This is a note to all who have been so kind to express their condolences regarding Jan’s passing. We had 58 good years and if she suffered it was only a few minutes. If she could have had her way she would have been around to celebrate her great grandchildren's’ one hundred year birthdays. We go when we are called and if we must go that is not a bad way to do it.

I missed some phone calls. One was from George (Red) Meline with whom I spent many an hour patrolling with the S-2 section. I tried to reach George by phone and email and nothing worked. I am sure George will read this as he does all Mail Calls. and that Ben can give me his proper email address – one from Jo Spencer whose first child she and Dick were expecting as we parachuted into France. Dick and I go back to the fall of 1939 when Dick stomped into the University of Iowa in his cowboy boots the way he stomped into the 517^th in his jump boots. Neither the 517^th nor the University were the same after that. Dick left birds as the symbols of both – Herky The Hawk at Iowa and the Battling Buzzards for the 517^th. You may be surprised that Dick pinned the latter moniker on us after the Italian campaign and it stuck.

Thank you again and God bless you all, Howard H

Hi Ben,

We just wanted to express our deepest sympathies to Howard Hensleigh and
his family .

Juliana Stonis
daughter of John Stonis

Hi Ben. I’d like to pay for membership in the Auxiliary. Where do I send a check?

 Also, please post a message for me regarding my Uncle Tommy:

  To all the troopers and officers of the 517^th, please accept my sincere and heartfelt thanks for your immense contribution to freedom around the world. I am humbled as I learn more and more about the intense and heroic actions in which you all participated over sixty years ago in Europe. Thank you!

 My uncle (T.H. “Tommy” McCoin) was born in Oklahoma and graduated early from high school in Baton Rouge, LA in late 1942 or early 1943. He served as a private in WWII in Italy, Operation Dragoon, Belgium and Germany. He earned two Purple Hearts along with the campaign service medals, Croix du Guerre’s and Presidential Unit Citations earned heroically by the 517^th. Uncle Tommy passed away on July 30 of this year after living a life truly worth living. He taught and coached in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana for decades, ultimately becoming Athletic Director for the parish after coaching numerous teams to state championship titles. He is survived by his wife, daughter, grandchildren, numerous nephews and nieces, and countless former students whose lives he touched. It was heartwarming to see how many people paid tribute and thanks to him in the final months of his life. Like many, I loved him and miss him.

 Uncle Tommy rarely ever talked about his WWII service. He did participate in a taped interview in which he described aspects of his training and his war service, talked with pride about being a member of Company A of the 517^th, and noted that he was seriously wounded by the same mortar blast that seriously wounded R.C. Brown of Hastings, NE in February 1945 only 5 miles from Cologne.

 My aunt and I are interested in talking with anyone that remembers my uncle from his war service. I have extensively reviewed the 517^th website and found no mention of my uncle other than his name in the Christmas 1944 517^th PRCT roster. Please reach for me if you remember my uncle.

Thank you for your attention.

 Dan Hoskins