From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 7:53 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 1515 517TH PRCT- APRIL 1, 2008
 70 Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA. 02025 , Phone 781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett  Ben517@aol.com 
Hello            
 There is still time to register for the Palm Springs Reunion April 13-18.
 
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
 Ben

Website                                   www.517prct.org                                                        
Mail Call                                  
Ben517@aol.com
Mail Call Archives                 www.517prct.org/archives
Roster                                     www.517prct.org/roster.pdf


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

Recent website additions:

Lester Gene Hyman and friends, 596th PCEC

Lots of pictures of the 596th, most unidentified soldiers

517th Victory in Europe Prop Blast - May 19 1945

Toivo Moisio (?), Company D

Blue Book Magazine articles - 1947-1948
George W. Cavnar, Reg. HQ

The Thunderbolt - August 1943

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


Mary Jane Handron--- Free Lance Writer and friend of the 517

 Hi Ben,

 How are you? Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading the entry from Ms.Traver and the account about Ms. Varady in the recent Mail Calls. I think it’s a great idea for you to include entries like these. It is not only fascinating for my generation, but also for those that follow. I am forwarding these issues to any friends and family with kids and recommending that they share these readings with the children. I thought your readers might like to think about doing the same.

 As you know, many people my age (40 “something!!!”) still have parents and/or grandparents with first hand accounts of WWII and we have been fortunate enough to learn about this history through their eyes and memories. As kids my brother and I even learned the lyrics to all the patriotic songs INCLUDING those that represented the various branches of the military….” Anchors Away, The Caissons (I know…now it is “The Army!”)  Over hill over dale…, From the Halls of Montezuma” etc. … (I am concerned when I see kids today…AND adults…who do not know these American “basics.”)

There are many people, though who are unaware of the types of situations and conditions, the extent of the patriotism and the mood across the nation that existed in the USA during those times.

 It is unlikely that children today will learn it in school; unless they have a superb curriculum and even more superb teachers! Even if they do study the 20th century wars and WWII in particular, this is excellent material for special projects and reports. This way, even if it is not in their books, kids get a bit of exposure to it.  If one child does a special project about the war, this potentially introduces another 20 (or so in the class) to the story, especially if there is an oral presentation or a class display. I have seen my own nephews interested in picking up another book about WWII simply from exposure to this type of material.

 I urge every reader of Mail Call to forward these issues (especially NO’s 1512 and 1513 most recently) to at least one family with a child. I know that one of your goals with this website is not only to keep the 517th and friends connected, but to preserve these priceless memories and launch them into the future. We as readers and lovers of those who fought WWII for our country can help you to reach more people with this simple act.

Best to all,

Mary Jane

Mary Jane Hanron


Eddy Monfort
 
Hello Mr Barrett,
 
Just a few words to thanking you for your answer. I hope that you will receive an little story of this Tiger Tank at Goronne fom my friends historians. Goronne is situated near Vielsalm when the 517th was in this sector on January 1945.
 
Of course, I will tried to come next year at your reunion.  I would like so much doing a marvelous trip with my girlfriend.  We had the idea to come together including our friends from Trois-Ponts.  So' I think that we will prepare our travel all together with Irma and his husband, but for the reunion of 2009 !
 
I stay in touch and I sending you again all my thanks and my sincerely friendship.

Your friend from Manhay,
 
Eddy

 Patricia and Roland will be with us in St. Louis
 

Patricia and Roland ORENGO

Banquet - Savannah, August 19, 2005

Dear Friends of the 517e,
To begin with, let me tell you where I have come from, so that I can be in front of you today.

My husband Roland and I come from a village in the south east of France, which is called Sospel.
A good number of you know our village which is at the southern end of the Maginot line, between France and Italy with numerous strategic fortresses and gun emplacements.

We are the humble representatives of our village’s mayor and the population of Sospel who present to the 517e this plate in homage for your action in the World War II.
 
We will be eternally grateful to you for liberating France from the enemy’s yoke and the Nazi suppression. We thank you for sacrificing years of your life so that our lives can be free.

We are with you today, thanks to the invitation of Nolan Powell and his family, which are most generously allowing us to stay with them during our time in the USA.
We met Nolan, in Sospel, a few years ago and we persuaded him to make a tour of the village in our Jeep.
This led to an exchange of correspondence with letters and photographs, which cemented our friendship.

In honour of this friendship, we present Nolan with the medal of Sospel.

We thank you for your reception but we are especially grateful for the efforts you have made to give us freedom.

We recently celebrated, like many villages and towns of France, the 60th anniversary of our liberation which took place on October 28.

One of you was in Sospel on that date. It was Marvin Moles, who had the good idea to mislay his helmet in a corner of France which then enabled a young guy to find him !
He is among us today and I greet him and thank his family who wrote beautiful things about us on the 517e’s website. Thanks to Marvin, Diane and Mark.
We will be happy, in the future, to be your guide to those of you among us who wish to visit our beautiful village.
Do not hesitate to tell us when you will come.

Thank you.


 Darrell Egner
 
A SONG FROM A SOLDIER IN IRAQ WOW.. very moving!
This loads fast, so watch and listen. This "soldier produced" video is
different, moving and heartwarming.

  This guy could probably land a recording contract when he comes home!

  http://www.flashdemo.net/gallery/wake/index.htm