Mail Call 517th Mail Call
Mail Call Archives www.517prct.org/archives
Roster www.517prct.org/roster.pdf
The Brown Family and I would like to thank everyone for their kind
thoughts and prayers through this difficult time. And everyone who is able and would like to attend, we will be having a memorial service for Mr. Brown on Saturday August 26th in Debary, Fl. at the home of Chris and Damaris Learch (his grandson and wife) It will start at 4:30 pm and will have an honor guard and taps to be played at 5:17 pm.
Donna has not been at work lately which is where her computer is, so if anyone needs directions or just to contact the Brown family you can either email me at b0bsweet@bellsouth.net (that is a zero, not an "oh"), or call
Home ph# 954-971-5404 or cell# 954-562-9141.
Again that you for your kind words and prayers,
--
Bob Sweet
Request Copies of Military Personnel Records
Thanks for the information. It was great meeting you and getting the chance to get to know you a little better. I plan on being in D.C. Any idea when? Thanks for putting my Dad's letter on WWII recollections.
Don Fraser and my Dad spent a lot of time together at the reunion and they discussed the glove incident. Here is what I wrote about it.
Sometime in early January 1945, while in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge, Major Don Fraser, Executive Officer of the First Battalion was transporting Bud and some other soldiers to another location in his jeep. Bud had taken off his gloves because they were soaking wet. Major Fraser noticed that Bud was trying to keep his hands warm with no success. Major Fraser took off his gloves and told Bud, “Here take these gloves I can get more, but you can’t. Bud was very grateful and never forgot Major Fraser’s kindness.
In an email message posted on the 517th email site, Don Fraser in 2004, remembered giving Bud his gloves. He related in the email message, "Paratroopers were not authorized jeeps so my men appropriated a jeep from the British Army." Apparently, it was left unattended just long enough for Major Fraser’s men to get it. Thank goodness they had it or Bud would have been walking and would have never got Major Fraser’s warm gloves. Major Fraser related, "I took Bud’s wet gloves and placed them on the Jeep’s radiator to dry out."
On July 19, 2006, at the 517th PRCT reunion in Portland, Oregon, Bud Curtis and Don Fraser met for the first time since the war. Both of these men remembered that day in Belgium when Major Fraser gave Private Curtis his gloves. Major Fraser related, "My gosh his fingers were frozen stiff and I knew he needed my gloves. I could always get more but he couldn’t." To this day and all of his life Bud never forgot this kindness. Now these two men had time to talk about their lives, children, and grandchildren. It was a great reunion.
Jesse Darden
517th PRCT
I hear chat that the Portland reunion was a great success, and that the next one will be in Washington, D.C. (2007, date not known).
I just returned from the open house (July 22, 2006) of the WWII Army Air force Hanger in Fredrick, OK. The WWII ADT has taken over this hanger for the activities of the group. The group is doing a lot of repairs. It is looking great. We have two (2) jump planes of WWII vintage. They look as they did when we jumped. There were eighteen that received their Gold Wings for completion of training and the qualifying of the 5 required jumps. It was a good turn out by the community and VETS. There were 5 of the old jumpers there. We were allowed to present them their Wings. I had 5 of the young troopers. Boy they looked great in jump suits and boots. Would have liked to have been in Portland, but the dedication was a must for me. You may not know the WWII ADT Team travels across the states making demonstration jumps. They also go to Europe and jump there, usually during special events, like the 50th anniversary last year. They jumped in Bastogne. I am an associate member - Legacy Member of the Unit. Another trip to Southern France is scheduled for 2007 (dates unknown). I have been asked to attend with them. I will do so if my health allows me to.
A little history. The WWII ADT is based at Frederick Army Airfield, which is a WWII built Hangar. Built in 1942 completely of wood. It remains as one of only a handful of such buildings still standing in the USA. It was originally designed to last for the duration of the war, but has stood the test of time. The team has embarked on an ambitious project to restore the site to create an Airborne Command Training base from which to conduct its operations. We had jump team members who currently stand at 68. These are current jumpers. In addition we have a further 21 ground crew members who help out on a regular basis. And in addition to this we have approximately 15 associate members. This makes a grand total of 104 members. As you will appreciate, this number changes on a daily basis. The WWII was started & based at Bache, Oklahoma near McAlester. I was able to attend some of their trainings while they were there. Now they are clear across the state so I will not be able to attend as often.
You can log on to their web site at www.wwiiadt.org for the history and more information.
Jesse A. Darden HQ 460th FA. 517th PCT
On
Mar.16/17/2006 the legislatively created Veterans
Disability
Benefits Commission made a motion to side step proper
procedures and
convene a secret meeting. To the best of my knowledge
this proposal has
been temporarily postponed, The reason for the
secrecy is that at the
meeting the Commission is going to advance
a Methodology for cutting or
eliminating Social Security Disability Insurance
benefits paid to a
veteran, who also receives VA disability
compensation as a way of
saving the Govt. money, It is so painful for me to
think that there is a
commission sanctioned by the Peoples House scurrying
around Capitol Hill
trying to find away to balance the budget on the
backs of the veterans
and there families by taking away other earned
benefits. Tom McAvoy