Mail Call : Ben Barrett Ben517@aol.com

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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

Recent website additions:
596th Parachute Combat Engineer Company
Odas Sweet and friends, H Company
Videos from Col de Braus - October, 2006
Donald Chaulk and friends, HQ Co. 3rd Bn
Blue Book Magazine articles - 1947-1948
HQ Company, 3rd Battalion
Jim Moses and the 596 PCEC in Italy and France
WWII vet’s web site helps the 517th stay connected

Textbook: The Capture of Hunnange General Richard Seitz

Bill Christian

Ben, Yesterday I received a call from Ida Shankman informing me that Ben had passed away in December and she had no idea how to notify any of his 517 th trooper friends. With her permission I said I would notify you of the passing and assured her that she could expect some correspondence after the posting. After our conversation it was obvious Ida needs some old friends to call. She is expecting to attend the April reunion. Thanks Bill Christian Her address is 1826 Sonora Rd. Palm Springs Ca 92264 Phone760 322 6605

Howard Hensleigh

Dear Ben:

My hat is off to Boom Boom Alicki for many reasons, most recently his becoming the 517th wise man with many interesting sayings to be taken to heart by all of us. That he survived Pearl Harbor, our five major battles and 90 years is a tribute to his mental and physical faculties. However, he had a lighter side, or he and Mel Zais were talked into it by Russ Johnson and Dick Spencer when Boom Boom arrested Lt. McElroy for having a WAC in his room on the Santa Rosa. When Mel intercepted them on the way to the ship's captain for appropriate disciplinary action, and returned the culprit and Boom Boom to Mac's "state room" for further investigation, the WAC turned out to be Dick dressed to the hilt for the hilarious occasion.

BOOM BOOM, MAY YOU LIVE ANOTHER 90 YEARS AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORKS OF YOUR LIFETIME. Howard Hensleigh

Another facet of Chuck Boyer's life, when he was first sgt. pvt. or pfc., was that he always assisted Father Guinette (sp?) in church services in the field or in the more formal setting in Camp Mackall. He never missed. Finding Chuck's field glass case was a real find. He took such good care of his equipment that he must have lost it in a fire fight. My guess is that he salvaged the field glasses. HH

Another man in Sgt. Chaulk's picture, Jim Kichen, may not have been in Hq. 3rd. After we reached our 13th and final phase line in the attack south of Stavelot, Belgium, Sgt. Kichen who headed a G Co. squad was given the mission of accompanying me and my S-2 men, George Meline and Ray Scrugs, to make contact with the 75th and 30th Divisions which were supposed to be at that phase line, on our right and left, but were nowhere to be found. The 30th was about half was there and the 75th had not crossed the line of departure. In the black of night, Kichen's southern accent got us into G Co. lines without the password which had changed at midnight. HH