70 Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA. 02025 ,781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett Ben517@aol.com
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Hello,
I expect to leave for the West Coast Thursday Feb. 14 and return
Feb 22. I will have a laptop with me and there should not me much interruption
in Mail Call.
We are starting a fund with
volunteer contributions to assist our friends from Belgium and France to attend
the St. Louis reunion. You can send a contribution to Leo Dean at 14
Stonehenge Lane, Albany New York 12203
You must notify me
when you change email address.
Please let me know if your email is not to be
included in Mail Call by inserting FYEO .
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
Please try to send in donations
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 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
We up dating theThunderbolt
roster. Please send mailing address to Helen Beddow HBeddow@cs.com please include the name "517th" in the subject
box.
Ben
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:
When
Weather Changed History: The Battle of the Bulge
The
Thunderbolt - August 1943
Paras en Provence: Le 517th PRCT Dans Les
Alpes Maritime
from Armes Militaria
Magazine (cover,
article)
Pat Seitz and Alan
Greer
Dear
Ben:
May Alan and I echo Tom Cross' observation
about Helen and Claire's organizational prowess, amazing leadership, and
incredible verve. Dad told us what a blessing it was for the long-range
preservation of the 517th's history and ties that Helen and Claire agreed to
undertake the Thunderbolt. After reading their emails, we
have tangible proof of the blessing that they are.
Many, many thanks, Helen and Claire.
You are outstanding.
Pat Seitz and Alan Greer
Morris McDowell
Ben,
I thought I would put some of my thoughts
in the mail call about honoring those that have passed on this past year. I
think it is a great idea, that the family of Mr. Fraser wants to honor him. The
517 used to honor those, at least this was done at the last Ft.
Benning reunion. I would like to see something done along the lines of a power
point presentation, and a narrative to introduce and a brief bio. of the person,
along with selected pictures (probably by the family). There would have
to be some guidelines established, perhaps maximum number of pictures,
etc.But I think this would be very fitting at the St. Louis reunion. If some one
could work with me, I would be willing to put something together for the
reunion. I have some other ideas I would like to add to the presentation, but if
I could get some feed back from Mr. Egner, or members of the Aux., and
leadership, I would appreciate it. Thanks very much. Oh, DITTOS about how the
Belgian people support the preservation of the commitment that the American
Soldiers had in WWII. Everyone we met in Belgium was so hospitable & kind.
Morris McDowell
Jerry Wolford
Ben I have a suggestion to pass along to the worker bees [Claire
and Helen] about upcoming Thunderbolt issues. Perhaps it would be nice to have
one of the first issues dedicated to the spirit of the very first issue that
came out in August 1943. I referenced it from your website as I had never seen a
copy of it. You could call it the "throwback" issue as you could follow and
capture the spirit of volume 1. I had no idea that it's origin dated back to
"43" when the guys were still at Toccoa. It was a very light hearted beginning
and you could feel the youthful exuberance of the fellows as they went about
their daily rigors and challenges. They were really poking fun at anything that
came up. I enjoyed it a lot. . . . .Thanks from the nephew of a
Buzzard
Irma and Arnold
Dear Ben, dear friends of
America,
We had the great honor to welcome your comrade
Harold Roberts (596th). He just left this morning and we were so lucky to
have Hal and Jeanne to stay with us at home. We spent 5 wonderful days with them
and we visited many historic places. His young friend David De Boer, wife and
baby girl share some times with us too. I send a few pictures to you. Love. Irma
and Arnold
