From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 8:25 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 1696- 517TH PRCT-JANUARY 7, 2009

 
70 Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA. 02025 ,781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett  Ben517@aol.com 
 Hello,
 
Packing laptop and preparing to fly to East Coast
 
 
Please let me know if you want to receive Mail Calls or if you have a problem
receiving them. You can always read back Mail Calls  by clicking on www.517prct.org/archives
Ben

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

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

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


  

Howard Hensleigh

 

Note to Joe Combest: 

When Ben mentioned that he had received an email from you the other day I recognized your father's name but was not sure which G Company platoon he was in.  Since his best friends were Caylor and Hank Wengryzinovicz I know he was in the third platoon.  If he was in that platoon in Camp Mackall, we logged many miles together as we took our field training before going overseas.  He would have enjoyed associating with Hank and the other G Company men at our reunions.  Dallas Long who was first sergeant, Harger, Scruggs, Hewitt, Kichin and several others always had a big time rehashing their experiences.  There were plenty of humorous stories in the whole outfit, but a couple your Dad might remember is when Hank had a possum in his footlocker during Saturday morning inspection and Hooper's dog got into the barracks and had a fit barking at the footlocker.  Col. Zais asked him what was in there and Hank said he had just received a package of food from home.  I'm not sure Zais believed Hank, but we all speculated on the interesting time we all would have had if Zais had opened the footlocker to investigate.  We also used the spelling of Hank's last name as the countersign on platoon tests where the red troops usually learned the countersign easily by just listening in the dark to challenges of platoon members coming back into the platoon area.  It took two weeks for the platoon members to learn how to spell Hank's last name, but none of the red troops ever made it to break our code.   Caylor was a little guy who didn't weigh much more than one hundred pounds, but he carried that 60 mm mortar a thousand miles and single-handedly held off a German counter attack near Col de Braus.

I was transferred to headquarters company before we left the states, but tried to keep track of the third platoon men all through the war.  I know your father was a good man from his reputation in the platoon and what the platoon did in combat.  More important though is how he has led his life after returning to the States.  And, what do I know about that?  He raised a son who considers him the best man he has ever known.  My hat is off to both of you infantrymen.   Howard Hensleigh


RICHARD HAMMEL

   Shame on you Ben.  If you had not sent out that admittance that you
could make a mistake no one would have known,  You do a wonderful
job , Thanks a lot.  Dick Hammel Co E.
                                  ***************
Thanks Richard. Howard Hensleigh told me yesterday that those people who never make mistake never accomplish much.
 
Harry Truman said " I don't make many mistakes but when I do they are beauts"

Edith Miller
 
The Christmas Rose was beautiful -- I sent it to many friends -- Thank you -- Edith Miller

Darrell Egner
 
Helen

Thanks for the picture just for me, what an honor.  I'll start the ball rolling so you have one name for your picture.  I'm the 3rd one from the right with the Red Cap on.  Come on Guys send Helen or Ben your ID.  This should be a fun project and well worth the few minutes it would take to identify yourself.

Darrell Egner

Guestbook entry
 
Name: Vernon L. Jones
From: Ogden,Arkansas
E-mail: vernsgerl@att.net
My dad was in the 517th Parachute Infantry Regimental Combat Team in WWll His name is Bruce M. Jones, his nickname was "FOXY",I would love any info from anyone who might have served with him or who may be able to help with info or photos. He went into combat in Jan 1945 and served through the war and occupation until they were sent back to states.


 
1944 Report    Not quite accurate.  We had casualties from bombing.