Howard Hensleigh

Dear Ben:

In response to having been asked to participate, I will undertake to make an outline of what the film project could include to make a comprehensive story of the unique qualities and experiences of the 517th and tell its story in an interesting way for posterity.  It is great that we have so many people who are enthusiastic about helping with the project.  That suggests that we go for broke seeking grant funds.  To bring things together in an organized fashion, we need a leader who can orchestrate the 517th people who are doing the work to complete the entire project.  I suggest Dick Seitz for this job not only because he has a long history of leadership within the 517, but also because we are used to his leadership and have accepted him as a brother.  I know he will give us a full rein to do the job with enthusiasm.

Without preempting the outline, I will get to work on it as we have a great story to tell with picturesque scenery to display in telling it.  Howard Hensleigh

Dear Ben, Wesley,

Your information does help put together leads that make your grandfather's major battles the same as those  of the 517th.  According to Tom Cross, Some officers and men of the 13th Airborne Division were transferred to the First Airborne Task Force in preparation for the Southern France invasion, Operation Dragoon (sp?).  He apparently was in combat in Italy before the invasion with some outfit, as we were.  It could have been with General Frederick's Canadian-American unit (The First Special Service Force) that fought alongside the 517th through the S. France campaign all the way to the Italian border.  They were on our right toward the Mediterranean and I frequently made contact with them when on patrol or bringing supplies, water and ammo to our troops that were in isolated mountain positions. 

The southern invasion was talked about for some time with Churchill wanting it through the Balkans to slice off territory for the western allies that eventually fell behind the Russian "Iron Curtain" and the US who won out wanting a more managable undertaking that would not get bogged down and more quickly support the drive on Paris and Berlin.  When all the talking was over the First Allied Task Force was thrown together in a hurry.  In July, thirty-six officers were flown over from Camp Mackall to round out Frederick's staff.  They must have come from the 13th Division.  (see page 33 of the Odyssey)  Your grandfather could have been detached from the 13th Division at this time and brought to Italy as part of that group.  We along with the rest of the First Airborne Task Force remained on the lines in S. France until just before Thanksgiving 1944.  At that time I think the headquarters group of the Task Force was broken up and its members assigned to other units.  Your grandfather being a trooper would have gone to a parachute outfit.  If he came to the 517th Bob Barrett should be able to find his name on morning reports or elsewhere.  If he is not listed there, he went to some other parachute outfit that fought in the Battle of the Bulge and Rhineland campaigns. 

Good luck in piecing things together for your grandfather's descendants.  Howard Hensleigh

We were attached, sometimes piecemeal, to almost every Division that fought in the "Bulge", including the 82nd, but that would not have put your grandfather in the 82nd. 

Ben Yes, I would love to receive Mail Call.  Just so you know I have trouble remembering what I did last week.  If someone knows or remembers him would be great, but Im looking more to you guys for your knowledge of the over all information.  Im putting the puzzle together and hope that you guys can look at the pictures or documents  and tell me what, why and where he may have been.  I understand that I may never find out what he really did.  If only I would have asked more questions when he was alive.  I was still in High school and other things filled my interests then.  Thank you for what ever help you can provide. Wesley  Bob Dalrymple   RePlaques again: The 596 th Engrs (3rd PLat) cleared the NIce airport of German mines ,  losing six men killed . We placed a Bronze Plaque commemorating this operation at the entrance to the Airport during our CB trip there in 1989 . I heard that the French FFI also claimed this distinction and moved the Plaque to another location .They also put up their own plaque which I have not seen . I do not know this info (FFI) to be accurate . Anyone going En France this summer might want to check it all out . The mine clearing was a high priority operation dictated by higher  command, as "they" wanted to use Nice as an R and R destination soonest . Bob Dalrymple Howard Hensleigh The "WHAT CAN I SAY' poem by Dick Spencer was written shortly after Art Riddler was killed and Dick was wounded in the first attack on Ridge X.  As those of you who have visited Col de Braus and have viewed it, or as Lud Gibbons did, climbed Ridge X in more recent times must know what a difficult assignment it was for G Company to take this ridge from Germans who were set up in good defensive positions where they could see us coming for miles.  The 517th owes a lot to Dick Spencer who designed our Buzzard and added so much to the 517th with his portable typewriter and cartooning talents.  After the first attack was driven back G and H Companies took the ridge and from then on we had a clear view of the entire Sospel Valley.  Unfortunately we were short one fine officer and several good troopers.  Howard Hensleigh