From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 1:49 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: MAIL CALL N0. 1706- 517TH PRCT- jANUARY 22, 2009
 
70 Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA. 02025 ,781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett  Ben517@aol.com 
 
Hello,
 
Just back from Florida Reunion, I and others will comment on it in later Mail Calls. I do want to make one comment. It was a thrill for me to meet for the first time Jim Mortensen and his wife Brenda .Jim was a forward observer  and was teamed  up with a high ranking officer to insure the accuracy of the bale with vital information that they had to push out of the plane during the Southern France drop would land in the right place.  I understand that the bale with the crucial information is still missing.
 
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

Recent website additions:

 1944 Dec 14 - Hamburg Iowa Reporter - Howard Hensleigh in Les Arc

Electricity for Beginners; Joigny, France, 1945

1944 Christmas V-Cards by Dick Spencer, done for the 3rd Battalion

596th PCEC Newsletters 1980-1983

Sospel 1944 and 2008

Pvt. Richard Whidden, D Company

Col de Braus battle - 64th anniversary

Sospel 1943 and nows

   

    

517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team

 

2009 517th PCT West Coast Party

 April 20 - 24, 2009

Palm Springs, CA

    

Place: Quality Inn/Palm Springs, CA

Registration: $50.00 per Person

Room: $84.00 + Tax

 

Dates:

April 20th – Official Registration, Hospitality Suite 140 10AM-10PM

April 21st – Barbeque Buffet for Troopers and their Family

April 22nd – Social Day – Golfing, Shopping, Follies

April 23rd – Men’s Business Meeting 10:00AM -11:30AM Conference Room

Farewell Banquet –Dinner and dancing Canyon Country Club

7:00PM – 10:00 PM

April 24th– Check out. Have a safe trip home.

 

 

Hospitality Suite open daily in Room 140 10:00AM- 10:00PM

 

Open bar and daily snacks

 

Quality Inn

1269 East Palm Canyon Drive

Palm Springs, CA

Phone 1-800-472-4339

Be sure to mention the 517th PCT

 

Please make registration check payable to William T. Christian (Bill)

Mail to: 17422 Parker Drive Tustin, CA 92780

Questions call (714) 838-0613 or BigZebra@sbcglobal.net

 

Families and Friends Always Welcome

 

                                                               National Reunion

Palm Springs, CA                                                Salt Lake City

West Coast Party                                                July  8-13  2009

April 20-24, 2009 

Bob Dalrymple

 

Beautiful account . Congratulations General Richard Seitz ! Bob Dalrymple

Don Saunders

Hi Ben,
Just a note to say that my wife and I had thought we may make it to Palm Springs this Springbut I guess it was not to be. I am scheduled for a hip replacement on March 19. It has been a long time since we have seen Bill and Sophie Christian and we were looking forward to the reunion. If the Good Lord is willing maybe next year. Hello to all my 596th buddies and the rest of the combat team.
AIRBORNE    Don Saunders
Mark Landreth
Gentlemen -

I've been delving into the S-2 and S-3 records of the 517th.

A lot of them, particularly the S-2 records, reference designations for units (e.g. Cecilia) rather than the unit's actual name (2nd Battalion).

Some of the names used were: Cecilia, Ciphon, City, Cipher, Ceiling, Custom, Nugget, Local, Decca, Dakar, Drag, Decatur, and Dervish. Some of them, Cecilia for instance, were used in reports both in November '44 and in January '45.

Were the designations for each of the units the same throughout the war, or did they change from time to time?

I'd imagine if anyone could answer, it might be the troopers who operated the communications section or the radiomen.

If anyone can assist with information as to which unit used which designation, I'd be most appreciative.

In advance, thank you for any information you might be able to provide.

Be well,
mark
Steve Markle
I am happy to add the January 1988 Edition of Wings as an online tribute to the men of the 596 and the 517th....
 
Hope you enjoy!
 
January 1988;
...and the article that includes a full index of the issues that have been scanned to date;
 
-Steve-
Pat Seitz and Allan Greer
 
Dear Ben:  The article on Howard Hensleigh's actions in Les Arcs that was chronicled in the Hamburg Iowa Reporter was excellent (it was also a gift to hear about Howard as he never talks about himself, but is a fabulous historian of other's actions).  The 517th is blessed to have a historian of his writing skills.  My gratitude to your son Bob for putting the article in Mail Call.
    Hope everyone has a wonderful time at the Florida mini.  Alan and I are with you in spirit.  Happy New Year to all.