From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 7:17 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: MAIL CALL NO 1244 517TH PRCT-JANUARY 6,2007
   
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 .
 
Banquet at Kissimmee Reunion. Wednesday, January 24
 
 Ben                                  
Website                                   www.517prct.org                                                        
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

                            Washington, DC  National              June 27 - July 2

 Click on http://517prct.org/auxiliary/ to find the mission of the Auxiliary and an enrollment form
Gilles Guignard
 
Dear Sir,
Im the swiss guy who had sent you the reenactment pics
from Le Muy and La Motte last year which you put
online.
First of all id like to wish you a happy new year 2007
to you and all vets of the 517th.
It looks like im hooked on your website every day! its
so great!

I saw your ad on the website for the mail call and,
yes... id like to hear regularly from other members of
the 517th on your email-based mailing list for 517th
if it is possible.

Also id like to become an associate member of the
517th assn, is that possible ? do they have an email
address?

i may have some nice stuff to share in the future
including relics found on the dropzones which i was
able to photograph in private collections.
my email address is rotmcook@yahoo.com

with best regards Gil
 
Robert Ambrosini
 
                       
Dear Ben,

Thank you so much for your prompt reply, leave it to a paratrooper!  It sounds like we have a match.  "Red" was a dear friend of the family for many years.  To say he didn't talk of the war is an understatement, but thanks to your web site I have a place to start.  One day I hope to write his biography for the site.  Yes I would like to receive the mail call emails. 
 
Well, I am off to comb the book stores for a copy of Battling Buzzards. 
 
Thanks again,
 
Rob
Wells
 
Checking to see if this email is accurate and if you will be reinstating "Mail Call."  Looking for information on my father, Chester A. Wells.  Headquarters Company, 3rd Bn, H company; or so he is listed in Christmas Roster, France 1944.  Hope the web site is active, as it was extremely informative. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Gilles GUIGNARD [mailto:rotmcook@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 9:52 PM
To: Bob Barrett
Subject: 517th

Hello Bob,
thks for your email, im 32 years old living in
switzerland my mom is british and my dad swiss thats
why i have some notions of english, although i miss
all current expressions and slang!!!
Ive been active in corresponding with us vets who took
part in southern france invasion an digging ww2
history since 1991 and i also collect memorabilia.
(when its not too expensive!!!)

I have always been fascinated and impressed by the
brave us soldiers who liberated Italy an France in
43-44.
I really try my best to keep alive the memory of those
men thru reenactments, ceremonies, dedications,
contacts etc etc..

I have a great interest in the 36th, 3rd, 45th
divisions and 442nd RCT in southern France during ww2.
PLease have a look at the websites (blogs) i have
created.
www.dogface42.skyblog.com
www.dogface43.skyblog.com
www.dogface44.skyblog.com
www.dogface45.skyblog.com

I attended the ceremonies in Draguignan cemetary and
Le Muy - la Motte in 1994 and i have never missed them
since!
This year i met Leo Dean at the ceremonies, we had a
great time!

im also a good friend of Alain Fine who has sent you
many "then and now" photos.

My girlfriend lives in California and is the
granddaughter of a 442nd RCT vet who was in S France.
Im quite proud of her i must say! Long distance
though!!!

ill close for now its nearly 4 o clock am here so im
going to bed!

kind regards Gilles
Matt Meyers
 

Ben, here's a quick reply for the inquiry of Mr. Robert Ambrosini:

If you are looking for more specific accounts of HQ/1/517, any source with
an account by Charles M. Keen, Jr. will do.  Charles Keen was a very close
friend of my Grandfather, Julius Talarico (also a Sergeant in HQ/1/517). 
Keen was a medic with a different company, but he had a nasty habit of
floating around the battlefield in order to keep an eye on my Grandfather
and my Grandfather's cousin (the three of them were from the same town and
supposedly had sequential serial numbers).  I have it on good advice that
any account given by Keen occurred at least within running distance of
HQ/1/517.  Unfortunately, Mr. Keen passed away this past year, but he was
amazingly prolific in the number of interviews he gave.  I have seen very
few, if any, books on 517 actions that do not include an account from Keen,
so you shouldn't have any trouble getting a good idea of the actions SSG
Stalion would have been involved in.  I hope this helps!

Thanks!

Matthew Myers
Grandson, Sgt Julius Talarico, Hvy Weap. Platoon, HQ/1/517
 Rick Sweet
 
Hi Ben,
         Mom says he didn't mention parachute school in Rome ,but did say that he trained at Fort Benning.  He was drafted into the Army and then volunteered to go to parachute school because the pay was better. How much better could it have been for a man to jump out of a perfectly good airplane??? He told her a story about a man who didn't pack his chute correctly and fell to his death and was carrying a puppy that also died ......Did you hear or know about that one? Mom thinks that he may have been in "A "company for a while but I can't find any evidence of that. It has been a long time for her to remember....
 
Rick