From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2006 9:00 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 1213 517TH PRCT--NOVEMBER 4, 2006
70  Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA.02025  *781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett  Ben517@aol.com
 
MAIL CALL   http://bands.army.mil/music/bugle/calls/mailcall.mp3< Click on
 
 Hello,
 
Please let me know if you want to receive Mail Calls or if you have a problem receiving them. You can always read Mail Calls by clicking on www.517prct.org/archives
 
Washington Reunion. Arrival Wednesday June 27. Banquet Sunday July 1. Depart Monday July 2
 
Kissimmee Reunion Banquet  Wednesday Jan. 24.
 
Send Requests for "Paratroopers' Odyssey" to Bob Christie.  390 301 Blvd. W. Unit 10 C, Bradenton, Fl. 34205. Price $22:50
 
 Ben
Website                                   www.517prct.org                                                        
Mail Call                                  517th Mail Call
Mail Call Archives                 www.517prct.org/archives
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Reunions           Florida Snowbird Mini-Reunion     January 21 - 25
 2007                   Palm Springs, CA. Mini                April
                             Washington, DC  National          June 27 - July 2
 Click on http://517prct.org/auxiliary/ to find the mission of the Auxiliary and an enrollment form
Don Gentry
 
Click here: A Tribute to our Flag Thank you Bob, well done. I salute you.
Richard Wheeler
 
To our Airborne Friend:
 
Enclosed a Poem I received from Sgt. Joseph Cheney Sanford "B" Btry. 460th Prcht. 7.A, Bn now passed away.
Sgt. Sanford and I were good friends and a lot of material, I have received from Joseph.
A start with this Poem Joseph wrote.
 
Richard H Wheeler
"B" Btry. 460 Prcht. 7 ArBn
 
 "By Joseph Cheney Sanford"
 
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will.
When the road your trudging seems all up hill.
When the funds are low and the debts are high and your wont to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit, rest, if you must, but don't quit.
Life is queer with its twist and turns, as every one of us sometimes learns, and many a person turns about.
When they might have won, had they stuck it out.
Don't five up though the pace seems slow.
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the struggler has given up.
 When he might have captured the victors cap and he learned too late.
When the night comes down, how close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out.
The silver tint of the cloud of doubt.
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit.
Its when things seem worst that your mustn't quit.
 
By
Sgt. Jospeh Cheney Sanford
"B" Btry 460th Prcht 7.A. Bn
 
ALAIN FINE
 
 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment 460th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion 596th Parachute Combat Engineer Company


62 ieme Birthday of the combat of the col de braus

Go of the memory in the honor of the 517ieme paratroop and soldier FLOYD POLK

SATURDAY 28 AND SUNDAY OCTOBER 29,2006


The meeting had been given on Saturdays mornings to more than 56 peoples, faithfully dressed in US parachutist and resistance fighter's dresses, in our base camp the fort of Barbonnet, on municipality Of Sospel.

In the afternoon, visit and photos of reconstitution on the scene fights. (By means of documents and photos supplied by Floyd Polk)

On Sundays mornings, after night past in the fort, a long course of about fifteen kilometres waited for us. With the visit of the rests of a wreck of plane, a Junker JU 88 which crashed in 1943. Then, descent in the valley on the village of Lucéram, where Mayor, doors-flags and population waited for us in the war memorial.

Throughout these two in the daytime, the participants had an exemplary behavior, that they are thanked for it. A big thanking to the association Forty Four Memories.

ALAIN FINE

         

 Bob Dalrymple

Ben, Bill Christian and Lud deserve a "well done . I'll be there (if, etc). Bob D
Jean Loup Gassend
 
Hello Ben

This is Jean-Loup Gassend from southern France. I have something that may interest you 517 guys although it is actually of more concern for the First Special Service Force veterans.  Some of you guys, particularly Howard Hensleigh, Mr. Holsworth, and others spoke to me this summer concerning my researching of what happened in southern France in 1944. Anyways, during this research, in Villeneuve-Loubet, I discovered a mass grave containing 14 bodies of German soldiers killed by the FSSF on august 26th 1944. The grave was unmarked, and I suspect all the men in it were listed as missing in action.

I conducted an exhumation of the bodies along with officials from the Volksbund (German war graves commission). With the bodies we found 7 dog tags, one of which had a bullet hole in it! There were also many helmets, some damaged by shrapnel, and equipments, but only one body still had his shoes. The french civilians must have taken the rest, as many were going bare footed back then. We also found a finger bone, with a ring still on it. (you can see this in the pictures I sent you) The German officials hope that they will be able to find some family members of these men, and invite them to a funeral 62 years after their deaths. The ceremony is planed to be on june 23rd 2007 in the west of France.

If anybody wants to ask me questions, you can email me at jean-loup@gassend.com  I remind you that I am still searching for people to interview concerning what they remember about what happened in France between august 15th and august 30th 1944.

Jean-Loup

                                **************
I have not sent some gruesome photos. Skeletons. Bones,  Helmets etc. You can let me know if you wish to view them. Ben