From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 7:30 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 1189 517TH PRCT-SEPTEMBER 22, 2006
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
Reunions              Kissimmee , FL      Mini               January 21 - 25
 2007                      Palm Springs, CA  Mini                April
                                Washington, DC    National        June 27 - July 2
Recent website additions:
 
    Click on http://517prct.org/auxiliary/ to find the mission of the Auxiliary and an enrollment form
 
517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team Auxiliary
Membership Application 2006 – 2007
Name_______________________________________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________________________________
City______________________________________ State_________________ Zip_________
Phone Number _____________________________ Cell______________________________
Email Address_______________________________________________________________
Name Of Paratrooper With Whom You Are Affiliated________________________________
Relationship To Paratrooper____________________________________________________
Paratrooper’s Unit____________________________________________________________
Do You Receive a Thunderbolt_________ Do You Want To Receive a Thunderbolt_______
Talents Or Interests You Can Share With Us_______________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Membership Donations of $30.00 are due for the year of August 19, 2006 thru August 19, 2007.
Please make checks out to: 517th PRCT Auxiliary. Any individual is welcome to become a
member of the Auxiliary with a donation that fits their financial situation.
Please mail donations to: Karen Frice Wallace
66295 Highway 20
Bend, OR 97701
Bill Christian
 
Ben, Just noticed in the local paper the death of Bert on Monday 9/18, he was 86 and will be buried on Thursday. Sophia and I will attend the funeral mass at St. Marys R.C. Church in Fullerton, CA.  I'm  sure Ruben will send you more details.

Regards Bill Christian 

Barney Hekkala
 
Hi Ben;  "B" Company lost one its original guys when Albert K. Paciotti passed away 8/18/06 here in southern California from brain cancer. He and Gracie had been married for 56 years and attended many reunions. He told Gracie and everyone how he loved the 517 Paratroopers
 Bob Barrett
 
A couple of people have expressed concern about my recent leg surgery.  Here is a short version of a long story.
 
Until a year ago, I had no problems with my knee.  I play soccer regularly, with an over-age-50 team, and even ran my first (and last) marathon last summer.  Somewhere around a year ago, I started to get swelling and pain in my right knee.  I went in around Thanksgiving for arthroscopic surgery, and the surgeon found lots of junk floating in the joint, cleaned out loose cartilage pieces, removed part of the meniscus, and put it back together.  I have Grade 4 cartilage damage in one side of the joint, which means bone-on-bone.  And cartilage does not grow back.  So after about 6 months of therapy and recovery, everything was back to normal, except that it hurts to walk and get up stairs.  Eventually I started playing soccer again, in some pain, but surprisingly less pain than walking up stairs.  The surgeon said that I should just hang on, stop playing soccer, and expect that I would have a TKR (total knee replacement) within 7 years.
 
I was then sent to a cartilage specialist in Boston, who suggested a different solution.  The reason that I have wear on one side is that my leg is crooked, and all the weight has been on the inside of the joint.  But cutting and resetting the shin bone, inserting a wedge of bone, this will re-align the weight to the outside of the knee, where the cartilage is like new.  This surgeon thinks that I will be back playing soccer within 6 months, and hopefully, get as much as 10 more years before I have to think about the artificial knee.  This surgery is only recommended for people who are not quite ready -- too young --  for an artificial knee, who are active and able to handle the pain and therapy.
 
So I had the surgery, and everything went as planned.  I'll be on crutches for about 12 weeks, then a cane, then should be fine.
 
Bob Barrett
Dorothy MacKenzie
 
Hi  Ben...I hope the EMail from Harris Johnson...Gladiator, American Style was seen by everyone.  It was meaningful and inspiring.  Thanks Harris.   Dorothy  MacKenzie.