Hi again,

 

Well, Rob found the answer: 8 generals,1 governor and 1 Congressional Medal.

 

Thanks again for your assistance

Mary Lloyd

---

Ben

Would you please put this in Mail Call.  I spoke to this lady on the phone today.  Monika is a retired Army Captain and also a Paratrooper.  She jumped in Normandy for the re-enactment of the D-day celebration.  Now she would like to honor those of us that jumped in France on August 15.

Darrell Egner

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Monika Stoy
To: bigdegner@comcast.net
Sent: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:57:57 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Commemorating the 65th Anniversary of Operation Dragoon - the Forgotten D-Day

Darrell,

      Thank you for your service. I'm trying to have a recognition day for veterans of the Forgotten Day. LTG Seitz said he's coming to this event as well.

Please, send it out to all good American members and hope to see you on 5 August!


Captain C. Monika Stoy, US Army (ret.)
President, Outpost Europe
Society of the 3rd Infantry Division 6531 Milva Lane, Springfield, VA  22150 USA 28 June 2009  

I am contacting you because your organization may have members who participated in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France , in August 1944.                We all watched the Normandy 65th Anniversary activities on the news this June.  As always the ceremonies were first class and our veterans were well treated and appropriately feted. This brings me to the sad point that so very few Americans know of the landings in Southern France in which the 7th Army (3ID, 36th ID, 45th ID), with the 1st Allied Airborne Task Force (1st AATF) and the 1st Special Service Force, played major roles.                In an effort to gain some national recognition in the media for the veterans of Operation Dragon, I am working to organize a commemorative ceremony on 5 August at Fort Myer, Virginia with as many veterans who landed in Southern France in August 1944 in attendance as we can find.  With hard work and a little luck we hope to arrange for a prominent government official or well-known personality to join us for the event and generate national press attention for our great veterans.                If you have members who participated in the landings in Southern France, fought their way up the Rhone Valley or secured the flank of that movement on the border of Italy, and are able to get to Northern Virginia on 5 August, we’d love to hear from you!  Let’s make their 65th
Anniversary of the second and Forgotten D-Day as memorable as the Normandy celebration.                  At this time I already have received commitments from LTG (ret.) Grange and LTG (ret.) Seitz as 1st AATF veterans to participate on 5 May. From the 3ID side I have MG (ret) Lloyd B. Ramsey, who landed at Cavalaire as a Battalion Commander in the 7th Infantry Regiment.               I can be reached at telephone number (703) 912 4218, or this email address.  As time is short, email and phone are the preferred method of communication. Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you and your WWII veteran members, soon!                                                                           Rock of the  Marn Monika Stoy

---

 

Hi, Would like to know if anyone remembers my Dad, He was from Oak lawn IL Ervin J Yackim . My  Phone # is 815 464-5987.   My name is Nancy Hill Dad passed away Nov 2001, we found papers on him later, also have a picture of his Company at Camp Toccoa GA. A.Co 517th Parachute Inf. Thank you  Marie-Louise Spencer My husband, Joe Spencer, (460th HQ) made the jump on Aug. 15th in South of. France and I met him shortly afterwards.  Col.Hank Covington did jump that same day. We miss both him and his wife Helene to this day. Joe isn't doing that well but he is a good trooper. God Bless you all! Marie-Louise Spencer Wayne Cross Ben the 517th developed at least four General Officers that I am aware of;  Lou Walsh, Dick Seitz, Mel Zais, David Grange.  There were also a significant number of other senior Officers and NCO's that went on to achieve combat commands in Korea and Vietnam.  It would be interesting to recount the number of full Colonels that came out of the 517th as there were many.  Certainly Cols. Boyle, Cato, Cross, Lissner jump to my mind, I am sure there were many more.  The 517th also had a CSM of the United States Army in George Dunaway.  The leadership that was developed within the 517th was exceptional by any standard of measurement.  Kathy McIntosh Hi Ben, Wanted to let Darryl Enger know that my dad was a jumper on Aug 15th into So France.  He is now 92 y.o. and that part of his life seems to be a major part of his life. He is coming to the reunion but he is worried he will not know anyone.  He was very close with Boom Boom Alicki.  So I hope he has a wonderful time in Salt Lake.  We arrive on the 9th. Kathy McIntosh and Jesse K Davis, B Co. Walt Smith   javco4@sbcglobal.net   IS THE EMAIL ADDRESS OF ART VESCO WHO ASKED ME A QUESTION  FOR WHICH I HAVE FORGOTTEN THE ANSWER AND HAVE NOT THE EYES TO RESEARCH.  COPY AND PASTED BELOW IS HIS QUERY. BEN, HAVE YU THE TIME TO ANSWER HIM OR ME FOR HE WILL READ IT  GOD,S BLESSING TO YOU, BEN.  WALT SMITH  HQ 1ST.   Walt -- do you know near what town the Rhone American cemetery is located in Southern France?   Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial American Battle Monuments ... Phil McSpadden Hello all....I really appreciate all the e-mails you send, but please hold them up until after Jul 15 as I'm going on a doctor directed vacation...this retirement is wearing me down!!!   Enjoy yourselves over the 4th of July, and hope to hear from all of you after July 15th   thanks,  phil mc spadden