70 Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA.02025 *781 383
0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett Ben517@aol.com
MAIL CALL
< Click
on
< 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
I will be in California and Nevada December 15-30 . I will be able to
receive mail but not sure if I can send Mail Call on another computer because of
large address book. I will include Battle of The Bulge news and photos in next
few Mail Calls.
Last Mail Call should have been No. 1228
Ben
Website
www.517prct.org
Mail Call Ben 517@AOL.COM
Mail Call Archives www.517prct.org/archives
Roster www.517prct.org/roster.pdf
Mail Call Ben 517@AOL.COM
Mail Call Archives www.517prct.org/archives
Roster www.517prct.org/roster.pdf
Reunions Florida Snowbird
Mini-Reunion January
21 - 25
2007 Palm Springs, CA Mini-Reunion April 15 - 20
2007 Palm Springs, CA Mini-Reunion April 15 - 20
Washington, DC National
June 27 - July 2
Click on http://517prct.org/auxiliary/ to
find the mission of the Auxiliary and an enrollment form
Chris
Lindner
Hi Ben:
It looks like everyone will
be in transit around the holidays. I am going back to St. Louis December
11-December 15. I want to see my Mom. She is doing very well after
her open heart surgery on November 15 (which was her 80th Birthday)
I want to wish everyone a
very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a WONDERFUL NEW YEAR.
Chris Lindner
Billie
Hiers
Dear Ben:
NO DOUBT this information has made
Mail Call in the past before Lucky found you and the other 517th/460th group ...
not to mention all the other veterans; but for anyone who doesn't know about the
following.
They can contact the AMERICAN BATTLE
MONUMENTS COMMISSION
P.O. Box 96766
Washington, D.C.
20090-6766.
They will accept a photograph and
information for any veteran of WWII which will be engraved on the Memorial
Monument. Cost is next to nothing (maybe $5). I don't have
their phone #, but Lucky is already registered with them.
Keep on keeping on. You and
your son are amazing people -- very unselfish!
Thanks to you and all the others who
give time and energy to brighten the lives of the other WWII Vets!
Billie Hiers for
"Lucky"
Lory Curtis
Ben,
I was at the store "Sam's Club" last Saturday, when I saw a DVD "Objective Burma", so I purchased it. I remembered my Dad telling me about Errol Flynn coming to Camp MacKall to film the movie and how the 517th jumped on a very windy day for the movie. Anyway, I got very excited to see what the movie was about since I had never watched it before. I was very impressed with the scenes of the men preparing for the jump, and then the jump. My Dad does not remember very much about it today, but he did write his mother about it, and I have included what he said to her on December 24, 1943. Does anyone else have any stories about that jump. I would very much like to hear about them.
Lory Curtis, son of Bud Curtis, HQ, 1st BN
Here is part of a letter my Dad wrote to his mother.
"As you can see, I am still around after that jump last Tuesday. We jumped at 400 feet (the lowest yet) and it was less than 15 seconds until I was on the ground. Boy did I ever come down fast. For a while I began to wonder if I had a chute even while I was looking at it and when I looked at the ground it was about like going 20 M.P.H. in a car and looking at the ground directly below. That will give you some idea how it was coming at me. The only thing I could do is prepare to land, get ready to tumble and hope for the best. I hit hard and I tried to make a front tumble, but there was a strong wind and I was yanked out face first into the dirt, and plowed up about 50 yards of dirt before I could collapse the wind out of my parachute. The sun had been out bright and shinny all day, and the ground was soft and sandy so I wasn't as much as scratched. They asked for 16 volunteers for a night jump yesterday (Thursday) and you know me, I was the first one to step out and get my name signed up. This jumping maybe dangerous and even if it does scare me a little, I would never admit it to myself. As for jumping out of an airplane, well that doesn't even bother me. It is just thinking what could happen so if you don't think about it there is nothing to worry about. I really haven't got a good explanation for it, but it is just not in me not to volunteer for something dangerous. It might scare me, but it can't get me to be afraid, because I'm not afraid to do anything, but still be scared to death! There is a difference between being scared and afraid. You figure it out, it is too deep for me.
