70 Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA. 02025 ,781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett Ben517@aol.com

Hello,

Thanks to all who notified me that they did not receive No 1527. I did use the same method to sent it as I have always done and therefore Comcast, your provider, is at fault. You can receive No.1527 and over 1500 past Mail Calls by clicking on www.517prct.org/archives

The Thunderbolt is now being received by many. Others should receive it soon since all were sent out via bulk mail at the same time. Please give it another week and if you do not receive it , notify me or Helen Hbeddow@cs.com

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 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

Website www.517prct.org
Mail Call Ben517@aol.com

517TH ST. LOUIS REUNION BEGINS:

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2008 THRU MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2008

THE BANQUET WILL BE ON SUNDAY JUNE 29

My Dear Michou,
Would you be kind enough to give Gene the following message and help us get him to the St. Louis reunion. All the men of the 517th respect and love Gene and want so much to see him in St. Louis.

My Dear Friend and Comrade...Chop Chop,
For over sixty years we have been friends, comrades and veterans of that great 517th Parachute Regiment. During these years, as you know I have praised you and expressed my profound respect and admiration for you: a good friend, a patriot, soldier and great human being...indeed a great man. However, since the tragic loss of your lovely Jane you have ignored all of us in the 517th. This has deeply hurt me, as well as your many 517th buddies. The hurt is difficult to understand because we have such keen respect for one another.
Chop Chop, the 517th is having a reunion in St. Louis, Mo June 26-30 this year and all of us in the 517th hope that you will join us in St. Louis. It is important at our age that we take advantage of each opportunity to keep alive our close friendships and camaraderie as well as the 517th Legacy.
All of your many comrades know, like I do, that you are a great soldier, well disciplined and that you follow orders. So the men of the 517th have directed me, your battalion commander to order you to St. Louis. Therefore, Chop Chop, you are ordered to report to St. Louis, June 26 to join your wartime comrades in comradeship, war stories and fun. That is an order...signed: Lt. Col. Seitz, Your Battalion Commander.
Chop Chop, please come and bring your lovely daughter. We want so much to regain that close camaraderie we so enjoyed.
With continued great respect and admiration,
Dick

Betty Traver

Ben, Just want to let you, Claire and Helen know that Myrle received his Thunderbolt today.

What a magnificent job that Claire and Helen did in producing this quarterly and in color too!

Hey Ben I read the new Thunderbolt and found it just great. However I had two friends that were listed as having passed away this passed year, and both names were mispelled. One was Fred Harman (not Fred Harmand) The other was Jim Degnan misspelled (Jim Degan) Please forward to whom ever can correct this Tom McAvoy

Thanks Tom. I believe that the correct spelling is Fred Harmon-Ben

Be careful Lud. When the Army hears about your great 90th Birthday jump, they will surely tell you if you will make a few more they will try Blackmail and pay you all the jump pay from when you were discharged. That is what they did to me. Because they took me off of jump pay a day after I broke my back in Southern France, 9 months later they claimed if I would make one more jump they would pay me for the 9 months I had been cheated out of. I told them I have already made my last jump. Good luck, old friend. Tom McAvoy and congratulations

Hello Ben and the rest of the 517th family,

I hope that you are feeling great and living large ! My health seems to be getting worse and it is hard to deal with at times but it's better than the alternative. Now I have Carpel Tunnel in both hands and man it hurts ! I have gotten many compliments on the display for my dad's ( Odas Sweet) medals and patches that I have hung on my family room wall ! It is a beautiful thing. Attached are two pictures. If he hadn't survived WWII then I would not be here enjoying the best country in the world ! I always enjoy telling people about my dad and the 517th. It is easy to see how proud I am of him and the unit that he served with. Thanks to the 517th friends and family filling me in on so much great historical information ! For some reason I still seemed to be cursed and not able to receive a copy of the Thunderbolt even though I sent in my name and address etc. I was missed last year too ! Lory Curtis sent me a 2nd edition of his book "Letters Home" A Paratroopers Story. An interesting thing is that I am now a small part of that story and it is an honor to be mentioned in his book. For anyone who doesn't know what life was like back then for the young men of the 517th , they should contact Lory and buy their own copy. It looks like I am not going to be able to make it to St Louis . I can't drive that far from here or it will really put the hurt on me. If Claire has any Thunderbolts left could you please mail me one? Thank you Rick Sweet

Mary Jane Hanron

Hi Ben,

Thanks for sending this beautiful poem! Another great piece (and a nice little review of American history included!! (That ragged Old Flag)

For some reason I didn’t get the Mail Call from April 25^th….but I’m glad the “Greatest play” made it in!! (I guess great minds think alike!!)

Anyway, it gave me a reason to check it out in the archives and I ‘m so glad I did because I also love Kilroy! If not for your message, I would have missed him!

Thanks again.

Mary Jane

formatted pdf forms	simple Web Page format
Sheraton Westport Registration Form Reunion schedule of Events 517th Reunion Registration Form	Sheraton Westport Registration Form Reunion schedule of Events 517th Reunion Registration Form