70 Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA. 02025 *781
383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett Ben517@aol.com
Hello,
This is attempt to get another Mail Call out.
The last Mail Call was sent out in batches because as a guest on another
computer, I am not allowed to send mail using my complete address book. However,
"there is more than one way to get to the other side of the pond." One
group had an inversed number and another group had the wrong number. The year
was correct.
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
Recent website additions:
Matthew Skovera, HQ Co, 3rd
Bn.
PFC Anthony S. Celli, I Co.
(KIA)
517th
Commemorative March 2007- Southern France
Richard Eaton videos
- Witness to the War
Madawaska Victory passenger
lists
1983
517th Reunion Booklet - San Mateo, CA
Bill Boyle news
article
Lory
Curtis
Ben,
As
you know I have written a book called "Letters Home a Paratroopers Story", about
my Dad's letters sent home to his mom while he served in the 517th.
At the reunion Mr. William Webb gave me, my brother, and my Dad a copy of his
book Escapades (thank you so much Mr. Webb for this valuable resource). In
my book I quote Paratrooper Odyssey, page 22 where it says, "At about noon an
LST (Landing Ship Tank) flotilla pulled into shore... .. The
troopers filled aboard, were handed C-ration, and told to make themselves
comfortable anywhere they could find space on the crowed decks."
In
Mr. Webb's book on page 16 he states the 517th boarded LCI's (landing Craft
Infantry), "We weren't in the volcano area but a couple of days when we
marched down through Naples and boarded LCI's... .. to head for Civitavecchia,
Itlay." My Dad was reading both of these books, and asked me to find out
on mailcall if anyone remembered what type of craft you sailed on. My Dad
doesn't remember anymore. Did you sail on LST's or LCI's? Or
were both crafts used to transport 517th troopers to Civtavecchia?
Thanks for
the help in clarifying this point.
Lory Curtis, son of Bud Curtis, HQ 1st
BN
Roland Stassen (
Netherlands friend )
Hello Ben,
Can you provide me with your address
please.
I want to send you something as appreciation
of giving me a book with many signatures of the 517 PRCT members.
I really appreciate that.
Things where hectic here with the operation
en recovering of my wife's back.
Kind regards
Ronald
Jim Finley
Hi Ben
Just talked to Tom Finley son on HQ Battery first sgt. He
needs to get on your list. He's been to the web site but has not been receiving
the mail!
His address is
tfranklinfinley3rd@worldnet.att.netHe's
a retired Lt. Col.
Best
Jim
Pat Seitz and Allan Greer
Dear Ben: You are Mr. "Can Do & Where there's a will there
is a way." Thanks for keeping the Mail Call going. Perhaps it
reflects my lack of computer savvy, but it looks to me as if you are
doing quite well even if if is your third computer. All the
best. Pat and Alan
Don Gentry
Hey Ben, this is the page where BG Richard Eaton (then a CPL in A Co 1st
Bn) tells his stories. Took me a long time to zero in as the Italy/Southern
France link covers Italy and then just a part of that. Seems they should have
two or three more pages regarding Italy.
He has several stories in WWII as well as Korea, and Vietnam. One of his
stories is about the 1944 Atlantic crossing with WAC and Army Air Corps folk and
dancing to the music of the Regimental Band.
This web site is really a great work and provides some perspective of how
the other folks lived and died. Well worth a visit. I'll poke around a bit more
and then send the webmaster an AAR on the missing link(s).
---------------------------------------------------------New
Subject----------------------------------------------------------------------
I also checked out John S. Celecz Bethleham, PA mentioned in
this Mail Call. He shows up well in the high resolution photo of the 596th, (Row
4, 2nd from the left). He looks a bit older than most of the troops and one of
the pictures in the Saunders collection shows he is a SGT. He is listed in the
Christmas book also. That's all I see for now. He may have been from one of the
PA religious groups, perhaps the Quakers, that were against war and had to
face that stigma when he returned. An interesting situation. I noted a
pacifist/anti war flavor from the note posted. SGT John S. Celecz remains one of
our Greatest Generation.
Don Gentry
***********
Don, We do have
Click here: Witness
to War on the website and in above Recent Additions. However I hesitated to
place it in Mail Call until I could listen to the video loud and clear. General
Eaton did not give an accurate account of the actions of MOH Mel Biddle. Mel
deserves a more accurate account of his exploits. If memory fades so that you
cant get the name and story accurate ,it would be best to keep still. We are
talking about a MOH here.
You may be right about John S.
Celecz. I wondered myself when the rifle was mentioned.