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

Hello,

Ben

Send contributions for Film Project to.

Leo Dean

Update on the 14 Stonehenge Lane

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

Click on National Reunion

Salt Lake City

July 9-13, 2009

Recent website additions:

A Company in Life Magazine 1944

Pvt. Harry A. Hill, B Company - 200 photos and clippings

Pvt. Richard L. Lynam, H Company, KIA

Operation Dragoon After Action Reports

Mail Handling Procedure During the Invasion of Southern France

Photo from St. Cezaire

V-E Day May 8, 1945

May 7, German Gen. Alfred Jodl signed the document of surrender at the Reims headquarters of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, supreme allied commander of Allied forces in Europe. Germany had originally tried to strike a deal to surrender only to the Western allies, but not Russia, but ultimately gave in to demands that it surrender unconditionally on all fronts.

"With this signature, the German people and armed forces are for better or worse delivered into the victor's hands," Jodl said.

The surrender took effect at 11:01 p.m. May 8, on what was declared V-E Day. It was a day marked by widespread celebration and, in some corners, somber reflection.

In his victory order issued that day, Eisenhower praised the men and women in uniform who made V-E Day possible. "Your accomplishments at sea, in the air, on the ground and in the field of supply have astonished the world," he said. "You have taken in stride military tasks so difficult as to be classed by many doubters as impossible. On the road to victory you have endured every discomfort and privation and have surmounted every obstacle that ingenuity and desperation could throw in the your path."

The road to victory was "marked by the graves of former comrades" who paid the ultimate sacrifice, Eisenhower said, noting that 186,000 Allied troops were killed during the 11 months between D-Day and V-E Day. More than a half million Allies were wounded, and more than 100,000 remained missing, later to be declared dead.

"Each of the fallen died as a member of a team to which you belong, bound together by a common love of liberty and a refusal to submit to enslavement," Eisenhower said.

"No monument of stone, no memorial of whatever magnitude could so well express our respect and veneration for the sacrifice as would the perpetuation of the spirit of comradeship in which they died," he said.

Chris Liddell

      Hi Mr. Barrett!
      I've been thinking about you and the website lately so I dropped in to visit and was surprised to see how large it's grown and all of the new information available since it started with that small little site back when we were searching for old war buddies of my grandfather. I have to say that I was also a bit surprised (and a little disappointed) to see that you guys had added a line of caps/t's/patches/etc when I've been sending you e-mails for all of these years whenever I saw something that might be good for the 517th family, custom dog tags, t-shirts, mugs, etc. etc. and then you use my competition.....   Somebody call the waaaaaaaaaaambulance.... LOL!   I'm just giving you a hard time of course since we don't keep in touch near as much as we used to and I know how easy it is to forget that someone's in a certain type of business when all you're thinking about is finding someone to do what you're needing at that time. (I'm equally guilty) I DO hate that I could have probably saved you guys some money on the products though. I've been in the promotional products & freelance graphic art business since 1991 (3 mos out of High school at the green age of 19) for 17 yrs so I have some really good connections with my many suppliers.  If you do need to check the prices on something in the future, whether I do them or not, I'll be more than happy to help you out with them and make sure that you are getting everything that you pay for and that no corners are being cut.

      I hope that you're doing well and, again, I'm glad to see that the site has really taken off. There's a lot of information regarding the battles that all of you saw and experienced that many people don't even know about or take the time to learn about and sites like yours definitely gets a lot of that information out there gaining the much deserved respect and admiration that all of you deserve.

     Hope to hear from you soon. Please tell Bob hello for me.
     Your friend,
     Chris Liddell

Chris was instrumental in my starting Mail Call and the web site. He was searching for information about his grandfather, Bobby Liddell, who won the Silver Star. The search was not very successful probably due to the fact that when asked by a buddy what he did to receive the Silver Star Bobby Liddell replied "just doing my job". Bobby Liddell was in F Co. and we are still searching for information about him. Can anyone in the 2nd Bn help us? - Ben

PS. I have to hit back when taking a hit. Due to personal problems and having too much on my plate, I can no longer guarantee that I will answer or remember 90 plus% of requests that I receive. LOL. Send me info about what you can provide to the 517 and I will place it in Mail Call for others to see. - Ben

Bob Dalrymple

For Mike Erwin ; My name is Robert W Dalrymple. I was the Commanding Officer of the 596th Parachute Combat Engineer Company from it's activation, in April 1943, until I was ordered to another assignment on 29 Jan1945. I departed the unit at Stavelot, Belgium. I can't say I recall your grandfather but I can vouch that he was a good soldier else he would not have been in our unit. I had some contact with him through Charles Pugh, who I am told, helped him through Medical School. Also, I believe he was famous for examining Ruby, the man who shot Lee Harvey Oswald . you might learn more from Ann Pugh, Charlie's widow, tel: 703-998-7573 . I am told that your grandfather, John Holcomb, and Dr Charles Pugh were close friends. Ann can verify that. Robert Dalrymple

Pat Seitz

Ben: what a nice reminder of Boom Boom.

Ed Lincoln

That song was terrific!

Dick Seitz

Ben, thanks for headlines. They are most interesting and I appreciated your thoughtfulness in sending them. You are always so thoughtful. 517th all the way! Dick

Darrell Egner

Howard Hensleigh

I had a very nice conference call with Rob and Mary Lloyd McDonald (Movie Producers) and Hunter McDonald today regarding the Movie. I asked Rob how he viewed the Movie and what the concept would be. It will start with the formation of the unit and Basic Training and follow us through to the end of the war. He will use parts of the interviews with the troopers in St. Louis and their personal memories regarding issues they experienced throughout the War. Needless to say I wanted to be sure it would be ready to be viewed at the Banquet in Salt Lake City. They are doing a great job and it will be ready.

Rob asked me if some one in the 517 family could review it for accuracy and even add to the stories if necessary. Needless to say Howard I thought of you, the guy with the memory that goes on and on. Rob said he would send you a rough draft for you to be sure that what is said is correct and of course you could add your thoughts to the production if you wish. I hope this meets with your approval as I don't know anyone that could do this job as well as Mr. Memory, Howard Hensleigh. I don't remember yesterday let alone WW II. If you would be kind enough to take on the very important task please let me know.

Howard your always there when we need you and all of us appreciate it. Thank you!

Darrell Egner
President 517 PRCT