From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 6:55 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 1288 517TH PRCT - MARCH 16, 2007
 
70  Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA.02025  *781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett  Ben517@aol.com
 
 
.PLEASE SEND ALL PAYMENTS FOR THE REUNION REGISTRATION TO THE ARMED FORCES REUNIONS
 
 .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 June 28-July 2 . All rooms for early arrivals are taken.   Banquet Sunday July 1. Depart Monday  July 2
Ben
Website                                   www.517prct.org                                                        
Mail Call                                  Ben517@aol.com
Mail Call Archives                 www.517prct.org/archives
Roster                                     www.517prct.org/roster.pdf

Reunions 2007:    Click on these Links for Forms and Information


Palm Springs, CA Mini-Reunion             April 15 - 20

 

 Click on http://517prct.org/auxiliary/ to find the mission of the Auxiliary and an enrollment form
Claire Giblin

 Ben -

I am thrilled to announce that our keynote speaker for the reunion has confirmed today.  Patrick K. O'Donnell, a prolific combat author, will join us for our final banquet.

Patrick O'Donnell is the author of Beyond Valor, which features oral histories of airborne troops in WWII.  Dick Seitz is among those quoted at length in that volume.  He also served as a consultant for the series, Band of Brothers, among other presentations. 

He is the founder of www.thedropzone.org, a virtual museum site that features oral histories.  His most recent work is on Marines in Fallujah.  Titled We Were One, it profiles four sets of best friends as they move from boot camp to Fallujah.  Each set of friends loses one best friend.  There is an excerpt on his website, www.wewereone.com.   Please don't hesitate to check out both websites, though I will say that the drop zone site is best on a fast computer.

Patrick O'Donnell's unique approach gives great voice to the stories of veterans.  When perusing his books, or even reading the excerpt from his latest book on the website, I am struck by how much of veterans' language is quoted and preserved.  Furthermore, he is personally a great fan of the 517; you troopers are one of his favorite units, he told me.   He is looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.

Patrick O'Donnell lives quite near our reunion site and will be attending with his 7-year-old daughter, Lily.  We look forward to welcoming them, and are thrilled to have a friend of the outfit joining us in Washington. 

Please don't hesitate to check out Patrick's websites and books.  We are so happy that he'll be joining us!

Regards to all -

Claire Giblin

Reunion Co-chair

Michael and Eric
 
Hi Ben,
Here is a very interesting document Aimé Leocard daughter sent to me from a speech he did in 1887, he talked about our country during WWII and give a good idea to the new generation of the situation at this time and also his war experience and the first time he met paratroopers of the 551st and the 517th.
Regards J. Michael.
J.Michael & Eric,
airborne museum Le Muy France
Michael and Eric
 
Ben,
I realize that in the document made by Aimé, there is the name of the 2 french who collaborate with the germans in Draguignan. They probably have family, and may be are not proud of what they did. As a international web site, could you please make those names impossible to be read before publishing just in case.
thank you in advance
J. Michael
                                                              *************
This is a must read. We will soon have it on the web site with a link for Mail Call-Ben
 Rick Sweet
 
 Hi Ben,
          Thank you Ben and also Bob Barrett !  Because of you and the 517th website ,I feel like I have two new close friends.  We all have a lot in common.  Our dads were among the most elite group of crazy fighting men, that ever jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, (that was being shot at,) into the thin air ,(that was being shot at) and drift to the ground, (while being shot at) just to be able to shoot back. (while being shot at) And on top of that they were the first to do it and they signed up for it of their own free will !! Well that would be the men of the 517th of course.
 What were you guys thinking? Well ,I've been doing research, trying to find out anything about my dad, and found two other men doing the same thing. I met Jay Sutcliffe and now I've also met Bob Dodds !! That's only the beginning. Jay and I are 52 and Bob is 53 and Bob's mom and my mom are both 79 and single ,( hint hint). Our dads were all in "H" company !
    Besides that we all feel very blessed to have met, and are able to give each other support and information. Our dads told us very little about the war but we knew it was bad because of the many times they woke up screaming from a nightmare they had from the war.  Or maybe grab their wives and throw them to the floor and dive on top of her because he heard a train whistle.  Wake up from a deep sleep yelling I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to, before he realized that he was home and safe, and far away from the war.... Until the next night.
     Our dads are all gone now.  All gone to soon.  They didn't tell us what happened to them so we have to search and search to fill a hole in our lives and a space and time that our fathers didn't want to talk about.  The stories, pictures, records and mail call have really helped us all and It did a little healing along the way. That hole is not so big now .
     One last thing that I will tell you we have in common. Our dads suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  And two of them killed themselves.  They were just kids at 18-20,  but look at what you all went through.  You had to grow up in a hurry.  I think we all want to just tell you ,we are proud of you.  You made it home!  If you need help or you need to heal, tell your family and talk to someone.  It might just heal both of us.  To  the 517th Battling Buzzards !! Including our fathers;     Dodd's Robert T,       Sutcliffe James ,       Sweet Odas   all of "H" CO.
                                                                                                                                            
         
                                                                                                                                             Rick Sweet
Teri Marrone
 
Hi Ben,

Thanks for forwarding the email from Howard; I appreciate the history.  I
will email him to get further information.  Thanks.  I look forward to
meeting you in June!

Teri

Teri Marrone
Secretary
US Park Police
Lori B. Richter
 
Hi Ben,
     I have acquired some photos of my Dad (Orville Stubbs E Co) while in the
517 would you like me to send you copies?
    This is a stupid question but looking at my Dad's discharge papers I see
where he entered into service on May 17 and left for active duty on May 17
one year later.  Is this the reason why they were called the 517th = May 17??

Lori B. Richter
Office Manager
Dr. G. William Richter, Jr., OD
450 East Main Street
Canfield, Ohio 44406
 Cecil Doty
 
Hi Ben;
Thanks for the morning report, however the print was too small for me to read and I couldn't enlarge it.
 We are getting along fairly well for old people.  Had a good report on Arlene's cancer this week.  But I'm sure our reunions days are over.  We are considering moving into the Assisted Living part of the Nursing Center with in the next six months.  We have no children so it is up to us to make plans for future.
I told the Nursing Home I had to have a place for my computer, so I can keep  in touch with the Mail Call and the web page.
Our love and Prayers are with you and Fran.

Cecil H. Doty
                                                   **********
Morning Report  says that you were sent to hospital Sept. 10, 1944. - Ben
Frank Ramos
 
 Ben:
 
I recently received my brother's medals and his official records from the Department of Defense pertaining to  his service to our country during WW II with the storied 517th PCRT, H Company.
 
The medals received are:
 
1.     Bronze Star
2.     European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and Bronze Stare Attachment
3.     World War II Victory Medal
4.    Combat Infantry Badge, 1st Award
5.    Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII
 
Your organization would bring a belated recognition for him to join his comrade in arms in the 517th PCRT Roster of Bronze Star Recipients. I am sure he would have been proud of his medals, knowing him as a kid I think he would have been proudest of the Combat Infantry Badge with the laurel - a badge of honor and courage.
 
Ismael died in a construction accident as a young man and his records lost.  Had it not been for Fred Harman to send Christmas Cards to my father over the years I would have never met him, Bill Ford, Col. Frice and rest of you great men at the Savannah Reunion.
 
My family is very proud of Ismael's accomplishments, and his inclusion with the 517th will record his contribution to history with his paratrooper brothers that the young members of my family can reference with pride.
 
In behalf of my family, thank you.
 
Frank M. Ramos