From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 7:07 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 1444 517TH PRCT-DECEMBER 4, 2007
70 Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA. 02025  *781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett  Ben517@aol.com
 
Hello,
 
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 Ben

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Ben517@aol.com
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Snowbird mini-reunion 
Kissimmee, FL
Jan 20-24, 2008


West Coast mini

Palm Springs, CA

April 13-18, 2008


 517TH ST. LOUIS REUNION BEGINS:
 
THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2008 THRU MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2008
THE BANQUET WILL BE ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2008.

Recent website additions:

The 551st Attack on Trois Ponts, 2-7 Jan 1945
River Crossing and Attack at La Roquette, 27-28 August 1944
Howard B. Goodman, Service Company

Paras en Provence: Le 517th PRCT Dans Les Alpes Maritime
       from Armes Militaria Magazine (cover, article)


Howard Hensleigh

 Gentlemen:

I found this monograph interesting reading.  I looked for some reason to condemn Col. Graves and the 517th for treating the 551st badly and found none.  Mistakes were made and no one could tell in advance just what the enemy would do or exactly where he would be and in what strength.  There was a tragic loss of key officers (including the Bn. commander and others) and men to enemy fire and the Bulge weather conditions.    I agreed with almost all of the conclusions Bill Smith reached although some like when you have contact with the enemy, don't lose it.  Sometimes the enemy moves in retrograde a little faster than an attacking outfit can reorganize, set up a defense against counterattack and pursue.  I got a kick out of the conclusion that officers should not reconnoiter without taking some enlisted men along to do some fighting if they got into trouble.  I know we did a lot of that in the 517 including one time I tripped off a mine while patrolling on my own.  I knew that Johny Neiler and Jack Kinser of the 460th ran into Germans one time and escaped without injury, but I did not know that Johny had gone out with a 551st officer who was killed in the process.

I noticed that Bill Boyle's and Don Fraser's First Bn 517 moved out and took its objective without much fanfare, confusion or delay.  This bears out what a lot of us came to believe -- that the 517 was a lot better at fighting and taking its objectives than it was at getting promotions and awards -- paper work in general.  The 551st must have been good at the paper work, with an assistant S-3 as major, S3 as major and S-2 as captain.  We never bumped our S-2 above 1st Lt. and our S-3 above captain.  One always gets around to being personal; I held both jobs in combat and for many months as a 1st Lt., not that I wasn't recommended for promotion.  At least once the 13th Division held up my promotion until the freeze order hit for some misspelled words.

Wayne Cross is commended for finding these treasures buried in the archives.

Highest airborne regards,  Howard Hensleigh


Rick Sweet

Hi Ben,
         I was placing a bid at the last few seconds for the 517th patch on EBay.  It sold for $3047.00 to someone here in the USA and it wasn't me. Oh Well.......Rick Sweet


Darrell Egner

 Ben this is a long read but it say's it all.  Proud to be an American!

Darrell Egner
 

Mark Baird

So sorry to hear of Don Fraser's passing.  I was a
replacement in the volcano there in Naples right after
the outfit got overseas and Capt. (then) Fraser was
the first 517er I remember talking to.  Thought it
might neighborly for the Co.  CO to welcome a lowly
private to the unit.  As were all officers   (one
exception) of the 517,  he was tops.  Talked to him a
couple times in Palm Springs and told him of that
meeting, but of course he didn't remember it... Hope
you all are doing OK  !
Mark


Forrest Wellman

Ben:
 
Thought this was great and would like to pass it along.
 
Forrest Wellman
 

 Arlington at Christmas



Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.


Know the line has held, your job is done.


Rest easy, sleep well.


Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.


Peace, peace, and farewell...




Readers may be interested to know that these wreaths -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of
Harrington, Maine. The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state.