached Ben Adams and Dick Jones and ask " if per chance
they knew a Eugene Brissey?" They said yes. He said I have his dog tag". Dick
and Ben brought me his address. In 1990 Edie and I visited them and retrieved my
tag. We visited Lemen's grave site. In 1999 John Krumm Jr. and his wife Irene
went with Edie and me back to the area and visited Lemen again and toured the
route we had traveled to Sospel in !944.
Gene Brissey
Received a note from Ray Estrella
concerning his father-in-law, Bert Duran, A Co. Ray and I served in Special
Forces together for about 10 years before I found he was a family member of the
517. Ray has been a long time supporter of the 517th and many may remember his
family (a bunch) with Bert at each 517 Palm Springs gathering. Bert is a
dedicated member of our 517th and we offer a 517th prayer for his
recovery:
"Long time no see or talk. My
father-in-law, Bert Duran (A CO) is very sick. He is totally bedridden,
requiring 24/7 care from our family. We missed Palm Springs, and were trying to
make Portland, but that is now in question. I hope to buy you a beer (or
anything else you like) soon. Take care and God Bless. "DE OPPRESSO LIBER"--Ray
Estrella"
Gene Frice, F Co.
Headquarters 3rd Battalion
Capt. 517th
Prcht. Inf.
Commanding