Yes, I remember my jump uniform and the ones the men in my Hq.
3rd machine gun section wore. We wore fatigues,
the regular helmet with a chin strap, and regular old button up GI jacket.
All of our clothes were paint sprayed for camouflage purposes and our faces were
grease painted the same way. Back in the States in 1943 I think at Ft.
Benning, I was issued one jump suit I still have. Others may have jumped
in jump suits, but I did not know of that.
Because the M-1 was a better weapon and was fit for a
bayonet, I got rid of my carbine in Italy and carried an M-1, disassembled
in what I called a Johnson bag. I had a musette bag (back pack) with
all my personal stuff (tooth brush, shaving material etc.) flipped over my head
to the front (because of the parachute back pack) and the reserve chute on the
front. The Johnson bag was fastened under the musette bag and
reserve. The planes that dropped us did not slow down as prescribed which
caused an opening shock that tore my musette bag off into the blue
yonder and jerked my helmet so that the chin strap scraped off a good
share of the skin on my chin.
For those doing the reenactment of the jump and our battles in
Southern France, it may be more dramatic for the reenactors to wear jump suits
if they prefer and I am sure some in the 517th wore them.
Best airborne regards, Howard Hensleigh
From: "J.mickael SOLDI" anvil-dragoon@hotmail.com
J.Michael
Airborne Museum LE MUY
France
Dear Ben ,
Thank You so much
to hook me back to the line in my new address, and let's the "mail call" coming,
thank you for all the kind email i've received
If
I can be useful for you all here in south France, with my friend Eric, the town
staff and friends for accommodations vets, family or friends planning to come to
the 65Th anniversary i will be grateful to help you.
The approx dates are from the 14th to the 17th in
the drop Zone around Le Muy.
Contact :
anvil-dragoon@hotmail.com
regards
to you all,
AIRBORNE ALL THE
WAY..
J.Michael
Airborne
Museum LE MUY France
Steve Markle
Thanks to some scanner issues, I have fallen WAY behind in
getting more of these issues out. Hopefully the problems are behind me and I can
get the balanced of these released. Thanks for your patience.
Here is the March 1998 issue of Wings;
...and the article that includes a full
index of the issues that have been scanned to date;
Included are many WWII era photos and from the 1997 Palm
Springs reunion.
Enjoy!
-Steve-
Morris McDowell
For Bob Dalrymple: Bob,
sgt. Harmon told me that Wickersham was the scout of the 1st pltn. I
believe in Italy, and was getting pistols and
personal items from the soldiers he was killing, and selling them and making
good money. My Cousin wanted to be the scout as well, but Wickersham wanted no
part of that. As a result Layton & Wickersham had some pretty serious words,
so Fred asked Lt. Athey to help, so Lt. Athey made both of them scouts, so
everybody was happy, according to Fred. Oh, by the way, Mr. Hensley, I
love your very detailed accounts of the actions the 517th were in.
Thank all of you Veterans for what you have done for all of America. Morris
McDowell
Darrell Egner 517 President
Mary Lloyd and Rob I found this very interesting and I think you will
too.
Ben when you are in Europe this August I feel sure you will see some
Cemeteries that are in this PBS Documentary. I plan to
watch.
Darrell
Subject: Hallowed Grounds a PBS Special May
25
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
CONTACT: Robert Uth , New
Voyage Communications, 202-234-0608, newvoy@verizon.net or Glenn
Marcus, gmarcusdc@aol.com, 202-518-8646
PBS TO DEBUT NEW
DOCUMENTARY ON U.S. OVERSEAS MILITARY CEMETERIES ON MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 25TH,
2009, 10 PM (EST)
NATIONAL EMMY AWARD WINNERS CRISSCROSSED
THE GLOBE TO PROVIDE FIRST-EVER LOOK AT 22 U.S. WORLD WAR I AND II
CEMETERIES
WASHINGTON
(March 5, 2009) – Nearly 125,000 American military men and women are buried
overseas in the lands where they fell. The bodies of almost
100,000 more have never been found. But not one of them has been
forgotten.
This Memorial Day, May
25, at 10 pm (ES T), a new PBS documentary “Hallowed Grounds" features footage
of 22 overseas U.S. military cemeteries from World Wars I and II, and vignettes
about the heroic men and women buried there, and those who visit
them.
"We heard of these national treasures of the American
Battle Monuments
Commission while making THE WORLD
WAR II MEMORIAL: A TESTAMENT TO FREEDOM,
for PBS,"
said director-writer Robert Uth of New Voyage Communications, “and were
surprised to learn that the majority of them had never been portrayed in a major
documentary. Even more interesting is that most Americans are not aware of
their existence.”
Hallowed Grounds” follows the path of U.S. forces
in both World Wars in eight countries: Belgium, England, France, Italy,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, the Philippines and Tunisia. The documentary uses
archival footage and photos to depict the battles that filled these burial
grounds, and includes profiles of many of the American men and women who rest in
them. Some of the featured were well known, including the poet Joyce Kilmer, two
of Theodore Roosevelt’s sons, bandleader Glenn Miller, the five Sullivan
brothers, and General George S. Patton. But most were ordinary men and
women of all backgrounds, caught in the calamity of war.
Each
of these overseas military cemeteries is a unique expression
of
commemorative design, with stunning landscapes,
magnificent architecture, and powerful works of sculpture and art that are
tangible representations of American values. They provide a constant reminder in
the countries where they reside of the tremendous sacrifice Americans had made
to preserve peace and freedom in the world. And they create a fitting
resting place for those who paid the ultimate
price.
The documentary has received lavish praise from
high-profile American war veterans. After seeing a preview of the film, former
South Dakota
Democratic Sen. George S. McGovern, a
World War II bomber pilot, stated,
“This is a superb
depiction of the American military cemeteries abroad. It helps us remember the
great sacrifices that young Americans made in defense of the nation.” Arizona
Republican Sen. John McCain, who served in the Vietnam War, was also impressed.
This documentary gives long-overdue honor and recognition to these sacred
places, and the men and women who gave their lives for the cause of freedom
around the world,” he said.
“Hallowed
Grounds” is the most recent PBS work produced by Robert Uth
and
New Voyage Communications, along with his
documentary partner Glenn Marcus.
Both are the sons
of World War II combat veterans, and their earlier
films
also include “The March of the Bonus Army,” a
documentary on World War I
veterans, and “Korean War
Stories,” which won the national Emmy Award for outstanding historical
documentary.
During the making of the film,
Marcus, who co-wrote “Hallowed Grounds,”
visited for
the first time the grave of his father’s only sibling,
interred
in the Lorraine U.S. Military Cemetery in
France. “I was pleased to see that the uncle I never knew is resting in this
beautiful and immaculately maintained place,” he said. “It is a most worthy
statement about how our country honors those who made the supreme
sacrifice.”
The program is narrated by Battle of
the
Bulge veteran Peter Thomas, with an original
score by Charlie Barnett.
Major funders for the
program are the Disabled American Veterans
National
Service Foundation, The Cantigny First Division Foundation of the Robert R.
McCormick Foundation, PBS, and the Lynde and Harry
Bradley Foundation.
Check local listings for exact broadcast
times in your area.