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

Hello,

I have an interesting download in this Mail Call.

Send contributions for Film Project to.

Leo Dean

Update on the 14 Stonehenge Lane

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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:

St. Cezaire and Les Arcs today

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

Lory Curtis

Ben,

Not many of our 517th family and friends have signed up for the reunion yet. We only have a small number so far. I am told that most sign up at the last minute, but to me we are very close to the last minute. I saw on the 517th Web site the one Year Anniversary of the Thunderbolt. Colonel Walsh’s had this anniversary message to the 517^th troopers printed in the Thunderbolt, Camp Mackall, N.C. March 1944.

It said:

A YEAR AGO TODAY

Organization Day and we are one year old—a year of high hopes and strong resolve—a year that presents a bold challenge to the future. All of us, Infantry, Artillery, and Engineers, now are welded together into a compact, fighting unit, ready to join our comrades overseas and do battle with our enemies. Welded by bonds of hard work trying marches, hazardous jumps, carrying heavy loads—and sharing them, and with it all a lot of fun! These have made us a team. These are the bonds that create the strength for victory.

Umbly asking God’s guidance—we face the future confident and eager. To Each of You, my thanks for your splendid cooperation. To Our Enemies, we’re ready!

L.A. Walsh Jr.

Colonel Infantry

Commanding

I hope the welding together of these great men as a team can again happen in Salt Lake City, July 9-13, 2009. I hope you will start making plans now to attend the reunion.

Lory Curtis, son of Bud Curtis, HQ, 1st BN

Darrell Egner

Troopers, family and friends.

June 8 (cutoff date) is just around the corner and we need your help. After June 8 it's first come first served. Lory Curtis and his committee have planned a great reunion. However, we need your help so please send in your Registrations to the Hotel and Armed Forces Reunions. This registration plea is very necessary so that we can finalize our obligations and counts to the Hotel, Tours and AFR. Our contracts call for about 200 people to attend. If we fall short we may have to pay a penalty. Here I go again with my predictions, as I believe we will end up with 250 people for what may be our last National Reunion. Please we need you to register now.

The Hotel reservations will not be charged to your account until you check out. The AFR will charge a one time non-refundable $7 fee when you register and rebate the difference. Should you have to cancel for any reason the Hotel will not charge you if you cancel 24 hours prior to your arrival.

Registration forms were in your last Thunderbolt and you can also go on line and print them but what ever you do please register now. The Reunion committee needs your help for planning purposes and to relieve their minds on how many of you will show up. I have talked to over 20 persons that are planning to come but have not sent in there registrations yet. Frankly I just sent mine in this week.

See you in Salt Lake City,

Darrell Egner
President PRCT

Bob Dalrymple

For Lory , As a Company Cmdr, I carried : 1911 model, Browning , 45 cal pistol ; regulation carbine ;Thompson sub-machine gun , with double taped 20 round magazines in gun and spare double in musette bag, below emergency chute . The opening shock ripped off all but my 45 and my emerg chute.

I picked up an M1 on the Battlefield and later turned it in for the Standard Carbine . Why didn't I know about the opening shock damage possible, from previous combat jumps from earlier opns, or why didn't I think ? C'est la guerre! For Howard : Most of us wore the standard jump suit which I found very acceptable . We were dark-faced and suit was cammy sprayed. We wore the jumpsuit for quite a long time. I believe until we got settled on the Italian border, if I'm not mistaken . Bob Dalrymple

Howard Hensleigh

Note to Lory Curtis: You have it right about the M-1 and the carbine; whether the carbine was a folding stock or not, the M-1 was a much better weapon. Carbines were prescribed for officers and for troopers who normally carried a heavy crew served weapon load. The field grade officers carried 45 caliber pistols. Believe it or not, many of us carried what we thought we could use best. The 517th was like that. There were Thompson submachine guns and the cheaper stamped out version "grease guns" scattered through the outfit. The Browning automatic rifle, an excellent and accurate weapon used as early as WWI, was carried by some in spite of the fact that it was quite a bit heavier than the M-1. During our campaigns many troopers picked up hand guns of all types, usually taken from German soldiers, dead or alive. The German Lugar was a particular prize. I think virtually all of us carried a knife of some type, whether a bayonet or smaller knife. Paratroops were known for carrying switch blades, which Mel Zais took credit for introducing to cut our way out of our chutes in a hurry after landing. Mel later thought the introduction of the switch blade might have been a mistake as they were used in too many bar room battles with the tankers. Howard Hensleigh

Don Gentry

Ben, this web site was advertised tonight on my cable news channel. The site contains a pdf form to print, fill out and mail with DD form 214/215, photo and a story.

Click here: The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor

Our family gives our thanks this Memorial Day to each and every Soldier past and present, especially the 517th PRCT.

Don Gentry

Phil McSpadden

Subject: Cagney and Hope Dance Routine

James Cagney Born 7/17/1899  Died 3/30/1986 @ 86

Bob Hope Born   5/23/1903 Died 7/27/2003 - wow....100 !!

- - -In our lifetimes we won't see talent like this again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOoNOs8Ql28


517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team

2009 517^th PRCT (Last?) Annual Reunion

July 9-13, 2009

Salt Lake City, UT


Reunion Program

Registration Form

Hotel Information and Registration