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

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RICHARD HAMMEL

hammel@coastalnet.com

   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.

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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"

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Edith Miller

 

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

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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

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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.

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

 

 

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