Jim, because of his expertise, was chosen to push out of the door on the
Southern France jump the bale with vital communication
equipment and to make sure that this vital bale was launch at
the right time and land in the correct spot General Seitz assisted him. My
understanding is that this vital bale was never
found.-Ben
Nmc. Ben, my best thanks for you
birthday greetings. Per usual you were real kind and so thoughtful.
I appreciated you greeting very, very much. The Good Lord has truly
blessed me over the years and I thank Him every day. With profound respect
and admiration for the man you are and all you do for so many. Airborne
all the way!.Dick
Can you pass this to Phil Gioia? Phil,
thanks for you kind greetings. It was great hearing from you after so many
years. You did wonderful job taking charge of the VIP Brazilian General
when he visited Bragg. He was pleased as was I. Airborne All The
Way. Dick Seitz
Lory
Curtis
Ben,
Please
forward our heartiest birthday congratulations to General
Seitz. He is
such a wonderful man and I feel very honored to know him.
At the reunions
General Seitz always takes time to talk with us, and I
sure enjoy listening
to what he has to say. In fact at the Washington
D.C. reunion I asked
General Seitz what his criteria was for selecting
men for the 517th back in
1943. He said, "I interviewed 3,100 men and
only allowed 700 into the
517th. Headquarters was putting a lot of
pressure on me to get the
battalion staffed, but I was looking for men
with spirit and heart, not
muscles.”
By the way it was Major Seitz in 1943 who interviewed my Dad
and
allowed him to become a member of this famed 517th PRCT. This is
what
my Dad wrote home to his mother about then Major Seitz. I have
recorded
this letter in the book Letters Home, a Paratrooper's
story:
General Seitz, my brother and I wish you a very happy
birthday! AND
MANY MORE!
Lory and Tim Curtis, sons of Bud
Curtis, HQ, 1st BN
Exert from a letter dated April 27, 1943 Bud
wrote:
"Well today the first thing we did was to jump from the mock
tower.
Then we had a personal interview by a Major (Seitz). Boy is he a
swell
guy. About 30 years old. Well I walked in. Saluted him,
told him my
name. He asked me how I liked the paratroops. I told
him
“PERFECT.” He said he was organizing a bunch of paratroopers
for
actual combat overseas in about 9 months from now. He asked if I
wanted
to be in it. If you could have heard him, the way he said, “If
you do
come into my battalion, you are going to work, and work hard, and
when I’m
through with you, you’ll be a man, and the very best.”(
Major Seitz also told
Bud we are going to go to Japan and kill the
Japanese, is that what you want
to do? Bud responded, “Yes sir!”)
Then if you could have heard him
say. “Write your folks and tell them
you are in my outfit, and that
you’ll be overseas in 9 months, and
tell them that I’m personally going to
bring you and all the others
back alive.” Well cold chills went up my
back, and I would have done
about anything he wanted me too. Well
anyway I’m on the road to being
a paratrooper. But I am going to have
to work for it."
Edith
Miller
How
delightful to receive the notes and pictures of the great reunion in 1995 in
Kansas City. It brought back many good memories and a trip in
nostalgia--Many thanks--Edith Miller
Lory
Curtis
Ben,
Please thank Steve Markle for me for listing the
ship's manifest of the Oneida Victory. On page 38 I found my Dad's name
listed with Hq &Hq Company. It was great to see this
information. I sure do appreciate his research.
Lory Curtis, son of
Bud Curtis, Hq, 1st BN
Philip Gioia
Ben
Great
news; many thanks.
Please
pass to General Seitz that Juan Montes
joins me in sending birthday wishes – he will remember Juan.
Juan was my first company commander when I reported to the Division as a Second
Lieutenant in June 1967.
All the
way,
Phil
Philip
Gioia Managing
Director Pathfinder Partners LLC
