517th Annual Florida Mini-Reunion January 17,18,19, 20, 2009
Banquet on the 20th (Tuesday) and Departing on the 21st (Wednesday)
Hosted by: Leila Webb, Location: Ramada Hotel & Inn Gateway
7470 Highway 192 West
Kissimmee, Florida 34747
Tele: 1(800)327-9170 FAX 1(407)396-4320
web site: WWW.ramadagateway.com
Contact: Leila Webb, Helen Beddow and Lou Darden
4155 Kissimmee Park Road
St. Cloud, Florida 34772
Tele:(407)892-3595
Room Rate
- $65.00
Registration Fee - $40.00
Gene Frice
Ben,
I regret to advise of the passing on Monday, October 27,of Gary Davis of F Company. He fought his battle until the last days. He was my best friend of these many years in spite of time and distance. We entered the 517th, together in June 1943, and remained with the unit until the units completion of it's task in 1945. He returned with the unit and I departed for duty with the 82nd in Berlin.
We both served as scouts with F Company and mutually shared the frequent snap of incoming rounds as they passed between us. He finally volunteered to be the first to be hit by the passing rounds and he was. Upon his return to duty with the company we continued to miss the incoming until our patrolling in Belgium. Neither of us volunteered to be the next to be hit-however in January 45, we both got hit by the same incoming mortar round.
I have lost my good friend, a great soldier, and the 517th has lost another warrior.
The services are to be
held on Saturday, November 1, 2008, in Spokane, Washington. His loving wife,
Jeanne, and the many members of the Davis extended family may be reached at 8613
East Valley Way, Spokane, WA 99212.
Most members of the Frice Troop will be in attendance and will present the regrets of the 517th.
Gene Frice
Gerry Wolfford
Being a WWII buff as well as the nephew of a Buzzard, I recently ordered a 5 disc DVD set from Amazon that is entitled "The Color Of War". A well put together set by historychannel.com. It is advertised as "shot in color" and it seems very strange looking at WWII combat footage in color after years of black and white only. I am only on the second disc so far but today while viewing the segment titled "Why We Fight" under sub-title "Pride and Prejudice" lo and behold there in living color in my living room is none other than our own Col. William J. Boyle, putting on his helmet. After doing a double take I backed it up and did a freeze frame progression to see it again. Yep it's him alright all dressed in jump gear with parachutes and Mae West. I had seen the 3 still photos [click on attachment below] of this sequence here in a previous mail call. This was part of a short segment in the video about what our airborne units had contributed to the war effort. No particular unit was mentioned by name but the video panned several groups of troopers in black face paint all strapped down with jump gear and prepared to enplane. I read a few paragraphs on the Amazon site pertaining to combat footage that now can be purchased in video form that were previously not allowed for public consumption. The recent availability of this material is some how tied to the passing of "The Freedom of Information Act". In other words we may soon be able to view our history's greatest military blunders that we were never told about. Ouch!! Maybe even the misuse of our military personnel and or property by high ranking officers in war time. It is about time. The Statute of Limitations will no doubt protect the guilty but embarrassment has no statute of limitations. Nephew of a Buzzard
Radio dramatist Orson Welles terrified thousands of listeners today with the Halloween special War of the Worlds. The fictional drama was so realistic, listeners throughout the United States fled from their homes, prayed for salvation and swamped police stations with frantic calls.
"Explanatory announcements during the program between 8 and 9 P.M., were overlooked by thousands who were led to believe a poison gas expedition had arrived from Mars and was spreading death and destruction over the New York Metropolitan area," reported the The Modesto Bee and News Herald on October 31, 1938.
NOTE: Welles' radio drama was based on H.G. Wells' classic novel that was set in Great Britain. For the radio broadcast, the location of the imaginary alien attack was switched to someplace closer – Grover’s Mill, New Jersey. The following day, newspapers reported that the Federal Communications Commission had begun an investigation of the program. "Any broadcast that creates such general panic and fear as this one is reported to have done is, to say the least, regrettable," stated Frank P. McNinch, chairman of the FCC.
LITTLE BROTHER
Although not generally known, Albert Göring, the younger brother of Reich Marshal Hermann Göring, was an outspoken anti-Nazi. Arrested several times by the Gestapo, each time being released by the intervention of the Reich Marshal. Albert was born near Mauterndorf in 1900 and became a successful businessman and in later life the Export Director at the Skoda Armament Works in Czechoslovakia. During his work there he helped many Jews escape the horrors of the Holocaust by forging his brother's signature on their travel documents. The Jewish wife of composer Franz Lehar was one of those helped by Albert. Returning to Germany after the war he was everywhere shunned just because of his name. Living on a government pension he married his housekeeper as a sign of gratitude so she could receive his pension after he died. One week later he died, in 1966.