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

Hello,

I really didn't have enough information to send out a Mail Call tonight, but our friends Pat and Allan returned from I am sure a well earned vacation.

All is well.

Please send Links instead of Downloads when possible. It saves me for searching for the link and saves space on Mail Call.

Ben

Donations for whatever program involving the 517th should be sent to our treasurer Leo Dean at 14 Stonehenge Lane,Albany 12203

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

Recent website additions:

St. Cezaire and

Pat Seitz and Allan Greer

Ben: we have been on vacation and just returned this evening. Am trying to read as fast as I can!

Dearest Ben:

It is our pleasure to read them and how you produce the volume that you do never ceases to amaze us. The reunion was the beginning of our vacation (we haven't had one in almost two years, so we collapsed for four days in Whistler, BC, Canada, then hooked up with a tour out of Vancouver by train to Jasper, two days there, then to Lake Louise for a day, then to Banff for two days and two days in Calgary). Between being with everyone at the reunion and the beauty of the Rockies, we are re-energized.

What a great reunion it was. Lory Curtis and his committee, Mike Wells and Debi, were amazing. I have worked on portions of events like they put on, it is very hard work. But what a fabulous gathering. Claire is right, each reunion is amazingly somehow even better that than the fabulous one before.

The special treasure from the reunions is to have had the privilege to get to know you and this time to get to know your kids, especially Bob, and to put a human being with the people on the email.

Hope you had a wonderful birthday.

Pat seitz and Allan Greer

Ben: Thanks for sharing this. You all are our heroes and we are so blessed to have the opportunity to spend time with you and the other men of the 517th. So we are doubly blessed -- first because of your service to protecting our freedoms and that of the world, and second, because you all are the wonderful individuals that you are and that we have had the opportunity to spend time with you.

Am so glad the 517th film was made. Is there anyway that we can ensure that the group that is organizing the August 5th celebration of the southern invasion of France can be told about the film before August 5th? I think they would like to be aware that it exists beforehand, though it might be too late. Never hurts to ask.

Do you have Rob and Mary Lloyd's email address or snail mail address? I would like to write and thank them not only for the outstanding film that they have put together, but also for the special "Wedding Story." Words can't express how they have touched us so movingly.

In a message dated 7/18/2009 4:12:04 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, Ben517 writes:

I thought you might find the following article from snopes.com interesting: http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/shiftypowers.asp

William Desilets

Looking for any information in regards to Casimer W. Szczech, Hq. Co., 3rd Bn, 517th PIR. I believe he was KIA, August 1944, Provence, France. Casimer's service number was 33556566 and he enlisted on Feb 11, 1943, Baltimore, MD.

He is listed as a Private in the "Paratroopers' Odyssey" and a Tech/5 on the December 3, 1944 Memorial Service booklet and the later Honor Roll..

Anyone with information please contact me @rwdchartermi.net.

Thank You,

William Desilets

spruce, MI

rwd@chartermi.net

Pat Seitz

Ben: just saw the video of Chris' jump. She now knows the thrill of the jump. More power to her! Pat Seitz and Alan Greer.

PS we just returned from our vacation and are slowing going through the mail and emails! Hope you all had a safe trip and have a wonderful one in France and Belgium.