*****************

Howard Hensleigh

Message for Jay Sutcliff:   Mel Biddle is not on the intenet and says little about himself so I will tell you what I have been able to get from him at reunions.  Mel  joined B Company 517th when we were in the Crater area near Naples before we went into combat in the Rome-Arno campaign.  He was with us in all of our combat until he was awarded the Congressional Medal.  Since he was a replacement, and since there were many pundits who told how badly units treated replacements, I asked Mel if he got the cold shoulder when he arrived.  Here is how he answered.  He arrived with his duffle bag and reported in to the company and was assigned to a rifle squad.  One of the squad members had just received a saliva producing package from home.  The squad member offered to share with Mel and the other squad members.  Mel asked if the man meant to include him since he had just arrived.  He was assured by the squad that he was a full fledged member of the squad from that point on and would be treated as such just as though he had climbed the mountain at Toccoa.

Howard Hensleigh

---

Guest Book Entry

Name: Elaine (Walls) Saunders

From: San Diego CA

E-mail: Elaine_28@cox.net

Thanks for a great website.  My late husband, David Walls, was a member of E Company, Camp Toccoa, he rarely met any other soldier who had even heard of it!  I appreciate visiting the site, especially the photos, he was fighting at the Col de Brau and we drove there in 1963.  He rarely spoke of the war and now he is gone we can't query him about his service.

---

Bob Barrett

Elaine,

Did you find the photo with David Walls on the web site:

 

L to R standing: CB Jones, Whitie Mulligan, David Walls, Sgt. Patterson

kneeling L to R are Jim Easter and (Ward?)

 

This is on the page:  http://517prct.org/photos/c_b_jones/c_b_jones_part2.htm

There is also a picture of the entire E Company at Toccoa at: 

http://517prct.org/photos/e_company_at_toccoa_1943.htm

There is also a photo of the "survivors" of E Company from Toccoa to Joigny, France.  But David Walls is not in that picture.  Do you know if he wounded and missed the picture?

 Bob Barrett

webmaster@517prct.org

---

Theresa Wilnat