From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Friday, August 03, 2007 8:18 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 1381 517TH PRCT- AUGUST 3, 2007
 70  Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA. 02025  *781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett  Ben517@aol.com
 
Hello,
 
This may be last Mail Call for awhile. May send one more out in the morning.
 
 Paratroopers' Odyssey is  available for $22.50. Send payment to Leo Dean.
 
  At times you may have a problem viewing photos. However, we place most photos on the website under Training and WWII Photos .
 
Please try to send in donations by August 15 to Keep the 517 PRCT Association viable. Suggested amount $30.00 to  include Thunderbolt.  Auxiliary members $20.00 Plus $10.00 if you want to receive the for the Thunderbolt.  Send donations to  Leo Dean, 14 Stonehenge Lane, Albany, NY  12203.  Make checks payable to 517prct.         Donations for the Auxiliary should be sent to  Karen Frice Wallace   66295 Highway 20  Bend, OR 97701
 
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
 
 Ben
Website                                   www.517prct.org                                                        
Mail Call                                  Ben517@aol.com
Mail Call Archives                 www.517prct.org/archives
Roster                                     www.517prct.org/roster.pdf

Recent website additions:

Robert Magnuson and friends, G and H Companies
Madawaska Victory passenger lists
Chester A. Wells, H Company
1st Lt. Floyd A. Stott, I Company (KIA)
1983 517th Reunion Booklet - San Mateo, CA

Bill Boyle news article

517 PRCT Association  Officers

Howard Hensleigh
 
Dear Ben,  I was interested in Bill Boyle's correct statement that the 506th was in combat before we were and speculated on what might have been had Lou Walsh continued to command the 517.    My guess is that if Lou had commanded the combat team in Italy in June 1944 we would have been there first by a day, or on the same day if the 506th jumped before midnight on 5 June 44.  Rome was taken on June 5, being overshadowed by the June 6 Normandy invasion.  Our first attack order from 5th Army was, "Attack and take that part of Rome that lies in your sector".  Maps and logistic support documents were attached to this order, but that was it.  It did not resemble the five paragraph field order we learned about at Benning. 

As I recall, we did not carry out that order because some of our weapons were not ready.  Kenny Fruend (SP?, S-4 Bill Hickman's No. 2 man) got credit for sparing us that one, which turned out to be a piece of cake.   All of our weapons were off loaded the same day we arrived in Naples and had Lou been our commander, the weapons would have been ready or he would have said, "here we come ready or not".  Am I dreaming, or is this fact and good supposition???

That was not all the Normandy invasion overshadowed.  In Mel Biddle's write up recently circulated in Mail Call, it said he parachuted into France after D Day.  Apparently the writer thought there was only one D Day in France, but we know different.   

Love to all the troopers, young and old,  Howard Hensleigh

Jim Mortensen

Hi Ben

I can't resist answering the question re forward observers. JG Ward and I jumped into Les Arcs (or some miles away) and we had a radio and a battery in the door load. They were of equal weight. And we used them from day one, once we found the door load. We marched up the river, over the mountains and up to Col de Bras. Each with about 50 pounds on our back. It was a struggle! But the radio worked.

Don't remember the model number, but it was a standard then.

Jim Mortensen

Ronald Stassen (Netherlands friend )

Hi Ben,

Yes i did received the marvelous book. (Battling Buzzards )
I had some problems with the server. I did send you a email a few times 
that i received the book in good condition and to thank you so much!
Probably you did not received the emails because of the server problem.

I got goose bumps when is saw all the signatures.

Regards

Ronald

Don Gentry

 Thanks Bob, have sent a note to David and hope his address is current as the roster details lack an address and phone number. Thank the Lord for Email.

 
I should have cc'ed you. Here is my note:
 
 
Hello David, I'm Don Gentry and doing some research on John S. Hopkins, HQ 2nd Bn. According to Floyd Weber, they were best friends while assigned to LT. Irwin's Platoon.
 
I have interest in the book you mentioned and of course the names of those that dedicated it to your Uncle.
 
Also, would be interested in the letters home and the envelope details. I have found that in tracking my own father's WWII experience that the envelopes provide a wealth of information since details of where and when he was at a place could not to be written in correspondence. Post war declassified lists of APO locations are available that help in this research.
 
John Hopkins trained with the HQ Co 2nd Bn 517th but for some unknown reason, he was reassigned to the 513th PIR and deployed with them to England. John was very well trained with the 81 MM Mortar and could drop a round into a smoke stack without a problem. Your mention of the that weapon peaked my interest. I believe John was injured or became ill which would account for that change of command.
 
I am a member of the Auxiliary and my cousin Richard Baysinger was in B Co. 517th PIR. We have attended the last two National Level Reunions. A great experience. 
 
Appreciate any help you can provide. I can call you or invite your call. My phone has a zapper which hangs up computer based phone dialers and after that awful noise, the message machine will take your call at which time I would hope to be available to pick up the phone. Otherwise just leave a number and name and I'll get back to you.
 
MSG Don R. Gentry
US Army Security Agency Retired
Still Serving
East Wenatchee, WA
509 884-2245
                                                      ************

 Hello, that email address for David Jordan was no longer working. Perhaps his home address is on the Thunderbolt mailing address list or some other list. Is he on the Mail Call roster?

Could you post an information wanted note in Mail Call?
Appreciate your help,
 
Don
                                                             **********
Don,

I spoke to my Dad earlier today, and he mentioned that the email address was probably old.  Most people with emails are on his MailCall email list, and David is not.  So he was probably dropped some time ago after his email was bounced a few times.  However, back in 2006, David Jordan said that he was from Shawnee, OK.  In a quick web search, there is only one David Jordan in the White Pages:

 Jordan, David & Dacia 1522 N Pennsylvania Ave Shawnee, OK 74804-3857(405) 273-2370

 I bet that this is him.

Bob Barrett

***********

Don Gentry

 

In a message dated 8/3/2007 1:51:49 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, r4b4@comcast.net writes:

           I bet that this is him.

Bob, your right on the money. Got any special numbers for the lottery?
 
Had a nice chat. He returned all the mementoes to the family but will get some back to scan for me. He is the fellow that is a 2LT and will soon be an Army Chaplin. I remember that post and will do a search on Mail Call for his posts.
 
The book was described as a very thin booklet from the war era.
 
I reminded him that we are all interested in those members that have passed and that he should get back on your Dad's Mailcall list. He said he would.
 
Is that white page service for fee or just there for all? I would like the address please.
 
Thanks, Don