Gosh, but this doesn't seen like Christmas. I'm going to stop now. It is about time!
Merry Christmas and stuff.
P.S. Thanks for the swell birthday package.
P.S. Incidentally, that night jump was called off because of 50 mph wind upstairs.
Love Bud"
I was at the store "Sam's Club" last Saturday, when I saw a DVD "Objective Burma", so I purchased it. I remembered my Dad telling me about Errol Flynn coming to Camp MacKall to film the movie and how the 517th jumped on a very windy day for the movie. Anyway, I got very excited to see what the movie was about since I had never watched it before. I was very impressed with the scenes of the men preparing for the jump, and then the jump. My Dad does not remember very much about it today, but he did write his mother about it, and I have included what he said to her on December 24, 1943. Does anyone else have any stories about that jump. I would very much like to hear about them.
Lory Curtis, son of Bud Curtis, HQ, 1st BN
Here is part of a letter my Dad wrote to his mother.
"As you can see, I am still around after that jump last Tuesday. We jumped at 400 feet (the lowest yet) and it was less than 15 seconds until I was on the ground. Boy did I ever come down fast. For a while I began to wonder if I had a chute even while I was looking at it and when I looked at the ground it was about like going 20 M.P.H. in a car and looking at the ground directly below. That will give you some idea how it was coming at me. The only thing I could do is prepare to land, get ready to tumble and hope for the best. I hit hard and I tried to make a front tumble, but there was a strong wind and I was yanked out face first into the dirt, and plowed up about 50 yards of dirt before I could collapse the wind out of my parachute. The sun had been out bright and shinny all day, and the ground was soft and sandy so I wasn't as much as scratched. They asked for 16 volunteers for a night jump yesterday (Thursday) and you know me, I was the first one to step out and get my name signed up. This jumping maybe dangerous and even if it does scare me a little, I would never admit it to myself. As for jumping out of an airplane, well that doesn't even bother me. It is just thinking what could happen so if you don't think about it there is nothing to worry about. I really haven't got a good explanation for it, but it is just not in me not to volunteer for something dangerous. It might scare me, but it can't get me to be afraid, because I'm not afraid to do anything, but still be scared to death! There is a difference between being scared and afraid. You figure it out, it is too deep for me.
Gosh, but this doesn't seen like Christmas. I'm going to stop now. It is about time!
Merry Christmas and stuff.
P.S. Thanks for the swell birthday package.
P.S. Incidentally, that night jump was called off because of 50 mph wind upstairs.
Love Bud"
Bob Barrett
Dad,
On the flight to LA, I sat next to an ex-Marine on his way to New Zealand. He is 88 years old and fought in the Battle of Guadalcanal. Eventually he became a Lt. Colonel. He is an active guy, has a home in Aspen and still skied until last year. Anyway, he mentioned that he used to go to some of his unit's reunions, but they stopped having them a couple years ago, since there are fewer and fewer members each year. At the last one, only 10 people showed up, so they disbanded the reunions. I guess the 517th is holding together pretty well, for a few more years at least.
Bob
On the flight to LA, I sat next to an ex-Marine on his way to New Zealand. He is 88 years old and fought in the Battle of Guadalcanal. Eventually he became a Lt. Colonel. He is an active guy, has a home in Aspen and still skied until last year. Anyway, he mentioned that he used to go to some of his unit's reunions, but they stopped having them a couple years ago, since there are fewer and fewer members each year. At the last one, only 10 people showed up, so they disbanded the reunions. I guess the 517th is holding together pretty well, for a few more years at least.
Bob
Harris Johnson
Ben, I found this site I thought you'd like to see: http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/PASSINGOFGENERATION.HTML
Your friend, Harris Johnson
***********
Very moving-Ben
1944
