70 Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA. 02025 ,781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett Ben517@aol.com

Hello,

Sent on a wing and a prayer

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:

A Chronology of the 517th PIR

Operation Dragoon Drop Zone Map, by Clark Archer

Marie-Pauline Rostagni 1944

Lt. Milton Kienlen, A Company

Happy Birthday, Col. Cross!

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

Click on

April 20-24,2009

July 200

Wm. S. Triplet,

Lieutenant Colonel Seitz of the Second Battalion of the 517th Parachute Regiment (attached to CCA) was one of the best damned soldiers I have known, and I have known a hell of a lot of damned fine soldiers. He completed three very hairy missions for CCA with never a question or a word or complaint. I note that I was correct in my judgment. During his subsequent promotions to four-star general (actually LTG) he commanded the XVIII Airborne Corps in which he served as a battalion commander when I observed him in the Ardennes.

Source: A colonel in the Armored Divisions, Wm. S. Triplet, p. 166

The above message was obtained from A Chronology of the 517th PIR sent to us by Karl Landreth. It is a great history of what the 517th and particually the 2 Bn. endured day by day during the war. - Ben

Chronology of the 517th PIR

with emphasis on 2nd Battalion and E Company

Download in pdf

Here' is a draft of the Chronology of the 517th.. It's longer than I anticipated, 33 pages of 8.5x14 paper. It focuses on 2nd Battalion and E Company.

This is a work in progress and I truly welcome comments and criticisms from 517th veterans, especially those who served in E Company and 2nd Battalion - Contact: Mark Landreth [landmark54@hotmail.com]

Thanks!

Mark Landreth (son of Roy Landreth, E Company)

landmark54@hotmail.com

Theresa Pugh to Steve Markle

Mom, Ann Pugh, my brother Steve (who is visiting us from Texas) and I thank you for your note.

We are delighted that you are still publishing Wings. My dad would have been so pleased. We hope that you will share this note with the other Wings subscribers. I did not have the e mail addresses for all the people on your subscription list but I did copy Ben.

I recall many a weekend spent collating the pre-electronic era version of Wings which my dad produced. He set it out around our pool table. My childhood friend and I collated it for him.

My mom is in good health, is mentally fine and quite happy. She misses my dad—but has coped beautifully which is what he would have wanted. They were married 56 years ago this month. Steve came up for the weekend from Fort Worth while his wife was visiting her mom in Canada. Ann lives here with me just outside Washington DC. I am happy to report that despite some vision and arthritis issues she is in excellent shape. She is 85.

Please let us know if you are in DC. We live 5 miles from the White House. We had such a nice time with some of you who came here two years ago for the 517^th reunion.

Ann’s telephone number is 703 998 7573

We wish you well.

Theresa

Lyn Burton-Vickers

Hi Ben--

I thought I would send a little note to Howard Hensleigh via the Mail Call:

Howard, you old Iowan you...I went for a visit to Eastern Iowa this past week. Wonderful time seeing family but what I wanted to tell you, is that the day I left -- the 11th -- the temp was 10 degrees with a wind chill of minus 10!! When I filled up the rental car to return it, the wind was blowing a mighty gale with gusts to 50mph, & it literally froze the coat on my back. I was in Cedar County--about 30 miles from Iowa City. I can tell you I was glad to get back in NW Florida where the balmy temps of 70s waited me!

Best wishes,

Lyn Burton-Vickers (widow of David, Co G)

*************

I believe that Lyn had a past connection with Massachusetts where winters are no cup of tea. - Ben

The following is from the http://markleweb.com/gallery/d/18136-1/Wings_Winter+1995_publish.pdf where a clearer vision can be found. The Wings 1995 Winter edition was sent to us by Steve Markle.-Ben