Dear Mr. Barrett:   The Jansson's knew you were in CA. at the time and could not attend Dad's goodbye.  What we would like to tell you again, is how much we truly appreciated the efforts your family made, along with Trooper Walsh and the committee of the reunion in 2007.  My brother George and I, who were lucky to be able to attend, feel that the reunion was most likely, the best time Dad had after his accident.  He never truly recovered from that, but the reunion really sparked him.    At the funeral, I did not have the composure to speak.  Dad and I were so very close in so many different ways, that I would not have been able to get through one sentence.  That is a shortcoming of mine that I will always regret.  George, however, got up, and made a beautiful eulogy on Dad.  A large part of it was Dad's being a part of the 517th.  He was very proud of his comrades, although we never knew of it growing up.  There will be more funds for the film project coming, I hope.  I know that George and his wife Helen just sent something, and my wife Cindy and I will be sending a contribution shortly.   Thank you again, Ben, and your family, for the kindness you have shown the Jansson's.  It seems to be something very common amongst the members of the proud 517th.   All the best,  Pete Jansson. Mel Dalhberg Ben Thank you, thank you, you got me back on line. I don't know why, but I was not getting your e-mails. Greetings to all 517ers wherever you are from  east to west and north to south. If I can find someone to go with me to the SLC reunion, I'll be there! Airborne all the way! Mel Dahlberg Tim Curtis Hello Ben and family of the 517th, I will be in the Ardennes on May 29 and head for the Soy Hotton area as that is where my father H.L. "Bud" Curtis began the fight in the Bulge with Hdq. 1st. According to my brother's book, I will also be heading to St. Jacques, Bergeval, Trois Pont, St. Vith, Stavelot and Malmedy. Apparently there is a committee there that will escort my wife and I to battlefields and memorials to the 517th. I could not be more pleased if that is true. If I have left any place out where Hdq. 1st may have been, would you please let me know through Mail Call or my e-mail address T.L.Curtis@maranausd.org Looking forward to the SLC reunion. Save me a sweatshirt brother! Tim Curtis Howard Hensleigh Dear Dennis, You got a clear picture of  what went on at Bergstein from your father and have done a good job of reconstructing it.  There are things he and a few other H Co. men around him knew that  were not known to anyone else.  I am sure you realize that an attack of this type was on a broad front so a lot of things were going on at the same time with each trooper only knowing what he could see, hear and  feel.  To make it more confusing, our attack was disrupted by enemy action of all types to keep us confused and kill or wound us.  There is a possibility that the trip wire flare mentioned in the report is the same one related by your father.  However, there were many flares that illuminated us, some set off by our hitting trip wires and some set off by the enemy when they heard something suspicious on those dark nights, so we can't be sure.  I know the feeling of Monkhous after he wiped out those Germans in the pillbox face to face.  A high state of tension goes into it and then after it is over, even when successful, there is a let down feeling that is draining. The 596th engineers cut paths through the mine fields and laid tape through them so we could get through.  The Germans, who had been defending  these positions for a long  time and knew every inch of it like the back of their hands, came back along the tapes and laid new mines.  It is quite possible that the medics as they went in and out with litters relaid tapes or new ones too, but I did not know about that at the  time.  Sorry it took a while to answer.  A few things interfered.  Congratulations on your understanding of your father's accounts of Bergstein. Howard Hensleigh Mark Landreth Reading Mr. Hensleigh's comment in Mail Call 1788 that people might be interested in the documentary because of the Riviera and Maritime Alps aspects, please the producers to ensure they include the Italian front, too. Many Americans traveling to Europe want to visit the Riviera, Maritime Alps, Provence and Tuscany. The 517th got to see all those places and more. Tom McAvoy Hey Morrise,  I saw your comment on mail call  and thought I would let you know how I moved around.  I was ordered to go to a new company and report,  (they were getting rid of me )  So going into combat in Italy I was first Scout in a squad  Then for the jump into France I was ordered to report to Btn  S-2 for the jump into France.  So that was a kind of a promotion.  Tom Bob Dalrymple Ben:: For Morris McDowell . As I rethink on Wickersham, I believe he was of Eskimo ancestry. It seems I remember he wanted to transfer to 517 to get more front-line fighting . Bob Dalrymple Today is Sunday, May 17, 2009 Today in World War II History 1940 - Germany occupied Brussels, Belgium and began the invasion of France. 1941 - German planes bombed British forces in Iraq. 1946 - U.S. President Truman seized control of the nation's railroads, delaying a threatned strike by engineers and trainmen. Random World War II Quote "Defend Paris to the last, destroy all bridges over the Seine and devastate the city." Adolf Hitler - August 1944